Getting my baby to sleep in his own bed?
By moonmagick
@moonmagick (1458)
United States
January 16, 2007 9:49pm CST
I have a 4 and a half month old baby. I started a bad habit a couple months ago out of desparate need for sleep. I put him in bed with me. I breastfeed, so it works out pretty well as far as feedings at night go, but I would really love to have my bed back, and be able to stretch out and sleep again instead of curled up on my side with the baby practically glued to me. Dont get me wrong, it is a wonderful bonding experience and waking up to a cuddly happy baby in the morning is the sweetest feeling ever. But at this point my husband is getting a little sick of the arrangement. Any suggestions on how to move him back to his own bed, without major hysterics and sleepless nights for all of us?
2 responses
@rachelcaron (1679)
• United States
17 Jan 07
hello,
I have a 9 month old that sleeps in his own room.
Here is something you can try. Do you have a pack-and-play or bassinet that can go in your room? Try first keeping him in your room, but not in the bed at night. that will make the transition easier and not so abrupt. Once he is used to not sleeping in bed with you but in your room you can slowly move the bassinet into another room, and then eventually place him in his own crib. Just a thought. let me know if that helps. good luck
1 person likes this
@moonmagick (1458)
• United States
17 Jan 07
Thank you for the suggestion. I will try it again. At this point, I can't even get him to take a nap in his pack and play in the living room while I do housework. I have to take him to my bed and lay down with him until he falls asleep, then try to get up quietly as not to wake him. Originally when we brought him home from the hospital we kept him in his pack and play in our bedroom. But had to swaddle him very tightly to get him to go to sleep. He just seems to need to be touching someone in order to feel secure enough to sleep. He has never actually slept in his own room. For the couple months that he slept not in our bed, it was in his pack and play in our bedroom. I have a feeling I am gonna have to sit up with him all night for a few nights until he comes to terms with the idea. It just breaks my heart to hear him cry. But I know I am not helping matters by continuously giving in
@sambo1987 (1)
• Netherlands
20 Nov 09
Hi! My sister had this problem with my niece. I'm the livein nanny/auntie! She started to bring her in bed with her when she was teething at about 8 months old and she used to go straight back to sleep until the morning. However, at 9 and a half months old she started to want to play and jump around the bed when she came in during the night so they got no more sleep than if she didn't have her with her in bed! We tried a lot of things, like ignoring her (a hour and a half later and she was still screaming!), music in her room etc but none of it worked. Eventually we took it in turns each night for a week to wake with her. If she woke up during the night we had to be firm that she was staying in her own room. We would go to her, take her out of her cot and cuddle her back to sleep (she wouldn't go back in without being asleep). She has a dummy, so a lot of the time putting this back in just sent her straight back. We had two really terrible nights where we had to sit with her for over an hour before she would go back in her cot without waking. and then she'd wake again an hour later, but after those two nights she's been brilliant! she still has to be cuddled back to sleep occasionally but now she usually only wakes twice for her dummy and doesn't have to be cuddled back to sleep. And she's sleeping from 8 until at least 7 in the morning. We were really sceptical about it working and amazed that it did! She also has a sleeping bag thing now which seems to make her feel more secure! It really helps if you can take it in turns to get up with her through the night because it means your more rested and patient the night after you've had an unbroken sleep! Good luck!
