Sleeping trouble?

Question

My husband I are having a hard time getting our 6 month old to sleep in his crib. Lately he has become extrememly attached to me and absolutely will not go to sleep unless I lay down with him. I have no problem laying down with him and then moving him to his crib but not 5 seconds after I move him he is screaming bloody murder. The only way he sleeps soundly is if he sleeps with me. I have tried to let him cry it out but honestly I just can't do it. I don't want my child to feel abandoned and that he can't count on me when he really needs me and I feel that the Ferber method leads to that. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

I have tried rocking and then laying him down but 5 seconds after laying him down he is screaming. It is like he knows the instant I am not there anymore. We have tried music as well and that isn't working. Right now we co-sleep onyl because if we didn't I would never get any sleep. I just don't get it, he used to sleep in this crib all night with no problems. This whole thing started when he started getting teeth. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Answer 1

Aside from the obvious "just co-sleep" (hehe join the club, come on you know you want to).

Some moms have great success with the Elizabeth Pantley "No Cry" sleep solutions:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-1801174-3708019?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=no+cry+sleep+solution&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

Alternatively get a full sized mattress and put it on the floor of his room. Then when he is sleeping you can sneak away. Make sure if he rolls of the mattress he can't become entrapped, and keep the matress away from walls.

Answer 2

I am going through the same thing as you right now, my son is 8 1/2 months old...and up until he was about 6 1/2 months he slept so good at night, alone, in his crib. Then he started to get ear infections and it's been down hill from there. I understand why you don't want to co sleep, you and your husband need some alone time, and anyone with a baby knows that the only alone time you're going to get is when the baby is sleeping. What I am doing now is really sticking to a routine, he takes a bath around 8:00, gets a bottle, and then its bed time. He is usually really asleep by the end of the bottle so it is not a problem to lay him down. But he will only sleep for a couple of hours and then he is up screaming. And trust me, if i let my son cry it out he would be crying forever, he is very stubborn! I let him cry for a couple minutes and then I go into his room. I pick him up and rock him until he is back to sleep. Do whatever it is he likes you to do so he can go back to sleep, and then lay him back down. Just continue doing this over and over, it might take a couple of nights of being strong and not giving in, just remember you're the adult, he's the baby...you can do this:) ANother thing we do is roll up a blanket hot dog style and lay him near it. It's so cute, sometimes he will roll over and hug it...I think he thinks it's his mom or dad! Good luck, and just know you're not the only one going through this right now! Happy New Year!

Answer 3

Try rocking to sleep but place a blanket on the seat so that it is getting warm while you rock. Put the blanket down on the crib first so that he won't be cold or feel the difference in temperature. Cover with a blanket that you have slept with for a night so that he can still smell you. Get one of those stuffed animals that play heart beat sounds so that he can hear something similar to you. I did the arm drop test before moving my son to his bed, lift is arm about 4 inches and let it drop, if he catches himself he is not in a deep sleep. Do it 3 times and if every time it just drops down and he doesn't stir try moving him then. Good luck I know that it is hard my son didn't really start sleeping the night in is own bed until he was about a year.

Answer 4

It very well could be teething, and 6 months is also a prime time to start being super glued to mom or dad and refusing anyone else. Its tough, especially when you've been co sleeping and baby is used to it. I co slept with my oldest, and started co sleeping with my youngest. We moved her at about 3 months to her own crib for HER benefit - she slept better in there!

You can try Elizabeth Pantly's - No Cry Sleep Solution, or you can wait it out. Is there any chance that he has reflux and thats waking him up? Does bundling him help? Special blanky?

To be totally honest, I'd stop laying down with him and develop another, equally long night routine. Its tough to re establish, especially when you do not want him crying it out ( and I totally agree with you on that!!! ). My sons routine used to be bath, lotion massage, singing while holding him, then patting. It took a few weeks of repeating the songs for an hour at a time and patting, but he did eventually get into it. At the end, he'd fall asleep as soon as I started singing.

Good luck!

Answer 5

You want to nix the habit of letting your baby sleep with you as soon as possible. Letting your baby cry it out isn't necessarily using the Ferber method. And your child will not feel abandoned by you if you put him in his crib at bedtime and leave him in there.

My suggestions are to make a ritual for bedtime. Give a bath, get jammies on, read a book, do a lil cuddling, use a nightlight in the nursery and play a soothing c.d. Then when you put your little guy down, kiss him and tell him goodnight. If you have a baby moniter, you can always turn that on a low volume so you know what's going on in the room, but try to leave him for at least a half an hour before you go back in to soothe him. And when you do go back in, don't pick him up. Just talk to him and let him know you are there.

I understand how hard it is to hear your baby cry, but if you let your child get into the habit of sleeping with you, it will be harder when you have to break that habit later. If you can get him used to sleeping by himself when he's this age, it'll be easier for the both of you in the long run.

Good luck!

Answer 6

You're right not to let him cry, and it very well could be teething that's making him more needy right now. Co-sleeping is wonderful, but if you don't want to do that, you'll need to wait until he is in a deep sleep before laying him down in his crib. Babies sleep lightly for the first 20 minutes or so, and then drop into a deeper sleep state. It sounds like you're just moving him a bit too soon.

Here's some good info. from Dr. Sears:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

Answer 7

Try putting him in his crib with you right next to it, stroking and patting him. When he learns to sleep this way, you can start putting him down while you're in a chair nearby, coming to the crib for comfort as needed. As he gets comfortable with each degree of separation, move a little further away, until you're out of the room and he's getting to sleep alone.

It takes a while, but it worked for my daughter. Good luck!

Answer 8

Why not just let him co sleep? I don't believe in the Ferber method but the only thing I can think of is let him sleep with u or rock him then lay him down.

Answer 9

Have you tried playing music for him when he goes in his crib or a musical mobile? We put music going for our 7 month old and he could care less if I leave now. Also they make toys that have heartbeats or pulses to put by your baby to make them feel like you are still there.

Answer 10

I have exactly the same problem with my 7 month old and honestly nothing will work. I really need a solution soon though. Good luck