Whats your "trick" for soothing babies to sleep?

[Arimeh]

Ok, I'm sure everyone has something that works every single time they do it to soothe their child to sleep if they are overtired but having trouble getting to sleep.

So I thought I could start a thread, in case there were people out there having troubles and out of ideas - maybe this could help!!

Mine - to get my kids to sleep, I have always put them face down on my chest. I then pat their bum in the rhythm of a heart beat (think dirty dancing, da doom, da doom) while I also breathe really deeply against their ear - sorta like darth vader.... lol

With those two combined, it always seems to work with my kids in getting them off to sleep even when they are at their crankiest (well it just worked with Miss M - even food wasn't putting her to sleep!!)

Sooo.. what's your tricks?

[SamiH]

close cuddles
stroking down the side of the face and/or slow patting if a bit restless as well

I dont know who is more addicted though - him or me!!??!!

[Ginger]

atm my trick for ds2 is just to hold him really tight and rock him in my rocking chair. works every time

[Maruschke]

Mel, I do something similar to you. I place her on my chest right up high, and slow my breathing down and make sure im exhaling onto her head. It seems to slow her breathing down too and make her very settled. I also slowly rub my hand up and down her back at the same time. With my spare hand I stroke gently from the bridge of her nose up her forehead, to get her to close her eyes. This usually works! When this doesn't work I shove a dummy in her mouth and try again LOL, and after a few minutes yank the dummy out and try again.

[Arcadia]

Bouncing DD up and down (say on a fit ball or in the sling) and singing out a low monotone, often using her name "lou, lou, lou, lou, lou". I also press her ear to my chest so she can hear the voice reverberate.

We have done it since she was little, and she loves it (strangely she will also accept a modified version in the cot, where I hum in her ear while cheek to cheek and shake the frame of the cot!)

[Pandora]

I do the face down on chest and patting, and sing.
DS1 liked old macdonald, but DS2 likes 'Im Henry the 8th I am" lol

[AliBaby]

Bouncing DD up and down (say on a fit ball

my dd loves this as well

[Jellyfish]

Fast, fast walking! I hold her on my chest with one arm under her bum and the other supporting her head whilst doing laps of the house. I always sing rockabye baby and it is now at the point that I can lay her down half sleepy and she will drift to sleep if I continue singing.

Finally somebody enjoys my singing!!

[Salad]

I wrap Georgia up and walk around the house, just the walking alone sends her off to sleep I dont need to pat her or anything.

[Shanti]

When DD is really upset, I hold her tight in my arms and gently bob up and down fast which kinda mimicks how it would have felt her being in the womb if that makes sense? And I go "sssh ssh ssh, ssh ssh ssh etc" in a rhythmic tone if that makes sense.... she usually calms down pretty quick with that.

If she's in her cot and needs settling but not picking up... I stroke her nose and forehead and she closes her eyes that way and i rub her tummy... she loves that. I whisper in her ear and tell her I love her very much and will see her when she wakes up.

[Cheeky_Monkey]

At the moment (he's 20 months) I either stroke between his eyes up to the top of his forehead very lightly and slowly. He closes his eyes instantly.

When he was a baby I simply either tucked one arm under my arm with him on his side and held him chest and belly to my chest and belly as tight as possible. Or often snuggled his face into my neck.

There are some wonderful ways to settle babies and children in this thread.

[Dotty]

Hi, i hope you dont mind me coming in to pick up some tips, rather than giving them!! i've tried pretty much everything mentioned here to settle my little one, with no luck!!! i'm so happy to hear that these strategies have worked for you and am so jealous here's hoping something starts working for me soon too!!

[~TT40~]

=)
When i was little mum use to stroke my face from the top of my forhead all the way down to the tip of my nose, i was the worst kid apparently and would never ever sleep...

even now, how many years later if anyone does that to me i instantly close my eyes and feel calm and relaxed...crazy how that sort of thing sticks

[Cassius2]

well for the newborn days, it usually involved lots of tight wrapping and cuddling with soft *singing* (not sure if what i do could be constituted as singing though LOL!).

now that DD is approaching 21 months we lay her on my chest and breath deeply with my face very close to the top of her head. for some reason the feeling of my breath on her calms her down. i also stroke or pat her back/bum. and i sing her fav song 'one night the moon'. i have sung this to her from the moment she was a little chook in utero. she loves it and calms her down straightaway.