Is your baby unhappy each time that you put her into the bassinet? It might be that your baby doesn’t fit it a cozy place to sleep, so you might want to learn how to make a baby bassinet more comfortable for your child.
Babies slept so well in the womb, but now that they’re earthside, they no longer feel as comfortable and cozy as they did in their mother’s womb. Laying in an open, hard bassinet is far from as pleasant as the warm, snug womb they lived in for nine months.
Most bassinets are already designed to follow allowed safety guidelines, and they’re as comfortable as a manufacturer can make them while still be safe. However, there are still ways to make your baby even more comfortable. Let’s take a look.
An Essential Safety Warning
Before we get started, I want to give you some critical warnings. You must keep your baby safe at all times, and we know through years of research that babies are at risk of Sudden Infant Syndrome due to how they sleep and where they sleep.
This means that you CANNOT add pillows, soft toys, or even blankets to your baby’s bassinet. Doing so puts your baby at a higher risk for SIDS.
Also, remember that the American Academy for Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep on a firm, flat surface. So, an inclined sleeper is not safe nor is switching out the mattress for a changing pad safer, even if it’s underneath of their bed linens.
How Can I Make My Baby’s Bassinet More Comfortable?
Chances are you’re now wondering, “well, if I can’t put anything into the bassinet, how can my baby more comfortable?” 😐
The key here is that you want your baby to feel more comfortable in her bassinet, and there is a lot of things that you can do to make your baby feel that way. It doesn’t always mean you need to add something to the bassinet, especially if it’s unsafe.
You have to make the environment comfortable. Make this space a place that your baby wants to be in and enjoys sleeping there.
Instead, here are some useful ideas.
Put The Bassinet Next to Your Bed
It’s natural for babies to want to be close to their mother. They spent 40 weeks in your womb, and now they’re apart. It feels weird.
So, if your baby is having trouble sleeping in his bassinet, try to make him more comfortable by keeping it right next to your bed. Your baby can smell you and hear your breathing.
If this works well for your baby, you might consider buying a bedside bassinet, sometimes called co-sleepers or co-sleeping bassinet. These bassinets sit right beside your bed, adjusting to the height of your mattress, and let your baby be at arm’s reach. Many have a folding side, so your baby is on a level but a separate sleeping surface next to your bed.
Sleep on The Sheets First
Baby’s have a strong sense of scent, and they love to smell you. It makes your baby feel comfortable.
A simple trick to try is to sleep on your baby’s sheets for two or three nights and then put them on your baby’s bed. It seems strange, but your scent wears off on them. Then, as your baby sleeps, he feels comfortable because he feels as if he’s close to you at the same time.
Pretty genius, right?
Swaddle Your Baby
The womb is snug and cozy, and a bassinet can feel wide open, and babies don’t like that. One way to replicate the snugness of the womb is by swaddling your baby.
Swaddling is an old trick that chances are your grandmother used, and her grandmother used it as well. When you swaddle your baby, you reduce the Moro, or startle, a reflex that wakes so many babies up!
Try a Bassinet with Movement
Many babies respond well to a bassinet with movement. Since sleeping in a baby swing is unsafe, an alternative is to look for a bassinet that might react to your baby’s movement and start to rock. Another option is to see if you can find a bassinet that is on a rocking base that you can rock as your baby falls asleep or if she starts to fuss.
Final Thoughts
These tips, along with creating an ideal sleeping environment, can be the best ways to make your baby more comfortable in his bassinet. Soon, your baby will be sleeping in his bassinet happily!
Hey, this is Linda. My biggest accomplishment in life is being a mother of four children. Their current ages range from almost ten years old down to 20 months old.
I’m passionate about writing parenting articles because I understand so well all of the problems and trials you face as a parent. From breastfeeding woes to budgeting problems and behavior problems, along with everything in between, chances are I’ve faced it over the last ten years. Read more about Linda here.
