Put a Baby to Sleep - Use a baby carrier so you can hold and soothe a tired, cranky baby while still keeping your hands free to do the dishes, put in a load of laundry or even brush your teeth. Some moms swear by slings, other moms just swear at them. For those of us who are less coordinated and don't want to trust to our own inadequate cloth-wrapping efforts to carry our babies, the good folks at Snugli and Baby Bjorn make some fine carriers that do the trick too, and allow us the use of our hands while holding our little fussers close to our hearts.
Rock that baby in a rocking chair or a glider--the latter are more expensive, but tend to be safer if you have pets or toddlers likely to be underfoot. Many babies enjoy being rocked to sleep--you can even sing, if this seems to soothe your little one. Hum if you forget the words. Don't get too upset, though, if baby doesn't appreciate your efforts. Some babies just don't care for singing or rocking, and others like them quite a bit, but find them more stimulating that soothing.
Put a Baby to Sleep
Try a vibrating baby seat. You don't want to use anything mechanical like this on a regular basis as it may become monotonous and lose its effectiveness, but it may distract your baby enough to quiet him down so you can grab, say, a quick shower (as long as you have the seat placed right next to the shower). Mechanical swings also work as occasional short-term baby-calming devices, and might allow you a little time to do something really exciting like unloading the dishwasher. Again, though, make sure you do not allow your baby to swing unless you can have the swing in your sight at all time. No mechanical device is safe enough to entrust your baby to without your direct supervision.
Put your baby in a car seat and go for a drive. You may be able to run a few errands this way, as long as they are all of the drive-through variety. If you have one of those car seats that doubles as a baby carrier (one with a detachable base that stays mounted in the car), you can even bring your baby into the house while she's still peacefully sleeping. It will not hurt her to spend even a few hours (should she be inclined to nap that long) in a semi-upright position--many parents have found that the car seat nap is the only midday nap they can rely on. Sadly, once you switch to a larger-sized car seat that does not have a detachable base, you can pretty much say bye-bye to these types of naps as most babies wake up as soon as you take them out of their car seats. If you want to prolong the nap, you'll either need to keep driving or at least bring a book you can read while sitting in your driveway as baby snoozes.
Lie down with your baby, snuggle up, and close your own eyes. With luck, you'll set a good example, and the two of you can enjoy a nap together. Even if baby won't cooperate, though, at least you're lying down, and that's got to help a bit.
There is no miracle cure when it comes to getting a baby to sleep. Babies are individuals, and no matter how much you may want your baby to go to sleep, there are times when she just doesn't feel tired or just can't seem to be able to fall asleep for some reason. Think about it--haven't you ever had a restless night, where the more you will yourself to sleep, the more wide-awake you become? Well, the bad news is, the more you will your baby to sleep, the more wide-awake she becomes. The good news, though, is that there are a number of things you can do that will allow you to soothe her--in some cases, you may even be able to do so while getting on with your own business. Eventually, while you are rocking or swinging or driving or even having a little lie-down yourself, your baby will finally give in and get some rest. Read on to learn how to put a baby to sleep. - by eHow
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