How to Get a Baby to Sleep in a Cot

Published on 30 December 2018

Posted in Blog

Many parents love to co-sleep with their babies, but the time always comes when the baby needs to be transitioned into a separate room, away from their parents. However, babies often find the process of transitioning from the parents’ bed to the cot a rather difficult experience. As a result, they can’t sleep in the cot as quickly and as easily as the parents would wish. As a parent, you’ll understand that it’s not easy for them to move from your bed with the comfort that you’re next to them and be able to sleep in the cot right away. Hence, you need to take the right approach that won’t be too stressful for your baby. The following tips can work for you in a great way.

Teach them the difference between day and night

Babies can’t tell the difference between night and day. Hence, we should find a way to teach them when it’s time for sleep and when it’s time to be awake. Make sure that during the night, the bedroom is quiet and dark. Try to avoid interaction with the baby at night. So, the baby gets to learn that whenever it’s dark and there’s a cot, it’s time to go to sleep. During the day, on the other hand, take the baby out and spend long hours in the outdoors with plenty of noise and light, this will enable them to differentiate between day and night.

Start a routine early

Come up with a routine for the baby early enough that you can get them used to it. You don’t have to be too strict with time, but it should be close enough that it becomes habit for you both. This way, they’ll get to learn when it’s time for bed.

Familiarise the baby with the cot

So that the baby can get familiar with the cot when it’s time to go to bed at night, you can have them take their naps in it during the day. The darkness can also disorient them or scare them. So, by putting them in the cot during the day when there’s neither too much light nor darkness, they get familiar with it.

Start with a Moses basket rather than a cot

Full-size cots can be very daunting for your baby when they’re little. It’s a great idea to start with a Moses basket and then introduce them to the cot when they’ve outgrown the basket.

Make the cot warmer

Babies love to sleep in warm places. So it’s a good idea to warm the cot before the baby is put in it. A great way to do this is by putting a bottle of hot water and then removing it before the baby is put in.

Make use of white noise

You can use white noise to soothe your baby into sleeping in their cot. There are different devices that you can get to help you sooth them with white noise.

Swaddle the baby

Swaddling the baby makes them have the feeling of being in the womb. They feel cuddled and warm and not lonely inside the cot as it is a very big change from sleeping near you.

For more information on cots and other types of bedding feel free to contact us.

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