Getting Baby to Sleep By Any Means

As with anything new, putting a baby down to sleep often requires a lot of experimentation. And sometimes, when we're sleep deprived, we don't always come up with the best ideas.

"The world is a fascinating place, and most children would rather be awake than go to sleep," says Glenna Winnie, M.D., a sleep specialist at the Pediatric Sleep Center in Purcellville, VA. "They often fight to stay awake when they should be sleeping, and therefore become excessively tired, have behavior problems, or become excessively active due to sleep deprivation."

Necessity is the mother of invention, as parents whose babies awaken the moment their head hits the crib will tell you. But maybe you're one of the lucky ones and haven't had to drive Baby, strapped in the car seat, from one side of town to the other. If not, take comfort in the following stories of trial and error.

Although parents may often go to great lengths to get their child to fall asleep and stay asleep, parents have to be sure that safety is paramount. "Always be sure that there is no chance that your child could get injured or suffocate. Always stay with your child if you have him sleeping anywhere that is not in a crib or his bed, and be sure to keep all choking hazards far out of your child's reach," counsels Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night.