Hold your baby in your arms and rock your body back and forth - Remember that furniture isn't required. Help your baby break the habit of falling asleep only with your assistance. Sleep positioners. You can also just hold your baby and rock to your own soothing rhythm. Rocking your baby can help to soothe them when they are fussy or cranky. It might even help them settle into sleep. Rock your baby. But babies don’t know the difference between day and night. One theory suggests the rhyme narrates a mother gently rocking her baby to sleep, as if the baby were riding the treetops during a breeze; then, when … That’s because rocking your infant to sleep, just like nursing or singing your little one to sleep, can create what’s called a sleep association. Gently stroke your baby’s forehead. “Rock-a-bye baby, do not you fear Never mind, baby, mother is near Wee little fingers, eyes are shut tight Now sound asleep until morning light” Origins and development. Your baby may sleep from 10 to 18 hours a day, sometimes for 3 to 4 hours at a time. It may seem the natural way to soothe a tired, fractious baby. Pat the mattress beside your baby. If your baby likes to sleep on their stomach, or are suffering from acid reflux, you might be tempted to use a sleep positioner — a device that either keeps your baby sleeping on their back or at an angle as they sleep. Rock your baby in a rocking or gliding chair. How to rock a baby to sleep, as demonstrated by an experienced dad. Sleep problems become more ingrained as children get older. The risk is that your baby will get hooked and won't be able to fall asleep without you. But mothers who rock their child to sleep are storing up trouble, a leading expert on infant development has warned. Tips to get patting and other hands-on techniques to work for you. But don't put the task off. The rocking motion reminds them of their mother’s womb. So they sleep … Various theories exist to explain the origins of the rhyme. Hold your baby firmly at shoulder and hip, and gently rock him back and forth. Jiggle the cot slightly. Follow Us Twitter / Facebook / RSS. Use a rocking chair or glider - The right furniture makes it even easier to relax into the experience of rocking your baby to sleep. Be careful that you don't rock or shake the baby too hard. Use a baby swing or bassinet to rock your baby.