What to do if your newborn won’t sleep in their crib?

It can happen that your newborn falls asleep easily in your arms but starts crying the moment you lay them down in their crib. Why won’t they sleep in their crib? How can you help them fall asleep? How can you lay them down without waking them up?

What to do if your newborn won’t sleep in their crib? Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding why your newborn won’t sleep in their crib

If your baby can’t manage to sleep in their crib, it’s not a whim. Several factors related to their basic needs can explain these difficulties falling asleep.

The need for safety and closeness

From birth, it’s essential to maintain physical closeness with your baby until they are able to move away from it safely and at their own pace. Newborns adjust more easily to the outside world when they find sensations similar to those experienced in the womb. In fact, they are not ready to face an existence that is still, silent, and without smells, since these stimuli have always been an integral part of their world.

From birth, your infant therefore has a strong need for security and closeness with you. This need is completely natural and contributes to their emotional well-being. When your newborn won’t sleep in their crib, it’s often because they are seeking the reassuring contact of a cuddle—your scent, your warmth, and the need to feel held.

Good to know: contrary to some popular beliefs, your baby won’t ask for your arms more because you hold them “too” often. On the contrary, the more consistently you meet their need for closeness, the easier it will be for them to separate from it later. If your infant has trouble going to bed or starts waking up after being placed in their bassinet, it’s because they need to feel your presence in order to sleep well.

Closeness promotes the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, helping them feel protected and fall asleep more easily. Room-sharing, meaning having your baby sleep in the same room as you in their own crib, makes it possible to respond quickly to their cries, ease their anxieties, and help them fall back asleep after a nighttime waking. The WHO recommends having your baby sleep in your room at least until 6 months of age.

Warning: it’s important not to confuse room-sharing with bed-sharing. Bed-sharing is a discouraged practice that increases the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). It involves having the baby sleep in the same bed as their parents, which increases the risk of suffocation.

Digestive issues and physical discomfort

Many infants experience, during the first few months, digestive issues that disrupt falling asleep and sleep quality:

• Gastroesophageal reflux: this acid reflux can cause crying and frequent wake-ups.
• Colic: abdominal pain, gas, and restlessness especially in the evening or at night, which can lead to wake-ups and discomfort that prevents them from sleeping.
• Other discomforts: a dirty diaper, pajamas that are too tight, or an uncomfortable position can also explain why they have trouble staying asleep.

These different discomforts can explain why your baby doesn’t want to sleep in their crib, wakes often, and has trouble falling back asleep without help.

In short, if your baby cries as soon as you lay them down in their bassinet, they are simply expressing their need to be reassured, especially during transition moments between sleep cycles. Fortunately, there are best practices to help them sleep in their crib.

Want to learn more? Feel free to download the May app, where you’ll find plenty of resources to support and guide you throughout your journey as a new parent.

Best practices to help your newborn fall asleep in their crib

If your newborn won’t sleep in their crib, here are a few practical tips to help them accept their bassinet.

Create a reassuring environment

A soothing sleep environment is the first step to encourage your baby to fall asleep in their crib. How the room is set up:

• If they don’t want to sleep in their crib, it may be due to the room temperature being too hot or too cold. Make sure to keep a stable temperature of around 18–20°C (64–68°F).
• Light that is too bright can also keep your baby from falling asleep well. Choose dim lighting during nighttime feeds. Infants aren’t afraid of the dark, so a night-light isn’t necessary and can even be counterproductive.
• Place the crib near you, especially during the first months, to make safe room-sharing easier. This reassures your baby and allows you to comfort them quickly if they cry.

Establish bedtime routines

A bedtime routine, repeated every day, helps your baby get ready for sleep:

• Set up a calming routine: a warm bath, a massage, a short story, or a lullaby in low light… Each action, always done in the same order, signals to your baby that it’s time to fall asleep.
• Watch for tiredness cues: yawning, rubbing eyes, restlessness… Putting your infant to bed at the first signs reduces crying and makes it easier for them to fall asleep.

Support your newborn toward sleep

Every baby is different, and there are no secret techniques to get your baby down on the first try. To help them fall asleep in their crib, you can try to:

• Let them fall asleep in your arms, then place them in their crib.
• Support them without always picking them up: stay near the crib, speak softly, and place a reassuring hand on them. This helps them feel safe without reinforcing a dependence on being held or cuddled for every waking.
• Avoid letting them cry: letting them cry for a few minutes isn’t dangerous, but there’s no need to let them cry for a long time.

Over time, you won’t need to stay constantly close to your infant while they sleep. Think of it as a step-by-step process:

At first, your baby will want your presence throughout the entire process of falling asleep. Over time, you’ll only need to stay until they are asleep. Finally, you’ll be able to put them to bed and leave even if they are still awake. Little by little, your child will learn to sleep in their crib.

It’s up to you to decide when you want to move through the different steps, based on your baby’s reactions.

How to place your newborn in their crib without waking them up?

If your baby fell asleep in your arms, here are a few tips to help you place them in their crib without waking them up.

To prevent the Moro reflex, that involuntary startle of the limbs when your baby feels like they’re falling, first make sure to lay them down gently. Support their shoulders, hands, and pelvis, then wait for their body to relax before letting their arms fall naturally alongside their body, gently guiding the movement.

Another method is to place them down on their side first, then gradually position them on their back, always with the same gentleness. If your baby shows slight waking, simply place your hands on them to help them calm down and settle again.

It’s also best to avoid abrupt changes in the environment. To do so, you can warm their crib with a hot water bottle before laying them down, and stay nearby so they feel safe, for example. These small attentions will greatly make it easier for them to fall asleep and will reduce wake-ups when you lay them down in their crib.

In short, a newborn’s refusal to sleep in their crib is rarely a problem in itself—it’s first and foremost an expression of their basic needs. Your baby is discovering a new world, very different from the one they knew during pregnancy. They need time—and above all, your presence—to adapt to it. By setting up a soothing environment and using the right gestures, you gradually help them get used to their crib and develop their ability to sleep there.

Photo credit: lamapacas | Prostock-studio | OlgaSmolina

This text was translated from French by an artificial intelligence. The information, advice, and sources it contains comply with French standards and may therefore not apply to your situation. Make sure to complement this reading by visiting the May US/UK app and consulting the healthcare professionals who are supporting you.