Good Bedtime Habits for Infants and Children

When putting an infant to bed:

• Make the nighttime routine consistent and pleasant.
• Give the last nighttime feeding shortly before putting the baby to bed. Never put the baby to bed with a bottle, as it can cause tooth decay (see baby bottle tooth decay).
• Spend quiet time with your child by rocking, walking, or simple cuddling.
• Put the child in bed before he is deeply asleep. This will teach your child to go to sleep on his own.
• Your baby may cry when you lay him in his bed, because he fears being away from you. This is called separation anxiety. If you ignore his crying, you confirm that his worst fear is true. Simply go in, speak to your baby in a calm voice and rub his back or head. Do not remove him from his bed. Once he has calmed down, leave the room. Your child will soon learn that you are simply in another room. At this point, talking to him from another room will suffice.
• If your baby awakens in the night for feeding, do not turn on the lights. Keep the room dark and quiet. Use night lights if you must. Keep the feeding as brief and boring as possible. Do not entertain the baby! When the baby has been fed, burped and calmed, return him to bed. If you maintain this routine, your baby will become used to it and go to sleep on his own.
• Sleeping with your baby before he reachees 6 months of age is not a good idea, because it may increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).