Clever parents since the beginning of time have figured how out to soothe their crying babies—I wouldn't want to imagine a world where they didn't! And as technology advances, each generation discovers their own baby calming techniques. Whether you tend toward the old or the new, experiment with a few and you'll soon find the ones that work best to calm your wee wailing one! Here’s how to make a baby stop crying. 

10 of the Best Ways to Stop a Baby From Crying

  1. Holding: You are your baby’s favorite person, so it’s no surprise that holding your baby is one of the most basic—and effective—ways to soothe crying and fussiness. Your baby loves the comfort of being held in your arms, and there are a variety of ways to hold your baby that will help to soothe crying spells. 

  2. Dancing: The womb is a rocking place to be...literally! Think about it: With every breath you take, as your diaphragm moves up and down, your baby in utero is feeling that movement. And that means they’re also used to all to the other movements of your daily routine too...from walking to your exercise class. So when babies are born, it’s strange for them to be in a still environment. Dancing fulfills your baby’s need for motion and movement. Plus, it’s a fun way to bond with your little one!

  3. Rocking: Similar to dancing, rocking motions help to make a baby stop crying. 

  4. Swinging: Swinging works like rocking and dancing to comfort your baby.

  5. Swaddling: Swaddling stops crying and fussiness by giving babies a snug, womb-like sensation. Check out this link to learn how to swaddle your baby. Too tricky? There's always the Sleepea 5-second swaddle!

  6. Feeding: You know how you get cranky when you haven’t gotten enough to eat? Well, babies cry because they’re hungry. Feeding your baby not only alleviates hunger, but also triggers the calming reflex, that can almost immediately stop crying. 

  7. White noise: White noise is a great way to calm a crying baby because low rumbly whooshing sounds are reminiscent of the sounds babies heard in the womb.

  8. Singing: Regardless of whether you’re off-key or pitch-perfect, your baby loves the sound of your voice. The next time your baby is crying, try singing anything from classic baby lullabies to more modern songs for kids. 

  9. Pacifiers: Pacifiers help comfort babies through non-nutritive sucking. Try offering your baby a pacifier the next time they’re crying to calm them down.

  10. SNOO: The latest in baby sleep technology, SNOO Smart Sleeper automatically detects your baby’s crying and uses gentle rocking and white noise to soothe and calm crying. Best of all, SNOO has been FDA De Novo Authorized for its ability to keep babies on the back! SNOO's safe and secure place for a baby to sleep, and you can even rent SNOO for a low monthly price.

Final Thoughts on How to Make a Baby Stop Crying

Most soothing techniques fall into one of the five categories: swaddling (snug holding), side/stomach position, shushing (white noise), swinging (motion), and sucking—also known as the 5 S’s!

What do these techniques have in common? They all impersonate the womb!

Parents have used many of them for millennia, but our generation is the first in history to know that they work by switching on Baby's innate calming reflex, which is nature's "off switch" for fussing and "on switch" for sleep.

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Did you know? Happiest Baby developed SNOO, the world's first smart sleeper. Our one-of-a-kind baby bed responds to an infant’s fussing with just the right amount of motion and sound—to turn on the calming reflex. It can soothe middle-of-the-night crying and dramatically boost infant sleep. And it's the only baby bed to receive FDA De Novo Authorization for keeping babies safely on their backs! (For important safety information visit happiestbaby.com/fda.) Learn more about SNOO. 

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.