how do I teach a 3 1/2 month old to sleep?

Question

Ever since my baby was born, O has slept with me or in my arms. Well she is getting too old for that, and I need to train her to have a nap in the afternoon..preferably from 1-3 or 3-4 or 3-5, I have no clue! So today, I put her in bed at 2:30 after feeding her she had fallen asleep, so she slept for 10 min. and then she woke up and cried for 30 min. so i went to the crib and picked her up and put her in her swing, you'd think she'd get tired, and she rocked for another 15 screaming minutes...so in a total she cried 50 min, and she's still wide awake, and has no sign of sleeping. She is watching Oprah in the living room right now, and laying on the floor. How long does it take a baby to stop crying, or cry themselves to sleep? She made no sign of slowing down. and I need to get her into her crib at night too. Any tips or advice from parents who've been through it before?

Answer 1

Swaddle the baby in a receiving blacket.. make sure the baby is well fed, burped and has a fresh diaper... Build a visual barrier in the crib so the space around the baby is smaller... Get a Womb Bear...

http://www.shopping.com/xPC-Prince_Lionheart_Prince_Lionheart_Silkie_Slumber_Bear_Pink

Since your baby is used to hearing your heart beat as she sleeps you can use a womb bear to mimic that sound in the babys crib...

When you put the baby down for a nap let her fuss for no more than 15 minutes before you go in and check her diaper etc. Do not pick her up however... You can sooth her by patting /rubbing her back/tummy but leave her laying in the crib for the soothing .. Only stay in the room for 4-5 minutes before leaving and starting another 15 minutes... then repeat the diaper check etc. and leave again..

It will take several days for your baby to learn a new pattern...It can take upwards of a hour for her to go to sleep the first time but as the days go by and she gets used to the new pattern it will take less time...

It will likely try your nerves, a good way to deal with it is to step out on to your porch with the house door open so you can see/hear whats happening in the house but you are a bit removed... You baby is in her crib so she is safe and you are not abandoning her as you are just on the porch taking a breather...

Answer 2

Unfortunately, a baby that young has no concept of a schedule. You can try all you want, but some babies do not sleep on a regular schedule until a year or more. Why are you letting the baby cry for 50 minutes? It is suggested that parents do not use the "cry it out" method until 6 months, and then for no longer then 10 or 15 minutes. You are telling your baby that you will not come when she wants or needs you and that she cannout rely on you to meet her basic needs. Your baby should feel soothed, loved, and cared for at all times, and if that means falling asleep in your arms for a bit longer than so be it. Plus, infants do not take one nap a day--they sometimes take 2 or 3 1-3 hour naps. If they do not get their naps they will be overtired and that will cause them to not sleep well at night.

With my daughter, she always slept in the crib eventually, but I did have to rock her to sleep for a long time. She never slept in bed with us--I always put her in the crib after she fell asleep. If she woke up, I rocked her more. Sometimes I fell asleep too and we both slept on her glider chair. That's just the way it is with infants--especially young infants. She didn't go right to sleep in her crib without any rocking until probably 1 year. Your baby is still so little--give her time and don't pressure her. I know how tired you are and how much you just want to get your own sleep--it's just one of the trials of having a baby. Good luck. Try reading some parenting books while the baby watches Oprah.

Answer 3

no it just takes a little bit of time and patience. K s 3 and a half months old and has always slept with me as well. start out by putting her to sleep and when shes good and asleep lay her in herown bed. it wont be long though... jsut start increasing the time a few mins here and there and eventually she will sleep through a nap. bedtime is the hardest. i am jsut starting to put her a little bit further away evernight. (safely of course) and then i dont know where it wil go form there. its taken me 2 weeks to get her 2 sleep 1 hour in her bassinet. if she does cry instantly try to just rub her back and talk to her if that dont work [ick her up calm her down and try again. all i can say is time and patience is the only way. DO NOT GIVE HER CEREAL OR ALCOHOL. ONE ALCOHOL IS NOT SAFE AND 2 PEDIATRICIANS SAY NOTHING BUT MILK FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST 4 MONTHS ANYTHING SOONER CAN CAUSE ALLERGIES LATER IN LIFE AND NO FOOD TILL 6 MONTHS.

Answer 4

Any pediatrician will tell you NOT to put creal in the baby's bottle...she can choke, no matter how thin you make it.

If you want a schedule put her down in her crib at the same times every day. She can't read a clock but her internal clock will get used to it.

Make sure there's nothing in her crib she can hurt herself on. Yes, she's 3 1/2 but I willing to bet she can scoot herself along. especially if she's throwing herself a fit.

You said you feed her before you put her down. Make sure you get a couple good burps out of her before you put her down or she'll have bad gas and/or uspet stomach.

I bought an XXL Mens cotton undershirt and wore it for a couple days to make sure it smelled like me then stretched it over the mattress. Just make sure there are no loose edges for the baby to get snagged in.

Turn on the TV or a tune in to talk radio and put the volume on real low. She might need a little white noise to get her to relax. The talking will make her feel like she not alone. She was with you fro nine months, with you and your husband for 3 1/2...being alone is going to be scary.

Make sure she's dry, comfortable (clothes aren't too tight anywhere) and lay her down. Let her cry...it's okay...fight the urge to pick her up...after 10-15 min go in and pat her back or tummy (which ever is PC to lay her down on nowadays) leave the room again...

If you want to rock her make sure you are relaxed. She can feel if you are tense (because you need sleep, you're frustrated, you need to do a few chores or something). Take a few deep breaths so she knows everything is okay.

If all else fails...I stand by the "Squat Remedy" taught an drecommended by my pediatrician. Embrace your child, facing out, in front of you. So you're suporrting her butt and thighs with one arm, and your other hand across her chest. Make sure she can feel that you are holding her close. Then do your squats. Squat down..not too far...kind of fast and come back up slowly (Hey, you get your exercise too) The tricky part is to lay her down after she falls asleep

Answer 5

you can't really teach a 3 1/2 month old to sleep but you can try these suggestions. Try a little baby cereal before bed, not too thick just enough so it's not to liquidy. Don't make everybody be quiet, other wise every little sound you make will startle her. Watch you T.V at normal sound, vacuum if you have to. My daughter used to like classical music playing while she was sleeping (not real loud between 1-10, it volume at 4). try a bath and massaging your baby before bed. They feel more relaxed and refreshed. Don't let her get used to sleeping with you. My doctor had me put my child in her crib and pat her to sleep. If she woke up I was aloud to sleep next to the crib but not hold her ( only if you know she is just wanting to sleep with you). Then I moved to the door and eventially made it to my room. Sounds crazy ( I thought it was stupid, but it worked).

Answer 6

I have an eight month old. You can't really set times for the baby to fall alsleep at that young age. Mine just started napping near the same time everyday and never for the same amount. some days they need long naps and sometimes they need to spend time with you and be comforted. You shouldn't leave her in the crib crying for more than ten minutes. Then you have to pick her up and try to soothe her. Sometimes my son gets so over tired he screams for a few minutes before he falls asleep. My husband and I call it the ten minute rule. That way we know to leave him alone for ten minutes than go back in and try to soothe him. Babies sleep when they need to. You cant pick when they sleep or how long. As time goes on you will learn your baby and she you. Its tough in the begining but youll get through it. You have to just put her in crib when she is tired and not let her sleep with you at all in order to train her to sleep in her crib by herself.

Answer 7

I created quiet time in my house from 1230 -130 during this time my daughter had to do a quiet activity in her room on her bed or on a blanket on her floor..i would spend the first few minutes in my room doing the same..she fell asleep during that time..not all children require a lot of sleep but all moms deserve a few minutes to unwind. To keep her in her crib keep the crib in your room for a the first week or so then slowly transition her to nap a in crib then nights in crib remember to praise her for the little accomplishments good luck

Answer 8

Putting your baby on a schedule and sticking to that schedule will help. Believe it or not, our babies can train us. My daughter was premature and had me doing the same thing. I finally realized I had a week to return to work. She literally stopped crying at points to see if I was coming to her rescue. After she'd realize I wasn't coming to pick her up, she'd work herself up and start crying all over.

I know it's hard to let them cry. My daughter cried for 45 minutes the first night. The nights following..she went to sleep at 8 PM and slept through the night until 7 AM.

You might want to try warm formula before her naps or bedtime..and possibly some cereal just before bed.

Answer 9

You need to get a sleeping pattern. Put her to bed early at night get the baby up early in the mornings and lay it down for a nap let it cry it is not going to hurt the baby to cry a little. You need to talk to the baby and tell it time for a nap. The baby know if you hear her crying you will come running and pick her up. So not to be mean the baby is smarter then you. She know how to get you to pick her up. You need to let her sleep by herself at night to.

Answer 10

make a schedule, like a routine... if she wakes up around 7a... she will need to take a nap right between 12-1p... do it everyday at the same time so she will get used to it...

take her to her crib... tell her that's where babies go to sleep.... if she cries.. and probably will, pick her up right away... but talk to her, tell her... "it's okay, "I'm there"," I'm going nowhere," sing a little song for her and try it again... don't get mad if it doesn't work right away and more important don't give up.

If you let her cry for a long time she won't be sleepy no more... and it will be more difficult to put her to sleep again.