Putting Baby to Sleep in a Swing
- 1). Feed baby frequently in the late afternoon and evening to encourage longer sleeping in the swing. According to Parents.com, increasing your baby's feeding times after 5 p.m. can help her sleep longer at night. To encourage baby to sleep longer in a swing, make sure he has eaten and won't get hungry. For instance, if you feed your baby every three hours, increase his feedings to every two hours in the evening before bed. Dr. William Sears, author of "The Baby Book," says that this extra feeding will also help with fussiness that sometimes occurs in the evening hours. Fussy babies do, generally, need to be fed more, he says.
- 2). Use rhythm to soothe baby when she's fussy to get her used to movement. Some babies might not like movement at first, so dancing with your baby, skin to skin can help her get used to using rhythm to calm down. After feeding your baby, spend some time creating a "human swing," as Sears calls it, by moving baby slowly back and forth in a swinging movement.
- 3). If your baby responds well and sleeps for longer stretches when swaddled, then Parents.com recommends swaddling him before placing him in the swing to make the transition go smoothly. (See resource one for information on swaddling and step-by-step instruction.) When your baby is awake, only swaddle him for the first month. You can, however, swaddle an older baby when he sleeps. Leave the legs a bit looser, though, as you will have to buckle your baby into the swing.
- 4). Turn the swing on and experiment with which rhythm your baby prefers. Some babies might like a soft, soothing swing, while others will need consistent, harder movement to sleep.
- 5). Play white noise. When babies are in the womb, they're used to hearing a constant rush of body systems' noises, so white noise---such as a fan or a CD playing the sounds of a dishwasher or washing machine---can help soothe your baby and help her sleep longer in the swing. Some swings come equipped with music and lights. To help baby sleep longer, avoid these and opt for white noise instead.