Babies will sleep better on their own and are better off with their own space to sleep, such as a crib. Watch this video to learn about safer sleep for baby…

Babies need their own separate sleep space: “A crib or bassinet protects your baby best”. Learn more about what you can do to make your baby’s sleep space safer.

                          

Learn how to use Dr. Ferber’s sleep method to get your baby to sleep. For other tips on baby sleep and health visit www.babycenter.com.

                          

Interview with Dr. Davis Ehrler, Postpartum Doula and Infant/Child Sleep Consultant on San Diego’s KUSI network.

                          

Welcome to the mixed up world of babies!

When night becomes day and day becomes night, there are stilll some sleep aids that can really help both of you out.

If your little one happens to be in daycare, chances are you’re going to need to enlist their help. Make sure to get it as the gentle shuffling of night back into night and day into day very likely could take a lot of effort on everyone’s part, but it can be done.

The first thing to do to ensure that her upside down schedule gets set straight is to…

Start working at keeping her up a little longer from her daytime naps.

Gentle nudging for an extra five minutes today, 10 tomorrow and so on can add up quickly to help you get the sleep you need and put her schedule right.

If sleeping at night is just not her thing, continue working on keeping her awake a bit more during the day and start using some baby sleep aids at night.

There are many things that actually have a very big impact at night. Some of the best ideas, according to parents, include very basic tricks such as:

* Music. Sometimes babies just need a little background noise to get some good, solid sleep. This makes sense when you think about it. For nine months your little one didn’t go a moment without hearing a heartbeat or gurgle. Selecting the right music to sooth her can be a very big help.

* Lights out. While this is likely to change as she gets old, most babies tend to sleep much better if the room is quite dark. Heavy drapes or blinds can work as very effective baby sleep aids.

* Routine. If baby is getting a little older, consider putting together a very basic bedtime routine. You can start out with a little bit of playing, a soothing bath, a lullaby and a tuck in. When she gets used to the routine, this often serves as one the most effective tricks that don’t have to cost a fortune.

* Snuggle suits. Products like the Halo sleep sack that snuggle baby while she sleeps and keep her temperature just right can really work wonders. While these products present and extra expense, if they do the trick, they’re worth every penny. Just make sure these sacks are made for a baby the size of your little one and that they fit comfortably.

* Sheet change. Sometimes one of the things that prevents baby from sleeping comfortably in her crib is the actual sheets. If they are too cold or too scratchy, they might cause her a little distress. Consider changing out the sheets to help her feel more comfortable at home. If she’s in daycare and sleeps well there, find out what type of sheets, mattresses and baby sleep aids they use, too.

Getting your little one to turn her schedule around is going to take some effort. With the right gentle prodding and the correct baby sleep aids, the effort should pay off well.

                          

Baby sleep problems can have many causes and it’s important that you rule out obvious things like hunger, pain or illness. Assuming it isn’t one of those problems then try to set a series of bedtime rituals to calm your baby and get them ready to sleep.

Over stimulation is a major cause of baby sleep problems. Noise, television, videos, loud music, raised voices are things we all deal with every day. For adults we learn to live with and ignore these things, even though they may cause us stress. For babies everything is new, their ears are more sensitive than ours, and the only way they can handle stress is by crying, or in extreme cases getting sick.

Well before you want your baby to sleep you must reduce stimulation. Turn off the television, keep conversation levels low, close windows if you live on a noisy street and play calming music.

93% of parents surveyed report that playing calming music helps create a relaxing and calming environment, which not only calms their baby, but also helps to relax themselves, and helps solve their baby sleep problems.

Set consistent rituals for bedtime – music, bath, nursing, rocking etc. It isn’t necessary to do exactly the same thing every time but provide a set of rituals that will make it obvious to your baby that it is time to get ready to sleep and he or she will learn to associate the ritual with sleep. Once they are used to a specific set of bedtime rituals you will find they go to sleep easier and sleep longer.

In every culture and every country music is used to calm fussy babies. Whether playing baby lullabies on a CD or by mothers singing. Even animals vocalize to calm their offspring – a cat’s purr reassures her kittens and lulls them to sleep. Find some calming music, baby lullaby CDs are perfect, but it can be classical music, jazz, new age, or anything that you and your baby enjoy. Turn the volume down low and see your baby sleep problems disappear as both your baby and you relax, and your baby drifts off to sleep.

Leave the music playing once your baby falls asleep. Then if your baby wakes she will soon drift off again.