How to get my 5 month old to fall asleep on his own?

Question

My 5 month old needs to be rocked every night in order to fall asleep. Once he's asleep he will sleep the whole night through but the problem is that rocking him to sleep can take anywhere from a half hour to 2 hours! How do I begin to break this habit and help him fall sleep on his own? I have tried leaving him in his crib once he's drowsy but once I leave he cries hysterically nonstop, even when I check in on him every few minutes...please help!

This is my first child so I am learning along the way. I did not know rocking him would become a habit.

Answer 1

You will get many answers telling you that the "crying it out" method is the way to go. As much as I hate to say it, this is correct. Having said that, I found this method quite heartbreaking, especially at night. (What mother wants to hear their child cry hysterically?) So, what I tried was putting my son (who was 5 mos old at the time) in his crib, drowsy, for naptime. Yes, he cried some, but not nearly as long he did when I tried this at bedtime. Also, I found I could deal with his crying during the daytime better than I could at bedtime. When I say "deal with", I mean I could listen to him cry without going in to "rescue" him. I would highly recommend trying the "putting down drowsy/crying it out" method for NAPS ONLY until your son is able to fall asleep on his own for those. Also, continue to rock him to sleep at night until he can fall asleep on his own for naps. Once he is falling asleep on his own for for naps, THEN tackle bedtime. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at the results. This really worked for us. (I got the suggestion from one of the many "sleeping through the night" books I purchased. : ) Good luck!

Answer 2

I too am a first time mom! whay we did with our baby boy is transition him. If we always put him in bed we would rock him til he was about 90% asleep, The we would rock him until he started showing about 50% that he was sleepy and now we are setting up a bed time schedule and rock him for 2 - 5 minutes and then put him in his crib, say our prayers, turn on his changing color dog and leave the room. Our little boy is now 3 month old and can fall asleep by himself in his crib. Then again, we got lucky with a boy that sleeps between 6 - 9 hours a night. The key we used was a slow transition.

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

You answered your own question 'even when I check in on him every few minutes'
A baby naturally uses crying for attention, he doesn't like being alone, he can get company if he cries...he's not playing up, he's learning.
Hard though it is, you will have to switch off the instinct which says 'he is crying hysterically, so I must go to him'.
First of all check the following:
My baby is well fed
My baby is clean and dry (nappy/daiper)
My baby is not sick
Right, so the crying is only because he wants you there. Now you are busy cleaning his clothes preparing meals and getting well-earned rest, so as long as none of the three above are an issue, let him scream!
I'm not just saying this, I have been there and let me tell you the rewards are immediate...if you can stick to your guns, this will very quickly resolve itself- honest!
Like I said, I have been there, you are tired beyond reckoning and it is hard to think logically (if thoughts are engaged at all). Sort out your strategy beforehand (with your partner) and stick to it, you will find if it doesn't resolve after the first battle, it won't take many bouts of screaming before he learns that this tactic has run its' course...
You knew this anyhow didn't you? You just needed someone to spell it out... My 'baby' is now three and sleeps so sweetly... it will happen, you just have to make it happen because you are in charge.
Hope this helps, really hoping for quick results for you - it's your call

Answer 4

Read Dr. William Sears books. His insight and ideas abt Parenting are truly remarkable.
Also abt putting your baby to sleep, here is a good book by Elizabeth Pantley:

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley and William Sears

Answer 5

I had the same problem(having to breastfeed to get my daughter to sleep) Not sure if you use pacifiers but that's what I started doing at bed time. I would feed and then hold her (she would suck on the pacify er) and when she was really relaxed I would put her in her crib and make sure the lights are dim. I would softly sing to her or tell her a story till she eventually fell asleep(whilst stroking her face or arm). This took a few days as she wasn't sure why she wasn't lying with me in bed. Dont let her cry and cry though(she is too young) I let mine moan for a few minutes but always go back in the room and kiss her and stroke her face to reassure her that I haven't left her. Good luck! You'll eventually figure out what works for your baby as they are all different.

Answer 6

YOU got him into this habit and now HE is going to have to pay! Give him a bath 1/2 hr before you put him down, get him fed and then put him to bed. You can stand there and pat his butt if you want, with the lights off, and don't say a word as long as he isn't crying. If he crys, just get out of there and DO NOT pick him back up! He is going to have to cry it out now, and if you give in he will just cry longer next time! Don't make the same mistake with your next kid! Babies rarely need to be rocked to sleep!

Answer 7

All babies are different. Mine always had to know that I was nearby before they'd fall asleep unless they fell asleep in the car. In order to get my fussy son to sleep I would put him on my bed and lie down with him until he fell asleep. Sometimes I'd have to rub his back or his head to help. With my daughter she had to be holding my arm before she'd fall asleep. Every baby has their own way of falling asleep but its best to break them of the habit of being rocked to sleep or you'll be doing that until they start grade 1. Check out IVillage.com, they always have helpful advice on their site or check out the book, "What to Expect The First Year." Goodluck!

Answer 8

I know it sounds bad but sometimes you have to let them cry. I would say no longer than 15- 20 min. It will break your heart, but he will get use to putting himself to sleep. I have to give my daughter a bottle. I also put classical music on a CD player and put it on repeat. that seems to help a lot! Every child is different. But once you get into a routine other that rocking your baby to sleep it will get much easer. Good

Answer 9

It may take several nights of letting him cry until he falls asleep. Check on him every few minutes, comfort him and leave the room. You also might try putting on some noise in his room, either music or rain or white noise. It worked for my son and one of my grandsons. Good luck.

Answer 10

Try getting one of those crib attachments that plays music and lights up. My son had the same problem and I bought him one that plays Winnie the Pooh music and nature sounds, it also displays lights on the ceiling. Every night I turn it on and put him in bed and he watches it and falls asleep all on his own. He particularily likes the nature sounds.