If your baby is Pulitzer prize-winning sleeper who falls asleep easily, takes 1-2 hour naps every few hours throughout the day, and has been sleeping 4-5 hours at a shot at night since he was 4 weeks old, then huzzah! You won the big prize – a baby who sleeps well. Congratulations!
However I’m guessing that is NOT your baby. In fact YOUR baby probably takes naps so short you wonder if they’re really just LONG blinks. YOUR baby is up so often at night you no longer bother putting on pajamas. YOUR baby has never SEEN the inside of his crib except for that one time you tried to put him in the crib only to have him scream so loudly you thought he needed immediate medical attention. And you’re starting to wonder when things are going to get better because you’re so tired you would willingly give up a kidney for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
[pullquote type=”1″ align=”center”] Sleep is like oxygen. You don’t really give it much thought until you can’t get enough of it. Then it’s ALL you can think about. [/pullquote]
If you haven’t already done so you might want to swing back around to visit How to Get Baby to Sleep Better – Part 1. If you’re using these techniques and your baby is STILL not sleeping well, it’s time to pull out the big guns. Or shall I say, THE big gun.
Baby Swings Help Babies Sleep Better
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Babies fall asleep more easily and sleep longer when they sleep in baby swings.
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How do you know the baby swing is for you? Your baby should be sleeping in a swing, 24-hours a day, if she is less than 6 months* old and you answer YES to any of the following:
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- Is it difficult to get your baby to fall asleep at naps and/or bedtime?
- Does your baby consistently take really short naps (<30 minutes)?
- Does your baby wake up too often at night?
- Is your baby older than 3 months AND only falls asleep nursing/rocking/being patted to sleep?
- Does your baby wake up at night and then STAY awake? (i.e. You and your baby are up from 2:00 – 4:00 am every night?)
- Is your baby in your bed (and you would like to get him out)?
- Does your baby sleep like a champ in the car, stroller, or when carried (but nowhere else)?
- Are you concerned that your baby might have reflux?
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* There are some instances where babies OLDER than 6 months do really well in the swing. Babies with reflux or food allergies often need the soothing motion of the swing past 6 months
Why the Baby Swing?
Baby swings provide two key elements to help babies sleep. The first is that baby swings simulate a consistent rocking motion which is almost identical to the motion your baby experienced when she was still inside the womb. Before she was born, your baby slept when you were out and about (during the day) because the natural motion soothed her to sleep. It wasn’t until the motion stopped, usually when you lie down to try to sleep, that she woke up and started to party in there. The swing simply provides the soothing motion that (from baby’s perspective) is a perfectly natural condition for sleep.
Secondly the swing provides a really effective way to gradually help baby learn to fall asleep on her own. This is really important so let me repeat that: baby swings are fantastic tools to gently help baby learn to fall asleep on her own. Helping your baby learn how to fall asleep on her own solves/prevents ALL SORTS of challenges down the road (especially if your baby is a troublesome tot). If you’re struggling to get your baby to fall asleep on her own, the swing is the answer.
Also, even fully reclined the swing keeps baby slightly upright. Almost all babies have an undeveloped valve at the top of their stomach, which enables stomach contents (milk, formula, stomach acid, etc.) to get pushed up into the esophagus. Sleeping with the head slightly elevated enables gravity to keep their food IN their stomach. And unlike wedges you put in the crib (which don’t work – babies end up rolling off of them almost immediately) baby swings have straps that keep your baby safely in the upright position.
My Baby Won’t Sleep in a Swing
When I work with families in person they almost always resist the idea of the swing.
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- The babies in the diaper commercials are all sleeping in their crib so obviously I should be able to get MY baby in the crib too!
- If I put get my baby used to sleeping in the swing what do I do when she outgrows it? Won’t she go to college sleeping in a swing?
- If my ultimate goal is to have my child sleeping in HER crib in HER room then let’s work on that and forget all this swing ridiculousness!
- But MY baby HATES the swing!
And of course the classic…
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Then we work on HOW to help baby sleep in the swing, WHEN to transition your (now) happily sleeping baby to their crib, and then HOW to make that transition happen. And it works. And every family I’ve ever worked with now loves the swing. And every baby has happily made their way into their own crib. When they were ready.
Your Baby Swing Homework
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Sign Up!
I’ll be writing more about how to get your baby swings (how to use, how to get out of, etc.) over the next month or so. Don’t miss out – use the form to the right to subscribe to TroublesomeTots or become a fan on Facebook to make sure you get those posts sent to you as soon as they are available!
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Ask Your Pediatrician
I’ve never had a pediatrician raise any concerns about the use of a swing. And certainly noted pediatrician Dr. Karp is a huge proponent of the use of baby swings. Still I don’t know the medical history of your baby so just to be safe, a brief conversation with your pediatrician should put any concerns you have to rest.
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Get A Swing
There are two primary options for baby swings – Graco and Fisher Price. If money is tight you may be able to get your hands on a recent model & good condition swing on Craigslist. Although generally I recommend getting a new swing if you can. Especially if your baby is a newborn you’ll be using it A LOT.
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{Photo Credits: Lisa Stout and Caleb Zahnd.}