Skip to main content

These are the best methods for transitioning sleeping kids to a crib

The first few weeks are super important for your baby to get familiar and comfortable with their crib. Besides that wonderful skin-to-skin time, your little one should be getting used to sleeping in their own bed without relying on nursing or rocking. Here are some common situations why a baby may not sleep in their crib and how to deal with it.

baby sleeping in white crib
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If your baby only sleeps when held

The main reason why babies prefer to sleep in your arms rather than their bed is because you’re so much more cuddly. They might not like their crib because it’s a sudden transition from your warm embrace to their cold crib. A good trick is to warm up their sheet a little in the dryer and place it on their bed shortly before you put them down. This will help make the transition go more smoothly, especially now that there’s no large difference in temperatures.

Another reason why babies prefer you is that your scent is familiar. You might keep a piece of fabric that you’ve worn tied securely onto the crib side to help comfort your baby. You can also try holding their sheet against your chest and arms before placing it on the crib to make it smell like you.

If your baby is sensitive to outside noise

Ambient noise from the rest of the household or the street could wake your baby up in their crib. In this case, try a white noise machine to play pink, brown, or white noise. Most babies enjoy gentle piano lullabies, which is convenient because the typical white noise machine has a lullaby setting. Other options include nature sounds like whale songs, pattering rain, and whispering winds.

sound machine and accompanying app
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It may seem counterintuitive, but always keep a little bit of ambient noise around when your baby is falling asleep. This way, they don’t get used to total silence when falling asleep, and they will slowly tolerate more and more noise during naps or long stretches of sleep at night.

If your baby likes to comfort nurse

Your little one might like to comfort nurse themselves to sleep. Offer them their thumb as a comfort item instead of their bottle or pacifier. This helps break up the sleep association between food or comfort feeding and falling asleep. When this association is dissolved, even if they wake up in the middle of the night, they won’t need a pacifier or milk to help them fall back asleep. If they’re crying harder than usual, consider outside factors like teething or feeling too cold or hot.

If your baby startles themselves awake

Most babies will wake themselves up because of the startle reflex. To help lessen this phenomenon, purchase a sleep swaddle. This will keep your little one’s arms bundled on their sides and comfortably compressed. There are also specially-shaped pajamas that keep your baby’s arms up in a more natural position.

baby in swaddle blanket yawning
Image used with permission by copyright holder

One more option you might try is a weighted pajama. These provide gentle pressure on your child’s chest to help keep them feel more grounded.

If your baby seems uncomfortable

Lastly, your little one might not like their crib because of other reasons like a dirty diaper, uncomfortable mattress, scratchy clothes, cold or hot room temperature, rough bedsheet, or bright room. Try identifying any of these common problems, and see if your little one has a change of heart.

If not, keep trying and be consistent. Babies thrive with familiarity, and even a bedtime routine might help them get used to their crib. Try a soothing ritual like a warm bath, a relaxing story, and a short lullaby to help them get prepared for sleep. This way, when you follow the routine every night, they’ll soon start expecting the crib with less and less resistance.

We know it’s tough putting them down when you just want to hold them forever, but trust us — you’ll be glad later on. Transitioning your baby from your arms to their crib is tricky. You don’t want to wake them up completely, and you want them to fall asleep without bedtime crutches like comfort nursing or getting rocked to sleep. These nighttime hiccups may seem unbeatable right now, but remember that you’re strong and you’ve got this!

Editors' Recommendations

NewFolks
Concerned with baby scratching their nose? This is what it might mean
Here's when a baby scratching their nose is normal
A little child holding a tissue in their hand and crinkling their face up.

Watching your child discover new things is always exciting, especially once they find their hands. At this point, you may find that they are obsessed with touching anything and everything. Among their exploring, you may have noticed your baby scratching their nose more than normal. At first, it seemed like it was only an itch, but now your little one is constantly touching their nose. Is this another quirky baby stage to get through, or something more concerning?

If you have seen your tot grabbing at their nose and getting whiny, there are a few things to check out and then try to get them back to a happy baby. An itchy nose outside could mean something needs a deeper look inside. Let's see what your baby's extra interest in their nose could really be about.

Read more
What is 4-month sleep regression (and how to keep it from ruining your life)
Here's what you need to know if you're dealing with 4-month sleep regression
A mother watching her baby sleep in their crib.

A good night's sleep is hard to get when you have a baby. So, when your little one starts sleeping for longer stretches, and dare we say through the night, it is a cause for concern. Not many parents may have heard of 4-month sleep regression, even though they may be experiencing it. Four-month sleep regression is perfectly normal and happens to some little ones around the 3- to 4-month mark. Of course, when baby isn't sleeping, neither is anyone else in the house. Here's everything you need to know about 4-month sleep regression, including when your baby will start going down for the night once again.

A guide to 4-month sleep regression
By the time babies are 2 to 3 months old, they typically sleep for 5 or 6 hours stretches. By 4 months, babies can sleep through the night without being fed. Whether a baby does depends on the child. Most babies will sleep for that heavenly stretch of 7 to 8 hours by the 4-month mark. If your kiddo has been snoozing for a solid 8 hours at night and has suddenly stopped, you could be dealing with 4-month sleep regression.
What is 4-month sleep regression?
When babies around the age of 3 to 4 months start having trouble sleeping through the night again, it could be a sleep regression period. Regression means to revert or go back to a previous pattern. This is what happens with sleep regression. Babies begin to have trouble falling or staying asleep at night and during their usual naptimes, regressing to those short intervals of slumber you thought had gone by the wayside.
When can 4-month sleep regression occur?
Despite the name, 4-month sleep regression can happen at any time. This change in sleep pattern typically happens to babies at around the 3- to 4-month mark.
How long does 4-month sleep regression last?
It may seem like ages, but 4-month sleep regression doesn't usually hang around for long. Provided parents make an effort to keep baby's sleep routine consistent, 4-month sleep regression lingers for around two weeks.
What causes 4-month sleep regression?
Since most parents want to avoid any interruption in the much-needed good night's sleep in the household, it's important to understand why this sleep regression happens in the first place to babies happily sleeping through the night. As infants, babies don't have a sleep and a wake cycle. They pretty much sleep when they want and wake when they're hungry or need a diaper change. When babies reach the 4-month mark, they begin to understand the sleep/wake cycle. They snooze longer at night and take fewer naps during the daytime. It's this important developmental adjustment that can actually interrupt their newfound sleep pattern.

Read more
7 avocado-based baby food combinations your baby will love
Mix up these avocado baby foods for your kiddos
Baby in highchair eating avocado puree.

It's so exciting when your little one is ready to start eating solid foods. If you're searching for what solids to try, think avocados. Avocados aren't just a superfood for adults. They're excellent for babies and toddlers too since they are infused with healthy fats. Avocado baby food offers a nutritious first step in introducing solid foods to babies.

Avocados earned that superfood tag because they contain 20 vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus several variants of vitamin B. They're also packed with protein and fiber and don't contain cholesterol or sodium. Avocados are very low in saturated fat, too. Babies need omega-3 fatty acids to promote brain and eye development. Avocados are one of the fattiest plant foods and are a great source of oleic acid. Oleic acid is an important omega-3 that's also found in olive oil.

Read more