How do I get my 1 year old daughter to sleep in her crib?

Question

She falls asleep in my arms and I lay her down then at 5 or 4 o'clock in the morning she wakes up crying. I've tried to let her cry it out. She fell asleep and then woke up crying I didn't have the heart to let her cry. There are 5 other people in my house and I don't want her to wake them up. What should I do?

Answer 1

First off, I assume that when you say she falls asleep in your arms, you are already in her room, right? If not, you need to be.

Don't worry about the other five people. Tell them what's going on and ask them to play a radio in their room or something, if they don't want to get woken up.

Try this. wake your daughter up early from her afternoon nap. Then work that little girl hard all afternoon. Play hard, make sure she's VERY tired. Keep her till about ten o clock, so you know she's really tired. Take her into her room, and put her in her crib. I assume at this point she will be screaming. Calmly take out a book and start reading to her, speaking very slowly and calmly. Read to her for an hour, if you have to. Stand by her crib, but DON"T pick her up or take her back out, no matter how loud she screams. Ask your husband to help, too. He's a big boy, he can help out (hey I did all the parenting on my daughter by myself, so I don't want to hear it!) Remeber, this is the hardest it will ever be. The next night, it will be easier. By next week, it will be easier yet. And this time next month, she probably won't cry at all when you put her in her crib. Talk to her, read to her, sing her songs, just don't pick her up. If you do, you will be back at square one and you'll never be able to sleep peacefully.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, you've waited a long time to try and teach independent sleeping. You've been a sleep crutch for a year, and babies get used to that crutch. Babies become remarkably set in their ways as they get older, so that is why, if you don't plan on cosleeping for a while, many moms start younger (provided they are neurologically mature enough to do so, which in most babies is 4 months) when it comes to 'sleep training'. So not only do you have the common result - waking immediately when put down - but then you have increased resistance due to age. If you are not comfortable with CIO in any form, then maybe you should just tough it out and cosleep a little longer until she's past real babyhood. Or you can establish a consistant bedtime routine that doesn't include sleep crutches, day in and day out, and employ CIO for a few days. CIO, which is almost always the only option if the baby will only fall asleep with a crutch, while unbearable for a few days, when combined with a solid, comforting routine can achieve results for you and better sleep for every one.

Answer 3

I think it is wonderful to co-sleep. But now that your baby is older, she does need to learn to sleep in her own crib. I am going through the same thing with my 10 month old. So far, what we are doing seems to be working..

Let her cry for 5 minutes. Then, if she is still crying, go in an pat her and comfort her by saying "shhh shhh shhhh" and tell her it's night-night time and it's time to sleep. But, don't pick her up (unless she needs her diaper changed or needs to be fed)

Repeat this process until she learns to self-soothe. I have been doing this for 2 nights now, and my baby seems to be responding to it very well. (she used to get up 3-4 times a night, but now she is only getting up once a night)

Answer 4

FIrst off, you shouldn't have had her sleeping in your bed with you because now it is going to be really really hard to get her to sleep in her own bed. But you can try using a radio or some kind of musical toy to have some kind of noise around her when she wakes up. Other than that, there really isn't anything that you can do, except what you have been. It takes time.

Answer 5

Begin a routine of putting her to sleep in her own bed at least then when she cries it won't be @ 4 or 5 am. Ask housemates to bear with you while you make the transition of getting her used to her own bed.

In the future, your child should sleep in their own quarters from the day you bring them home, they have already become accustomed to it in the hospital...you are just making it harder for her to be independent which is not helping her, but hurting her!

Answer 6

well she should of been in her crib a long time ago but who am i to judge. maybe if you put her to sleep with you in your bed then wen she/he falls asleep you can put him/her in crib. Sometimes it may help if you put 1 of your shirts that u wore in the crib next to him or her so this way it can give off your scent and its as if you're right there.

Answer 7

You are just going to have to let her cry. If you keep taking her out and laying her with you she is never going to want to sleep on her own. My sister did the same thing and her 5 year old wont sleep anywhere but on her bed. You just have to be strong, or get used to it. Good Luck, this is a hard one.................