Baby’s sleep is always the main concern of parents. How to change the habit of milk sleep and cuddle sleep, so that the baby can fall asleep on their own? For small babies less than 4 months old, you can use the 4S procedure method in the “Practical Procedure Parenting”, with 4 steps, so that babies can learn to fall asleep by themselves. 4S procedure method 1, set up the environment One minute is still playing happily, the next minute is asked to sleep, who can not do. Therefore, we must first create a quiet environment for the baby, such as carrying him to the room, draw the curtains, quietly listen to music or read picture books, with the help of the environment and bedtime procedures to let the baby know that it is time for bed. 2. Swaddling Infants less than 3 months old can’t control their arms or legs. Unlike adults who are drowsy when overworked, infants only become more excited, twitch their arms and legs, or wave them in the air. At this point, the infant does not even realize that the limbs are part of his own body. To him, these moving objects are part of the environment, which can be distracting and unsettling. In a sense, swaddling is another way to remove environmental stimuli. The swaddling is much like a mother’s warm womb, which gives him a sense of security and also avoids the irritation and distraction caused by your baby waving his arms and legs around. 3. Sit quietly To hold him sit still for about 5 minutes and keep his body in a vertical position. Holding a child in this position is best because his face is buried into your neck or shoulders, thus blocking any visual stimulation. Don’t rock him and don’t walk around. When you feel your baby relax, put him in his crib. Also gently tell him that the baby is going to sleep. If your baby is calm at this point, you can leave the room or stay with him at the bedside for a while. Self-directed sleep usually makes your baby sleep better. This step is especially hard! Especially when it comes to putting down. 4, shush – pat method If you put down the baby, he began to fuss, it means that the baby will not fall asleep on their own, need your help. At this time, many mothers will be through hold sleep, milk sleep to let the baby sleep. Although these methods work, but once the baby forms a dependency, you will regret the initial “equity plan”. To avoid this, mothers can use the “shh-pat” method. A slow, clear “shh~shh~” sound in the baby’s ear, while rhythmically patting the baby’s back. Be careful not to vocalize to the baby’s ears, which can easily hurt his eardrums. Once you feel your baby relax, gently place him in his crib, lay him on his side, and continue patting his back. Continue patting for 7-10 minutes after your baby is calm, gradually slowing down the rhythm and finally stopping the shushing. If your baby starts to grunt after you stop, continue to “shh-pat” until he is quiet. If your baby is crying more, pick him up, put him on your shoulder and continue to “shush-pat” him, then put him back in his crib after he calms down. The 4S procedure is suitable for babies under 4 months of age, but in practice you will need to adjust it according to your baby’s condition. After the baby is 4 months old, the baby starts to sleep more like an adult, and enters a mature sleep mode after falling asleep, and the phenomenon of “waking up on the floor” will be significantly improved during the small months. The problem of small-aged babies who can’t be picked up but can only sleep in their arms should be gradually eliminated from the age of 4 months. If your baby is more than 4 months old and is used to cuddle or milk sleep, how can you help him to quit gently? In fact, there is no fixed formula for this, and each child’s situation is different. The “Practical Program Parenting” method of picking up and putting down, the “Faber Sleep Book” recommends the crying control method, the “Sears” “tear-free method”, the “Baby Sleep Bible” cry immunity method, here is only a brief introduction to the “Practical Program Parenting” method of picking up and putting down. Here is a brief introduction to the Pick Up and Drop Down method of Practical Parenting. First, when your baby cries because of sleep problems, first try to comfort him with words and gently put your hand on his shoulder so that he can feel the presence of an adult. Secondly, if he does not stop crying, pick him up and put him down as soon as he stops crying. Don’t hesitate for a second, you are comforting him, not putting him back to sleep, which he needs to do by himself. Of course, if his head is tilted back when he cries, his struggling and wriggling may be an attempt to get himself back to sleep, and again, he should be put down immediately. But still keep physical contact with him, place your hand firmly and strongly on his shoulder so he knows you are around, and also whisper soothingly, “Baby, it’s bedtime, you need to be good and go to sleep.” Repeat the above actions, i.e. pick up your baby when he cries and put him down as soon as the crying stops, and eventually he will gradually calm down. You can continue to put your hand on the baby’s shoulder and whisper comfort. Don’t pat, don’t make any other noise (except for your gentle reassurance), and don’t leave the room for a while until your baby is in a deep sleep. It should be noted that the “pick up and put down method” does not prevent your baby from crying, but it does prevent your baby from feeling the fear of being abandoned, because your hand is always pressing on his body even if you are not holding him. He is not crying because he is afraid, but because you are changing his sleep habits (developing his sleep habits) and he feels frustrated. This is fundamentally different from “let him cry”. The “pick up and put down method” is especially good for babies between 4 and 12 months! You can use the pick-up-and-place method as a sleep aid, which may take 20 minutes, or an hour or more. With this method, your baby will eventually associate your voice with reassurance and will no longer need to be picked up, but will feel secure once they hear their parent’s calming voice, and then next time they will only need your voice to put them to sleep. Of course, the “pick up and put down method” is not a magic trick that works instantly. It may take you several days in a row, or even a long time to try, during which parents need to be patient, there is no quick and easy solution to this problem.