Transferring your sleeping baby to their sleep space can be a daunting task. Whilst holding and cuddling a sleeping baby all day sounds dreamy, if you have other children to tend to, an all day cuddle isn’t always possible ❤️
How do you transfer a sleeping baby and keep them asleep? It’s a bit of timing, a bit of practice and a whole lot of luck 😅
Here are a few things that I find help
💤 The “10–20 Minute Rule”
– Wait about 10–20 minutes after your baby falls asleep in your arms before transferring.
– In the first few minutes, babies are in light sleep, and any movement can wake them easily.
– Around the 10–20-minute mark, they enter a deeper sleep stage, making it easier to place them down without startling.
👶 Tips for smooth transfer:
– Hold for a bit longer than you think you need to — if you rush it, they often wake right back up.
– Keep them close to your body as you lower them, then gently place their bottom/legs down first, followed by their head.
– Use firm, steady movements rather than slow, hesitant ones — a confident transfer feels more secure to them.
– If they startle, place a gentle hand on their chest for a few seconds to reassure them before stepping away.
If you find transfers are consistently waking your baby, it may be a sign they’re relying on contact sleep to fall asleep. If it’s working for you and your baby, contact naps and transferring is absolutely fine. If it isn’t working for you or your baby, I am able to help you ❤️
