Dr Karp’s 5 ‘S’s for Sleep — What Worked for Me — Pregnant Chicken

Being a parent is wonderful, crazy, adventurous, and joyful, but it isn’t wrapped up with a nice, tidy bow on top. It can be simultaneously messy, stressful, frustrating, and confusing. I read and researched a lot of information related to babies. Some of it was conflicting. Some of it was helpful. And some of it was take it or leave it.

However, the single best thing that I read was Dr. Harvey Karp’s 5 ‘S’s. His advice has been tremendously helpful in keeping my husband and me sane. In his book and on his blog, he breaks down how parents can gradually work in the 5 ‘S’s to calm a crying baby and get him/her to sleep. I have seen these methods work firsthand with our son, and honestly I am nothing short of amazed.

The 5 ‘S’s of Sleep

S Number One:

Swaddle

Babies typically like the feeling of being snug just like how they were inside of their mother’s uterus. My son might have fought the swaddles and sleep sacks at first, but once he was safely and securely wrapped up like a burrito, he immediately started to calm and make less of a fuss. He slept well at nights with one and continues to be swaddled at 4 months, although his arms are free now that he can roll over.