OT- need help with getting my 4 month old to sleep in his crib

[emmababy]

We recently switched our 4 month old ds to his crib from his bassinet. He seems to have trouble getting back to sleep when he wakes up. We have been getting up to put his paci back in his mouth. The first couple of nights worked ok, but last night he just wouldn't go back to sleep.

I ended up having to nurse him and even then, I had to hold him until he fell back asleep. At what point do I just let him try and soothe himself back to sleep?

Any help appreciated!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I know how you feel. With DD#1 I NEVER let her cry it out. I swear I held her 24/7 But the time DD#2 came along, I was the cry-it-out queen! I say let her cry it out when you are ready to, but just remember, the longer you wait, the harder it is.
Good luck!!!

 

[emmababy]

How old was your dd when you let her cry it out? How long did it take for her to stop crying? Did you do this in the middle of the night too? Thanks!

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

As I said, I never did it with #1, but with #2.... truthfully - I don't remember!!! I don't think 4 months is to young though - its all up to the parents. Some start when they come home from the hospital, some never do it - there is no wrong or right. The only thing I was told by my Dr was don't let them go for more than 20 minutes at a time. If she goes for 20 minutes, then go in, sooth her, then put her back down. She will stop at some point! Good luck!!

 

[mjkacmom]

My first started off in the bassinet - needless to say, I learned to start the other 4 off in the crib! I CIO'd #2 and my twins (actually, only one of them needed it, but then she'd wake her brother, and then they'd both CIO). I always suggest getting a book before attempting this - otherwise, there is a good chance you won't follow through, and sleeping will then get worse.

 

[emmababy]

I let my dd cry it out, just wasn't sure what age is ok to do this. When you did it, how long a period of time did you let the baby cry before going in and comforting?

 

[emmababy]

FYI, at this point he isn't crying. Just can't seem to get himself back to sleep. So he is babbling and wiggling around in bed. I try and put his nuk back in at least 5 different times and he can't get back to sleep. His room is right across from his sister's and I am trying to not wake her up.

 

[sparty7798]

Hi,

 

[sparty7798]

Hi,
I would not use the pacifier as a sleeping method and I would certainly not get up in the night to keep putting it back in-that is got to be tiring. If he wakes up, I would just listen and unless he starts screaming, don't go in.

We used the ferber method on our son and if he woke up and screamed, we would go in at intervals and that worked well for us. Eventually, he slept through the night, but this was not at 4 months, much later.

Good Luck!

 

[Lstar311]

I have used the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth and it worked great for my son. However he is a paci junkie and I am guilty of replacing it in the middle of the night. This is extremely rare now that he is 1 1/2 though. Good luck!

 

[emmababy]

Thanks! He was sleeping thru the night at 3 months. Then he went thru his 4 month growth spurt and hasn't slept thru since. He pulls out his nuk and wakes himself up because he doesn't know how to put it back in!

 

[puffkin]

I also did the CIO method. DS was in his crib from basically day 1. I knew I was going back to work at 12 weeks and he needed to be sleeping well by then, so we started immediately.

I didn't let DS sleep with a pacifier. Sometimes he just needed a few sucks to fall asleep at night and then I took it away. I did not get up at night to replace it. If he cried outside of feeding times, I gave him 5 minutes at first. Then 10, then 15. I think only once did he make it to the 15 that I had to go in.

He has been sleeping through since about 8 weeks (9 pm - 6-7am) and we have never had any sleep issues with him (he is now almost 3).

 

[momtomatthew]

When DS when 4 months, the pediatrician asked us if he was sleeping through the night and sleeping in his own crib. DH and I had to answer no to both- the pediatrician then told us to put him in his crib, turn off the monitor, and close the door. Do this each night and he would soon be sleeping on his own.

Well- I couldn't quite do that! But DH and I started a bedtime routine- bath, story, prayer- and then put DS in his crib. We let him cry for 5 minutes and then went in and comforted him, but didn't pick him up. Then we went for 10 minutes, then 15. Same thing in the middle of the night. We never went past 20 minutes, and by the 3rd night, he was sleeping through the night and going to bed like a champ. We still have the same routine (DS will be 5 next month) and he is a great sleeper and never gives us a bit of trouble about going to bed...

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I wouldn't go in unless the baby is screaming. If he is just awake he doesn't require intervention!

He will learn VERY QUICKLY that he can make you come running if you continue to reinforce it. By not allowing him to sort it out himself you prevent him from learning HOW to sort it out himself, then he is dependent on you to come help him.

Try to put him in his crib when he is still AWAKE. Avoid rocking him until he is out cold and then putting him in the crib, because then he won't learn how to fall asleep without being rocked.

 

[krcit]

I wouldn't go in unless the baby is screaming. If he is just awake he doesn't require intervention!

He will learn VERY QUICKLY that he can make you come running if you continue to reinforce it. By not allowing him to sort it out himself you prevent him from learning HOW to sort it out himself, then he is dependent on you to come help him.

Try to put him in his crib when he is still AWAKE. Avoid rocking him until he is out cold and then putting him in the crib, because then he won't learn how to fall asleep without being rocked.

I agree with this. If he is just awake and squirmy but not crying, leave him be. He'll fall asleep soon enough!! Good luck.

 

[emmababy]

So here is an update. Last night we did dinner, bath, nurse and laid him down around 7:00. Let him cry for 5 minutes, went back in, put in his nuk and he was out. Woke back up at 1:15. This one was a toughie. Went back in 4 times after letting him cry for 5 minutes each. Sat on the floor in his room and left when he quit. Well, then he started crying again. This went on until 2:05. Then he fell asleep. Woke up at 4:50, I nursed him, put him back to bed and he slept until 7:45!!

So, all in all it went pretty well!!

Question: At what point can I phase out the 5:00 feeding? Thanks for all the advice!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

My DS is almost 13, so I can't really remember the details of how his feedings went. I know he would go to bed, wake up at midnight, and wake up at 4 AM. I had to be at work at 8 AM so he must have had another feeding at 7 AM. I think he gave up that midnight feeding first, which would mean he slept from maybe 9 PM until about 4 or 5 AM?

I know he was sleeping through the night by 14 weeks, and I know we didn't start solids until he was 6 months because he was 75th percentile for weight on nothing but breast milk!

Can your little guy roll over yet? Once they learn to roll from back to belly they usually start sleeping better.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Didn't read the whole thread. But, here is what we did with our son.

We actually had to move him to his crib when he was 3 months old because he outgrew the bassinet. We started out putting him in the crib during the day for naps and the bassinet at night still. Once he was comfy being in his crib during the day, we started putting him to bed in his crib at night. He did pretty well with the transition. He was also up every 3-5 hours for a bottle. Also, this may sound weird, but when it was time to put our son to bed, we'd tell him (even at 3 months) it was time to go night-night. And now, at 14 months, when we tell him time to go night-night, he practically runs to find a bink and then to his bedroom door. We do still have to get up with him every now and again for a drink of water or to rock him and give him his bink back, but it's worth it. He sleeps in his own crib and does wonderfully.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[mamadunham]

7 mos I let my second son cry it out. Way too late start early even though it sucks.

 

[emmababy]

Second night went great! Cried for 5 minutes at bedtime and that was it. Slept until 2:00, fussed just a little bit. I only had to go in once both times. Woke up at 5:00 to eat and went back to sleep until 7:30!!