Chapter 8 – Helpful Tips for Encouraging Sleep

The importance parents place on sleep is evident in the vast number of products on the market designed to help babies fall asleep: music boxes, night lights, self-rocking cribs… All promise wonders, but how many are actually effective? Scientific research offers some guidance to help us navigate through all the options.

Light with a strong blue component interferes with the brain’s perception of day-night cycles, tricking it into thinking it’s time to stay awake—and thus disrupting sleep (22). For this reason, showing babies cartoons or relaxing videos to induce sleep, especially on phones or tablets (which emit more blue light), is counterproductive. It’s better to turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime. The same goes for night lights used to comfort children afraid of the dark or for changing diapers or feeding during the night. A low-intensity amber light is a much better choice.

Moving from sight to hearing, listening to a muffled and rhythmic sound has a relaxing effect (23) and helps both adults and babies drift off to sleep. However, it’s important to keep the volume of devices—such as lullabies, white noise, or sound machines—at a safe level. If too loud, it can overstimulate the baby and even harm their hearing.

One technique that helps babies—especially the youngest—feel protected, relaxed, and more likely to sleep is physical containment: being swaddled or cradled recreates the sensations of prenatal life (24). Containing a baby doesn’t just mean setting physical boundaries to mimic the womb; it also means containing their emotions. Mom and dad can themselves become the baby’s “nest,” laying the baby on their chest and wrapping them warmly from head to toe with their arms. This is known as the Holding Method(25), developed by psychotherapist Martha Welch in the 1970s in the U.S., first used with autistic children and later extended to neurotypical newborns. It involves calming gestures, such as holding one hand on the baby’s head and the other on their knees (drawn up to the chest) until the baby relaxes and drifts off to sleep.

These cuddles and comforting gestures must, however, be welcomed by the baby. If they stop crying or fall asleep, it means they’re relaxed. If not, don’t insist—try again later. In any case, avoid sudden or abrupt movements, especially when placing the baby back into their crib (26). A soft tone of voice can help in this transition.

Swaddling is widely used in many cultures and is based on the idea of physical containment. The ancient Wrapping technique, which dates back to prehistoric times, involves wrapping newborns (under two months) in a cloth that allows the arms and legs to move freely. For babies who enjoy it, it can be effective—provided some safety guidelines are followed: Never cover the baby’s head or face. Avoid loose sheets or blankets where the baby could slide under. Swaddling must not be too tight, to avoid restricting breathing or diaphragm expansion. Use light materials to prevent overheating. Legs should be in a natural “frog” position—never forced straight. Stop swaddling once the baby can roll onto their side, as this may pose a risk if they cannot roll back.

Another age-old tool to calm babies is the pacifier. Some babies love it; others prefer their fingers. For those who do use it, its calming effects are well documented (27). Non-nutritive sucking is an instinctive reflex already seen in the womb—fetuses start sucking their thumbs as early as the 15th week of pregnancy to soothe themselves. Sucking promotes the production of serotonin, which helps calm the baby and mimics the comforting sensation of breastfeeding. Once breastfeeding is well established, the pacifier can be offered (ideally until about 12 months of age, to avoid interfering with dental development). The main drawback is that the pacifier often falls out shortly after the baby falls asleep. During night awakenings, the baby may miss it and call for mom or dad.

The same applies to rocking, whether in arms or in a cradle. The vestibular system—the inner ear organ that manages spatial orientation—detects motion and is soothed by the rhythmic swaying, promoting sleep (28). But once rocking stops, babies often wake and call to be rocked again before falling back asleep.

Some cradles offer automatic rocking, while others respond to the baby’s movements. Still, this doesn’t guarantee that the baby won’t wake up seeking comfort. In the end, what they truly seek isn’t the motion—but the comforting presence of mom and dad.