How to Get Newborn to Sleep in Bassinet? You have been diligently planning the nursery for your baby, from choosing the perfect colour and wallpaper to the ideal curtains and, most importantly, a lovely, cozy, and comfortable bassinet however, if your baby refuses to sleep in the bassinet, that could end up creating trouble for you. As a result, your dreams of seeing your child safe and comfortable shatter.
If you face the same problem, don’t worry—you are not alone. Many new mothers face this problem and wonder how to get their newborns to sleep in a bassinet. However, before we move on to the causes and tips to help you put your infant to sleep in a bassinet, it’s crucial to take some simple steps to ensure your baby's safety.
Safety Measures Before Putting Your Newborn to Sleep Bassinet
However, first things first: Let's look at the basic steps of putting your child safely to sleep, regardless of the place.
Make Sure the Baby Sleeps on their Back
It's essential to ensure that your baby sleeps on their back to prevent the risk of suffocating, choking, or overheating. Making your child sleep on the back also helps regulate their breath, clear their airway, and get the protective reflexes working.
Make Sure the face of the Baby is Uncovered
You might be surprised that babies control their temperature through their faces and heads. Keeping these parts uncovered helps reduce the risk of suffocating or overheating, both of which could potentially damage the baby's health.
Keep the Environment Clean Around your Baby
Keeping the environment clean and safe around your baby is crucial. This includes making the area smoke-free since babies can inhale the smoke, and this can lead to long-term damage to their lungs. If you or your partner smokes, it's best to step outside for it.
Why is Your Newborn Not Sleeping in the Bassinet?
Now that you are aware of essential steps to ensure your child's safety let's examine why your newborn is not sleeping in the bassinet.
They Might Be Feeling Uncomfortable
Newborns are way more sensitive to temperature and comfort than adults are. Moreover, they can't adjust to the weather easily, leading to overheating or catching a chill. Thus, if the room is too hot or cold, your baby feels uncomfortable, making it difficult for them to fall asleep. In fact, according to a survey, too many layers and high temperatures can lead to the possibility of sudden infant death syndrome.
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They Might Be Overtired
Have you ever experienced those moments where you are extremely tired but unable to sleep? The same thing can happen to your newborn as well. Babies get tired way too easily and too often. Their capacity to stay awake is limited to being fed, washed, and pampered; after that, they must go back to sleep. If you are keeping them awake or hoping for the right time to put them to sleep, you are overtiring your newborn, leading to uneven sleep patterns.
They Might Be Suffering From Acid Reflux or Startle Reflex
After feeding the baby, it's essential to help them burp to stop the acid reflux from moving upwards into the esophagus. This can make them feel queasy, potentially making it difficult to fall asleep.
Have you ever had that feeling of falling from a height just as you are drifting toward sleep? Your newborn also has the startle reflex that gets triggered. As we mentioned earlier, babies are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. This includes loud noise, slamming doors or even being lowered into a bassinet. They can jolt awake and refuse to go back to sleep, making young mothers anxious.
How to Get Newborn to Sleep in Bassinet?
Once you have identified why your baby refuses to sleep, you can easily figure out the solution. Following are some tips to make them sleep in the bassinet:
Make Sure the Temperature is Ideal
You might wonder, ‘Well, what is the ideal temperature for a newborn?’ To answer your question, the ideal temperature for a newborn is between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius. You can dress them according to the temperature to achieve this ideal temperature.
Newborn mothers tend to panic even if it's slightly chilly and cover the baby in too many layers. The ideal way to do it is to dress them in their night clothes along with just one additional layer of clothing and cover them up in the blanket. To find cute PJs and nightwear for your baby, you can visit our products at Jenni Kidz. We have got wonderful clothes and amazing accessories for your newborn.
Figure Out Your Baby’s Sleep And Awake Timings
All babies have their body clocks, but it’s safe to assume that babies who are 1-2 months old tend to sleep after every 1-2 hours. Babies aged 6-8 months can stay awake for up to 3 hours before feeling tired enough to go back to sleep. Hence, once you figure out your baby's sleeping patterns, you can take advantage of their sleep timings to ensure they fall asleep in the bassinet.
Be Mindful While Feeding Your Baby to Avoid Acid Reflux
When you are feeding your baby, keep them in an upright position or raise their heads higher than their body. After feeding them, spend some time gently rubbing their backs to help with the digestion of food. The burp signals that food is being digested, so listen out for that. Keep them in the sitting position even after you have finished feeding them. The content stays in the stomach, where it should be, thanks to gravity.
Applying these tips will eventually lead the baby to sleep peacefully, and it would be easier to sleep in their bassinet.
Minimize the Noise and Lights in the Room
Creating a peaceful environment can help your newborn feel comfortable enough to let down their guard. With dim lights and minimal sounds, your baby will happily sleep even in a bassinet. This will also assist in tackling the issue of the startle reflex. As we discussed earlier, sudden noises can jolt the baby awake.
Wrap Up
Regardless of where your baby sleeps, it is crucial to ensure their safety first. By applying the tips, you can watch for potential dangers to your newborn. Moreover, to understand how to get newborns to sleep in the bassinet, it is best to understand the issues they might be facing. As we discussed, it could be either an uneasy environment, acid reflux or being overtired. Once you figure out the cause, it will be easy to develop the ideal situation.
Implementing some tips will ensure your baby sleeps well and wakes up refreshed. Grumpy babies can be difficult to deal with, and sleeping well is the best way to avoid that. Every mother wishes to see their baby happy and cozy. Getting proper sleep plays an important role in maintaining that outcome.
FAQs
From what age can a newborn be put to sleep in a bassinet?
Often, mothers are confused between a crib and a bassinet. A bassinet is smaller than a crib and provides a safety net. Bassinets can be used from birth until the baby is 4-6 months old, whereas cribs are more appropriate for babies from 6 months to 3 years old.
How do you settle a newborn in a bassinet?
Gently put your baby in the bassinet feet first. You can pat their tummy in soft strokes, roll them on their side, and lightly pat their bottom in smooth motions. Knowing that the mother is nearby will help your baby sleep.
Why do babies hate sleeping in the bassinet?
One reason for their reluctance to sleep in the bassinet could be the startle reflex. However, you have to be careful once your baby falls asleep in your arms. When you lower them in the bassinet to put them to sleep, sudden movement can trigger their startle reflexes, making them cry loudly. You can pat them on their belly to soothe and lull them back to sleep.
How do you introduce a newborn to a bassinet?
Place them gently in the bassinet while bending over till the last possible second. Then, place one hand on their head and the other on their bottoms to assure them of your proximity. When you see the baby settling, you can slowly remove your hands one at a time. If they move about or seem to be waking up, gently rub their heads until they fall asleep again.
Why does my baby wake up after 20 minutes in the bassinet?
20-minute naps can occur due to the over-stimulation of your baby’s brain. If they are overtired or have been seeing a lot of new faces, this overload of information can cause your newborn’s mind to become overstimulated, making it difficult for them to relax enough for a full night’s sleep.
