Teaching Baby to Fall Asleep

At 1 month of age, you can help year daughter learn self-soothing skills by practicing the following during the day, for naps, especially in the morning.

1. Start now to think about sleep as a health habit.

2. Practice putting her down in her crib, after soothing, drowsy but awake. If needed, shorten the duration of soothing, so she does not always fall asleep during the soothing process. This gives her the opportunity to learn self-soothing, to develop the ability to fall asleep unassisted.

3. Keep the intervals of wakefulness brief. After 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes, practice putting her down to sleep. This gives her the opportunity to learn self-soothing, to develop the ability to fall asleep unassisted before a second wind develops.

4. Get father involved with baby's sleep, or anyone else besides mother. Let father do nap duty on weekends. The more other people put her down to sleep drowsy but awake, especially if mother leaves the house at these times, the faster she will learn to fall asleep by herself.