How do I get my son to go to sleep without being rocked?

Question

He's 1 month old and he requires us to rock him to sleep at night. I don't know how the heck we got to this dang point. I just want to be able to put him down in his crib and he'll just fall asleep. I've tried just letting him cry it out but OMG! he never ends! he'll just cry and never fall alseep.

Any advise??

Answer 1

Babies like to be warm and coddled. Try wrapping him in his blanket like the hospital did. Bundle him right up. Make sure he has burped really well. lots of times babies fall asleep in your arms because they are warm and comfortable but still have gas bubbles. I would put a stop to to rocking him to sleep now before it is too late. Next he will be sleeping in your bed. Yes, I know he needs you and he just fits so right in your arms but you will regret it later.

Answer 2

My goodness he's only a month old! He JUST spent 9 months feeling you, being rocked, and being fed 24/7. Give him a break.

Get yourself a sling (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_sling) then you'll be able to rock him with both hands free to do whatever you'd like. Have you tried a swing? A bouncy chair? Every baby is different - you have to find what works for you. Just putting him down and letting him cry it out is neglect. You are seriously harming your child. Even Ferber (the person who started the whole cry it out movement) stated it should not be tried on a child younger then 6 months.

Babies cry because it is there only way to communicate. A 4 week old will go through many growth spurts. These will cause him to want to eat for days on end, and he won't sleep much till they are over. Just think about how far he has comes in such a short time... I mean a year ago he didn't even exist! Now you want him to be able to put himself to bed? Take a deep breath and pick him up.

Good luck.

Answer 3

This is called "separation anxiety" & you should have gone to some parenting classes to learn how to care for your new infant. ALL new borns should be held when they are being fed & should be held & rocked to sleep by their Mother or caregiver. Breastfed babies usually don't go through the kind of anguish that you describe here. Bottle fed babies have the most problems falling asleep because they just are not feeling safe & comfortable away from their "life-souce". The child grew inside of you for 9 months. You are expecting way too much from a one month old. Please take a parenting class before your child becomes another statistic. Never let a new infant "cry it out", unless you want to end up with a child who doesn't trust you. A new Mother has a lot of stress & you need info ASAP before things get out of hand for you & your child. Call a local clinic or the La Leche League or Planned Parenthood for childhood care classes in your community. Even a "Mommy & Me" class would help you to learn from other Mothers & caregivers. Good luck. If you have issues holding & rocking your baby, you could also just drive him around the block in your car to get him to sleep, but, it is better if you can hold him in your arms & share the "bond" that only a Mother & child have!

Answer 4

Like everyone's said, rock him as much as you can (gosh I miss it!!) But pamper yourself at the same time. Hopefully your rocker is a really comfy kind, and pop in a video or watch TV or listen to music or an audio book until he falls asleep. Most babies don't fall right asleep if you lay them down, so forget that idea!

One of my best "friends" was an infant swing. There were times when I just could not rock, and my kids would be out like a light in no time in those things. Get the battery kind, though; the wind up kind wake them up every time you wind (every half hour).

For the record, my son could not sleep lying down for a few months because of reflux. The infant swing WAS his bed.

Answer 5

I think it is definitely ok for you to rock your baby to sleep if he's only 1 month old. He needs your love and support at this time. I had to do that as well for my son, but now that he is 9 months I am still doing so. I didn't know this then - but when he is about 3 months is when you should try to start putting him down to sleep on his own (at least trying to), but Cry It Out shouldn't be used until he is older - around 6 months.

Answer 6

Sweetie, be patient and enjoy your baby! He's ONLY 1 month old! A one month old SHOULD be dependent on his parents!

A 1 month old baby doesn't cry to manipulate you. He crys to communicate with you. And being held at this age is a TRUE NEED. Just 4 short weeks ago he was inside of you and could see/feel/hear/taste/smell you every second of every day. Now, when he can't sense you, he doesn't know you still exhist. He doesn't even quite realize that you are 2 separate people yet at this age. Imagine waking up and finding your leg is gone! That's what it's like for him when you're not there.

Rocking him to sleep is comforting and relaxing to him. It is NORMAL to still be nursing to sleep, rocking, swaying, cuddling and PARENTING a 1 month old baby to sleep. Being a parent is a 24/7 job. Instead of worrying about this, use the time to enjoy cuddling with your baby who isn't going to be so tiny, dependent and happy to be cuddled forever. What do YOU do to relax to fall asleep? Watch TV, read, cuddle with hubby, etc? Babies are just like us, they like to do something enjoyable and relaxing to help them prepare for sleep!

PLEASE do not let him cry it out! Personally, I'm totally against this approach. AND even the experts who do suggest it would not recommend it prior to 6 months of age!

It takes an infant this young around 20 minutes to get into a deep sleep from which they are not easily aroused. They also have shorter sleep cycles than adults. And they NEED to wake off and on through the night to be fed as they are growing SO fast.

Just keep responding to his needs and try to RELAX and ENJOY your time with your baby.

Answer 7

Try a bouncer chair w/ vibrations. My 6 week old won't lay in her crib on her back alone, but if she's in the chair and she can hear us, she'll sleep or just sit in her chair for a while. We keep the chair in her crib and she loves to stare at her mobile. He may have a bit of heartburn, nothing that you can do anything about, just muscles that aren't that strong yet. Or a swing, but buying D batteries all the time can suck unless you've got money for the new expensive one that plugs in. Lol. Good luck!

Answer 8

I think maybe u should rock him he is only i month old he is still getting used to this bug world and he has the need to feel close to you, when he gets a lil bigger it will be easy, trust me u will miss it, my son just turned 13 and it was a flash.. lucky girl! But ask someone to give u a break or try the swing! GOOD luck!

Answer 9

Try playing the sound of a clock ticking rhythmatically. It can be sort of hypnotizing. My dad recorder the sound of his Big Ben clock ticking and would play it near the crib after my son was around 1 month old....he would go to sleep.

There were a few times this didn't work...son would take a nap around 4p and wake up around 6pm...be awake for about an hour then go back to sleep around 7p and wake back up around 10p.....so I tried something new. I would keep him interested in sounds, etc. around 4p....and would try to keep him awake for awhile longer. Then lay him down for a 'nap' around 6p......then if he woke up around 8p, feed him, change him and try keeping him awake again for awhile. Then he would fall asleep around 10p and stay asleep longer.

Answer 10

Start a bedtime routine . Most babies are light sleepers so changing position ( holding to crib ) will cause them to waken. Put him in his crib or bassinet and pat him or jiggle the crib rhythmically to lull him to sleep . But FYI all crying comes to an end but 1 month olds are too young to self soothe and cry themselves to sleep.