How to get baby to sleep without bouncing

[sarahb083]

Hi, I have a 4 month old who I currently either feed to sleep or bounce. She's getting quite heavy though so I run out of energy bouncing her, and feeding doesn't always coincide with when she needs a nap. I'd rather not sleep train. Any tips?

You’ll need to introduce new sleep associations - but it takes a long time to build them up. Things like white noise / bum pats / a specific comforter / a particular phrase etc. Start stacking them on top of what you’re already doing and then gradually stop feeding or bouncing when she’s almost asleep but keep up with the new associations. Eventually you should be able to phase out the rocking and feeding altogether in favour of the new associations. It can take weeks for a new sleep association to take root, so you’ll need to be patient and consistent for a long time.

You could put in a bouncy chair, ideally with a dummy, and bounce using your foot.

Thank you! I'll give these a try :)