The safest place for your baby to sleep is in their crib. Not only will you be able to get some rest, but studies have shown that babies that sleep in their own rooms tend to sleep longer at night. Here are some ways to get your baby to sleep in their crib.

1. Use a swaddle or a sleep sack to ease the transition into the crib. The reason that your baby wakes up when you try to move them into the crib is because it’s cold and doesn’t smell the same. Swaddling your baby before putting them into the crib can make them feel more comfortable, and less likely to wake themselves up in the middle of the night.

2. Introduce the crib during the day. This is a process that should occur gradually. Spending time in your baby’s room during the day gets them used to being there. This may help to ease the transition to not being with you all of the time. It may take several days before your baby is comfortable being left in the crib without crying.

3. Develop a bedtime routine that ends with the crib. Having a bedtime routine will let your baby know that it’s time to sleep. They will know what to expect and won’t be as stressed about having to sleep in their crib. A warm bath, a final feeding, and a bedtime story can make your baby more willing to fall asleep.

4. Let your baby fall asleep on their own. Many parents make the mistake of thinking that they need to have their baby fall asleep prior to being put into the crib. If your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and finds you gone, they will be unlikely to fall asleep on their own. A part of sleep training is teaching them how to go to sleep by themselves.

5. Wait until your baby is past the three month mark. This is because up until this point your baby hasn’t adjusted to being able to sleep without moving. You can save yourself a lot of frustration by waiting to introduce the crib as their sole sleeping environment at this point. Another solution is to use a swing or rocking bassinet until your baby is ready to make the transition into a crib full-time. Try putting it in the nursery to avoid your baby from experiencing separation anxiety.

The most important step to getting your baby to sleep in their crib is to develop a routine. You need to stick with this routine in order for it to work. Try using a white noise machine to help your baby sleep through the night.