How to Get a Sick Baby to Sleep

Is your little one feeling unwell and struggling to sleep? Learn how to get a sick baby to sleep and keep them comfortable.

After almost a year of never being sick, my baby finally succumbed to a slight fever and cold. Sure, the “fever” was only 99.6°, but that, combined with a bad cold for the last few days, made going to sleep nearly impossible.

Now that he was sick, we were back to frequent wake-ups and sleeping a couple hours at a time. He’d wake up crying, which didn’t exactly encourage him to go back to sleep.

As tough as getting a sick baby to sleep can be, it’s one that every parent faces at some point.

Perhaps evenings are a challenge, taking several hours just to get your little one to finally settle down. You’ve relented to getting her to sleep whatever way you can, like placing her in the swing or holding her in your arms.

This also affects your day, from not getting anything done to having to take time off of work. She may be more restless, refusing to sleep in her usual spots. And forget about nap time—the longest stretches you can get her to sleep is all but 25 minutes before she wakes up crying from those naps.

The good news is that common colds and being sick are temporary. As tough as the discomfort may be, at least you know they’ll eventually end.

Still, that doesn’t make the days or nights any easier while you’re in the thick of all the symptoms. And you might even worry that these new habits—co-sleeping, waking through the night, feeding to sleep—might be difficult to undo.

Rest assured, friend, even if you can’t remember what a good night feels like anymore, you’re not alone. Take a look at what you can do to help your sick baby finally fall asleep:

Table of Contents

1. Keep wake times shorter than usual

The biggest frustration with getting a sick baby to sleep is that you know just how important it is for him to actually fall asleep. Rest is, after all, the best thing anyone sick can do. Our bodies simply need to shut down and rest.

But with congestion and coughing, your baby doesn’t exactly have the best chances of sleeping in long stretches. Plus, this lack of sleep only makes him grumpy and fussy, which makes falling asleep even more challenging than it already is.

The best thing to do? Adjust your sleep routine and limit how long he’s awake. If he’s normally awake for two hours, keep him up for no more than an hour and a half. Avoid stimulating experiences, and stay at home instead.

By keeping wake windows short and your days subdued, you’re giving him more chances to fall asleep—even if he sleeps in shorter chunks.

Expert tip

Let him sleep all day if he needs to. Ditch the schedule and give him the chance to rest and catch up on extra sleep.

Free resource: Interested in learning about teaching him to self soothe? Join my newsletter and get a preview of How to Teach Your Baby to Self Soothe. This chapter is all about the mindset needed for successful self-soothing and helping him put himself to sleep. As one parent said:

“Hi just wanted to say thank you. I bought your baby sleep guide and it worked from the first night. We are on our third night and our six month old daughter is settling herself in her own room. Your guide really resonated with me and out of three sleep guides I bought, it was yours that gave me the best mindset and confidence to do it. Your guide is really the best I have come across because you covered all scenarios which gave me the confidence not to give up. I didn’t panic when she cried as you had prepared me for that. I wish I had come across you first as I was really struggling with sleep deprivation so I am grateful for your help. Thank you so much!” -Donna Fendick

2. Keep your baby hydrated

Besides plenty of rest, getting lots of fluids is the other best thing sick babies need to feel better. If your baby is already drinking water regularly, offer more by keeping a sippy cup nearby for frequent drinking. And if she’s mostly drinking formula or breast milk, feed on demand rather than on a schedule.

Having a sick baby means doing things you typically don’t do anymore—frequent feedings can be just the thing she needs to feel better and avoid being dehydrated.

So, ditch the feeding schedules for now, and instead offer to feed often, especially when she’s fussy. You can always “regulate” her to your normal schedule once she’s better.

3. Keep your baby comfortable

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Increase your baby’s chances of falling asleep by making him as comfortable as possible. You might:

Give over the counter medicine to keep his fever down (check with his pediatrician first about which medications and doses are appropriate)
Use a cool-mist humidifier in his room
Clear his nose with a nasal aspirator
Turn on white noise so he isn’t startled awake by random sounds
Dress him in comfortable clothes

He already feels miserable from being sick as it is. Helping him feel comfortable can increase his chances of falling and staying asleep.

4. Keep your baby’s head elevated

Most common colds are extra uncomfortable when we sleep completely horizontally. And since most babies sleep on flat surfaces with no pillows, it’s no wonder many wake up mid-sleep crying and frustrated.

Instead, keep your baby’s head slightly elevated as he sleeps to help mucus flow down. According to Sleeping Baby:

“The goal is to keep your baby upright so that fluid can drain away from the ears, naturally, rather than getting congested and potentially leading to an ear infection.”

One idea is to fold a towel and place it on top of the mattress but beneath the fitted sheet for his head to rest on. You can also keep him sleeping upright by holding him in your arms in a recliner, or wearing him in a baby wrap. While he may not usually sleep this way, sometimes you need to do things out of the ordinary to help him along.

Conclusion

No matter the ailment, getting a sick baby to sleep can be a challenge for many parents. Thankfully, it’s temporary, and not without its own solutions.

Help your baby fall—and stay—asleep by keeping wake times shorter than usual and not exerting him any more than he needs to. Keep him comfortable, from dressing him in simple clothes to clearing out his nasal passages.

Make sure his head stays elevated while he sleeps, from as little of an incline on the crib to holding him to sleep in your arms. And finally, keep him hydrated by feeding on demand or keeping a sippy cup of water handy.

I got lucky that my eldest was able to hold off getting sick for nearly a year, but I knew the day would inevitably arrive when he’d come down with a cold and cough. At least the frequent wake-ups and miserable days and nights were temporary—especially with the help of these tips.

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