There is nothing harder on a new mother then listen to the cries of a baby who can't get to sleep at night. Here are some tested and true ways to lull your child to sleep that you can try.
Try rocking your child in a rocking chair. Holding a child in your arms while rocking back and forth is one the most traditional and effective ways to get a child to sleep.
Consider taking your child for a ride in a car. Strap the child in his or her car seat and drive around the block. This automatically puts many babies immediately to sleep. Singing a little also seems to help, even if you are a bad singer. The lower the voice the better.
Relax your baby before it is time for bed by giving him or her a warm bath. This helps to naturally make the baby drowsy. Massage his or her muscles gently before laying the child in the cradle.
Breast feed or feed the baby warm milk just before it is time for the baby to go to bed. Warm milk contains tryptophan, which is a natural sedative. It's the same stuff that makes us feel drowsy after we eat a big turkey dinner at Thanksgiving.
5Try holding the baby and humming. Place baby in the neck nestle position (nestle baby’s head against the front of your neck with your chin against the top of baby’s head. The vibration of a deep voice lulls baby) and rock your baby to sleep.
Make sure the baby's bedroom is dark. Sometimes it is light from the windows or from an open door that is keeping the child fussy and awake.
Turn on a rhythmic sounding machine that makes a white noise of some kind. Machines like this include dehumidifiers, air conditioners or air cleaners.
Try perfuming your baby's room with lavender. Lavender can have a sedating effect on infants. Vanilla and orange are also soothing scents. Don't make the room smell like a brothel however as that could irritate the child even more. Use a light touch when using room sprays.
Make sure the baby's diapers are changed and that his or her skin is not irritated by diaper rash. If diaper rash is a problem try taking the baby's diaper off.
Make sure the room is neither too hot or too cold. Sometimes a baby is crying because he or she is too warm or shivering.
The key is to make the baby as comfortable as possible. If I find any more techniques I will be sure to print them in this blog. I am sure there are a lot of sleep-deprived parents out there who need all the help that they can get