Teaching your baby to fall asleep on their own

At 5 months, your baby is capable of falling asleep on their own, even if they haven’t figured it out quite yet 🙃

Learning to fall asleep without your help may take some time, but they can do it with a gradual, flexible approach.

Help your baby learn to self-soothe so they can fall asleep on their own:

Prepare your baby for sleep.

Toward the end of your baby’s bedtime routine, you can begin to give them some cues that it’s time to close their eyes. Turn off the lights and turn on a white noise machine or fan, if you’re using one. Try not to talk much at this point; focus on cuddling and gently rocking your baby to help them relax and get drowsy.

Take some deep breaths as you hold them. Like yawning, breathing is suggestive, and you may hear your baby breathing deeply as well. This kind of breathing can also help alleviate any anxious feelings you may have around getting your baby to sleep.

Gradually put them down more and more awake each night.

Going from wakefulness to deep sleep doesn’t always come naturally and is harder for some babies than others. If your baby struggles, you can teach them how to fall asleep on their own with the following steps, spaced a few nights apart:

• At first, it’s okay to put your baby down when they’re completely asleep. They may wake up confused about where they are, but successfully putting down a sleeping baby is a major step. If they wake up, you can hold them until they fall back asleep and try again. 
• Next, try to get them to a point where they’re very nearly asleep, but still slightly awake, before you put them down.
• Every few nights, put them down a little more awake than before. This can be a tricky dance, but the more gradually you do this, the more likely your baby will feel comfortable with you leaving the room.
• Ultimately, the goal is to put your baby down when they’re awake but drowsy and ready for bed. Even if you take your time with each transition, your baby may resist this step, and that’s okay. You can always go back a step or two and start again from that point.
• If your baby cries when you put them down, you can try placing a hand on their chest to reassure them that you’re still there. Or, just pick them back up, cuddle them until they’re calm, and then put them back down. When you feel ready, you can leave them in their crib and offer a pacifier if they take one. You can sing a short, quiet lullaby, then softly acknowledge their experience: “I understand that you want me to pick you up, but it’s time to rest. I’m here and I love you.”
• Many babies make noises when they settle down, and not all of them are cries of distress. Your baby may babble, coo, gurgle, and let out little shrieks and grunts. This can be part of self-soothing, too. Wait a few minutes and see if it escalates before going in to pick them up.
• If your baby just isn’t calming down, you can always cuddle your baby to sleep and try again next time ❤️

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