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Monsters in the Closet: Bedtime Basics for Parents Why Can't You Sleep Like a Baby? Getting the Family into a Back-to-School Sleep Routine

Children's Health Newborns and Toddlers

Top Ten Things to Do to Get Baby to Sleep

Summary & Participants

Getting babies to sleep can sometimes seem like a Herculean undertaking. Listen to a sleep expert's tips on what you can do to make bedtime a dream.

Medically Reviewed On: July 11, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Babies can make us laugh; they can make us proud. They can also make us crazy, especially when it comes to bedtime.

Help is on the way. Dr. Jodi Mindell is one of the country's leading sleep experts. She's counseled scores of weary families on helping their babies fall asleep, and as important, teaching babies to do it themselves. Now, the top ten things you can do to help your baby's sleep.

Number ten
Recognize your own baby's sleep signs.

JODI MINDELL, PhD: Does she rub her eyes? Does she pull her ears? Does she twirl her hair? One baby I knew used to stare off into space. The mom thought the baby was bored so would first do antics, but really, that was a sign for the baby that he wanted to go to sleep.

The moment your baby gives you that sign, that's your window of opportunity. You want to go right away and put them down for their nap or for bedtime.

Number nine
Make sure the bedroom is conducive for sleep.

JODI MINDELL, PhD: What you want is a bedroom that's cool, that's quiet, that's dark, that's comfortable. There is this whole question about, if you're completely silent when your child's sleeping, are they going to get used to that silence and not be able to tolerate noise. We really don't know. One thing that can be helpful is running a white noise or a fan in the room to mask household sounds. However, you want to be careful, you don't want the house to be absolutely, utterly silent when your child is sleeping.

Number eight
Make the crib a safe haven for your baby.

JODI MINDELL, PhD: All babies should sleep on a firm surface. There should be very little bedding in there. You don't want to give your child a pillow until they move to a bed. And, of course, all babies should be put down on their backs to sleep to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Number seven
Have a consistent bedtime routine.

JODI MINDELL, PhD: One of the key things in getting a baby to have good sleep habits and fall asleep easily and quickly is to have a bedtime routine. You want that bedtime routine to be twenty to thirty minutes, about two to three activities which are the exact same every single night.

Number six
Make sure your bedtime routine is sleep-friendly.

JODI MINDELL, PhD: You don't want to be doing anything that's way too active, because it will stimulate them and have a hard time falling asleep. A typical bedtime routine may include taking a bath, massaging a baby, reading to a baby, singing lullabies. You want things that are soft and soothing. Now, if your baby hates taking a bath or can't sit still for books, you want to do that at a different part of the day.

Number five
Keep your baby awake until it's time to put him down to sleep.

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