my 1 month old son will not.....????

Question

My one month old so will not sleep in his crib at all. He hates it and i dont know why. I think i have myself in a bad habbit now. When he was about a week old he would scream and wake up all night long and not want to go back to sleep so we started putting him in his bouncer seat to sleep and set the whole bouncer right in his crib. Now thats the only way he will sleep. What do i do!! i think i started a bad habit!

Answer 1

It is a bad habit. My friend did the same thing, and her son's head became flat, and he eventually needed a helmet. We played very soft lullaby music when my daughter wouldn't fall asleep. The CD was about 90 minutes long. I would stay and tickle her cheek w/ a Q-tip or corner of a blanket for about 2 minutes, and walked away. It worked. Good luck. I was blessed with a dream sleeper w/ my first child, and was quite shocked when my daughter came around and wouldn't sleep 12 hours every night and 4 hour naps!

Answer 2

At month old I dont think you have to worry about starting a bad habit... my daughter was the same way with sleeping in bed with us and now shes 8 months old and will only sleep in her crib, but i didn't have to force her or anything. Just one day @ about 5 months old we put her in the crib and she didn't want to sleep with us anymore.

Once your son becomes more mobile you are possibly causing a safety risk by putting the bouncer in the crib. I would suggest either try letting him sleep in the bouncer OUTSIDE of the crib or get a bassinet that you can place beside your bed. One thing that worked wonders in my situation was the "Close and Secure" in-bed sleeper. I finally got her to sleep in that and then when she outgrew that we put her in her crib, and she still sleeps like an angel.

Try to move him away from sleeping in the bouncer IN the crib... it would be a tradgedy if by some freak accident the bouncer were to flip and suffocate your baby.

Every parent has their own parenting techniques... do what works best for you and your baby, and don't sweat what others say too much. Congratulations and good luck.

And another thing... after reading what some of the others have posted here... I am very thankful that you all weren't my parents and will never have contact with my children! First off, a month old is FAR TOO YOUNG to let a baby "cry it out"... at this age you should be working to teach your baby that they can count on you to care for them. You cannot spoil a baby that young... its just impossible!! Second, you all need to remember that a month ago, this child was in-utero for its entire life... don't expect it to do things because "you say so"... I just had to get that out there

Answer 3

If you think it might be the vibration that your son enjoys we purchased a bassinett that vibrated. Perhaps that would be a smoother transition for him then the crib because it's smaller and more cozy. As a lot of others said though I wouldn't worry about it being a habit. You'll see that many things will become habits and then go away suddenly over the next couple of months. My three month old started a "habit" the other day of only likely one particular blanket when he naps. Whatever works to get them to sleep! Also, try a swaddling blanket. My sister-in-law swore by this blanket after her two kids and now I do too. My son sleeps so well with it and it does not come undone http://www.miracleblanket.com/. It's more pricey than a receiving blanket but so worth it! Best of luck!

Answer 4

Most babies "scream and wake up all night long" when they're a week old. I really doubt that the crib had much to do with it. After only a month, you certainly haven't started a bad habit.

If you want him to sleep in the crib, try soothing and rocking him to sleep and then placing him in the crib after he's asleep. If he wakes up and cries, for heaven's sake... go get him and repeat the process.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Our kids had significant acid reflux, and slept better with their heads elevated. We tried elevating one end of the crib, but the little ones just ended up in pathetic little crumpled piles at the foot of the crib.

So for a month or two, we allowed them to sleep in their car seats in the crib. We didn't do it every time we put them to bed; we made a big effort to put them in the crib when they were just falling asleep, but when that didn't work, we swaddled them tightly and put them in the seat in the crib.

A bad habit doesn't happen in a week, and you can't spoil a kid under 6 months old.

He'll be OK. The goal here is for everyone to get some sleep, yeah? He won't go to college sleeping in his bouncer!

Answer 6

You cannot form a bad habit at one month and please do not let him cry it out..he is too young! My daughter slept in her car seat until she was about 3 months old because she didn't like her bassinet. She is now 6 months old and sleeps fine in her crib. Newborns are used to being snugly tight in your womb. They don't like laying flat or big spaces. They don't feel secure. The bouncy chair is OK right now. Try the crib again when he is 3 months old. And start slow so he gets used to it....put him in it for a few minutes each day.

Answer 7

OK, I am sure this will be a very unpopular answer but here goes: Don't let your baby cry it out! I am astounded by the number of truly good mothers who put their baby in a room, shut the door, and let them cry. Put your baby in a bassinet by your bed. When he cries, put your hand in the bassinet to comfort him. Transition him to the crib slowly. I didn't move my baby to the crib until he was 5 months old. By that time, he was ready to be there and we did not have any problems, A one month old is too little to abandon to a crib all alone. He was right next to you for months; make the separation as slow and easy as possible. Good luck.

Answer 8

Don't beat yourself up, newborns sleep in unusual places. When my daughter was born, she slept in her carseat in the stroller next to our bed for several weeks. This is the only place she would sleep. A friend of mine had to put her daughter in the carseat, and put the carseat into the crib. Eventually your son will get used to sleeping in a larger space. Perhaps you can purchase/borrow a cradle or bassinet, which is a bit more snuggly than a large crib.
When my daughter was 5-6 weeks old, we would put her to bed in the carseat, but after she had her middle of the night feeding we would put her in the cradle for the second half of the night. This worked well for us.

Be patient, a good night sleep will come. Good luck!

Answer 9

There is an awful lot of advice out there for parents. Some of it is good, some bad, some contradicting, and most is confusing to new moms and dads. The most current recommendation for infant sleep is to be put to sleep on their backs. The reasoning behind this is there seems to be evidence of a reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in back sleeping infants. In reality, a lot of babies just don't sleep well on their backs. Some babies like to sleep more upright. Some babies prefer sleeping on their tummies. It is important to keep things in perspective. Not all tummy sleeping babies die of SIDS and some back sleeping babies do die of SIDS. A recommendation is just a suggestion, no one is going to come and take your baby away from you if you don't follow them to the letter. Sleep is important for both you and your baby. If your son sleeps well in his bouncer seat placed inside his crib, I think it is perfectly OK to let him sleep that way. I suggest that you keep trying to lay him down to sleep in his crib initially so he can get used to the feel of sleeping in his crib. But, if he needs to be moved to his bouncer seat for the bulk of his sleep time, don't feel bad about it. He will outgrow it (both the seat and his need to sleep in it!). Don't think of it so much as a bad habit but it's finding what works best for you and your son. Each baby is different and child-raising guidelines change all the time. My oldest 3 babies were born during the time when babies were always put to sleep on their tummies. Back sleeping was viewed with near as much horror in those days as tummy sleeping is in this day and age of parenting. I have been a child care provider in my home for 20 years. Numerous infants I have cared for sleep best in their car seats and wake frequently while back sleeping. All have outgrown this preference by the time they are 6 months old, which is about the time babies begin to roll over and can put themselves into the position they find most comfortable to sleep. My 3 month old grandson will only sleep well on his back if he is swaddled. It was not something I had ever tried before, but for him, it works like a charm.

Answer 10

Many people make the mistake of forming habits around their children's "habits" . You are the one in charge.
Yes, your 1 month old will sleep in his crib, you are not waiting for him to fall asleep. Put him in the crib with the intent of keeping him there. Maybe make the room darker or give him some stuffed animals or play some music for him before he falls asleep, or give him a blanket or a binkey but DON'T go back and get him or check in on him. He is fine he is not hurting ... you are not scarring him in any way so let him be. After awhile (maybe a few days) he will see he has no options and succumb to his new resting place. Don't go back in if he wakes in the middle of the night...he will fall back to sleep on his own. Also, nap time when he starts to get tired in the afternoon pick a time that is good for you both and put him in his bed. Keep him in there .... don't run in every time he cries. Again, put some safe things in there for him. He will learn to entertain himself and YOU will have some quiet time as well. Try to make sure nap time is at the same time everyday and for the same amount of time. Good Luck...I had 3 kids in one year so I know this works!!