Before I give you the next baby sleep tip, let’s start with a question.  Would you rather get into a cold bed, or a warm bed?

 

I doubt any of you would prefer climbing into a cold bed over one that is warm and cozy. The same is probably true for your baby.  Think of it this way, you go through all the trouble of having a consistent bedtime routine, and at the end of your routine, you place your relaxed, sleepy, and contented baby into a cold crib or bed.  What’s wrong with this picture?

 

“Whoa!!! What just happened?” Your baby probably wonders to him or herself, and suddenly they are less sleepy than before. Now, they may or may not go to sleep (a cold bed isn’t a that huge of a shock to them).  But if your baby is difficult to soothe, or “on the bubble” for going to sleep right away, why not do everything possible to make it as likely as possible that they’ll go to sleep? This is where a warm bed can be the little extra “push” that gently nudges your baby off into “la-la land.”

 

So how do you warm the bed up? You can’t just climb in your baby’s crib to warm it up for them.

 

It’s easy, if you have a heating pad. Simply put the heating bad in the crib or bed, turn the heating pad on low or medium heat, and wait 5-10 minutes for it to gently warm the mattress. Then, right before you’re ready to put your baby in the crib, take the heating pad out (remembering to turn it off!), make sure the crib isn't too hot for comfort, and gently place your baby in the warm, cozy bed.

 

This trick is especially good in the winter months, but I find that it works equally well in summer too. Now, this alone won’t get your baby to sleep without a consistent bedtime routine, but for many babies a warm crib or bed can often be the gentle nudge that they need to settle in to a peaceful sleep.

 

Andrew Dolbin-MacNab

Pediasleep LLC

 

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     About the Author:

 

Andrew Dolbin-MacNab is a father, sound-engineer, and the founding member of Pediasleep LLC, a leader in the production of white noise and other soothing sounds to aid the healthy sleep of infants, cosleepers, and parents. Having successfully survived his daughter's early sleep problems with the help of white noise, he is also an expert on infant sleep problems and their solutions. Pediasleep can be found online at http://www.Pediasleep.com.