Most parents at some time or another, will know the distress felt, when after hours of rocking, patting and lulling an unsettled baby, she finally falls asleep in your arms, only to wake teary-eyed as soon as you try and settle her in her cot. Ready to start weeping yourself, you pick her up and start all over. If you are one of these parents, you may like to try the following:

Contact: When placing your baby on her sleeping pad, be sure to keep up the constant contact, by cradling her in your arms all the way down, then slowly removing them while gently rocking or patting her body.
Lighting: Dim lighting should calm even the most troubled of souls, so try using a night-light or changing the bulb in her room to a soothing colour, like blue. Heavy curtains will also help in blocking out daytime light and are a winter winner too.

Warmth: The coldness of sheets against her warm head on a winter's night, may just rouse her from sleep. Make use of winter sheets, place a blanket over her pillow or use a warm water bottle to heat her bed.

Position: Feed or rock your baby in a position that allows you to ease her into her cot without having to first turn her over. Having the cot away from the wall, is also a good idea, as it offers you a choice of sides when putting her down.
 

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