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Getting your baby to sleep!

Hi Ladies

Im just wondering how do you all get your lo's to drop off. In the day i have noticed we are either in the car or in the pram so Isabella sleeps fine, but when it comes to putting her down for the night in her cot she will not fall asleep on her own (cos she is used to being in car etc)

Do any of you put them down and leave them to drop off on their own. Im doing the whole bed time routine and always have done and im sooooo relucant to sit rocking her crib but not quite sure how to "teach" her to drop off!

P.S 1hr35min i was trying to get her to sleep for last night until i gave in and dragged the crib into my room....then amazingly she fell asleep!

Thanks Fi x

Replies

  • Olivia has reflux so after her night feed we have to keep her sitting up for a while, we keep her in our arms and she drops off and then we put her to bed about half an hour after her feed and thats her then for the night.
    I think its a good idea what you are doing, I know its difficult but she will eventually get used to going to sleep in her cot.
  • Dylan self settles most the time during the day. I use the 3 yawn rule and take him upstairs awake put his dummy in stroke his face and leave he is usually awake and grinnning at me as I leave. I sometimes have to go in and re dummy him but it appears to work a lot of the time. However he's teething and sometimes the only place he will sleep is in my arms and so I will happily sit there and cuddle him as he's in pain and like MC I cant just leave him to cry and only a mummy cuddle usually will do even daddy cant cuddle him to sleep when hes like that.

    At night he falls asleep during his last feed and is then put down in his cot.

    xxxxx
  • There the best kind image xxxxxx
  • Finley usually self settles too, when he starts getting tired I put him down and he generally falls asleep chatting away to his teddy. If he needs some help getting to sleep i sit with him up on me (his head on my chest) and he falls asleep like that xx
  • Hi,

    I used to have problems with Thomas' naps and would struggle to get him to self settle. He either had to be held or rocked in my arms but as soon as I would lay him in his moses he would cry out and then wake himself up fully and not go to sleep resulting in an overtired and grouchy baby. I use the shush/pat technique which has been working on him. I lay him on his side and whilst he cries I shush past his ear (not in his ear - a little louder than his cry) and pat his back - fairly quickly to begin with but as soon as his cries lessen or stops then the rythmn becomes slower. Now you're supposed to slow it right down until they fall asleep. That way they are asleep in the place where you want them to wake up (and not become startled as babies are supposed to get unsettled if they fall asleep in one place then wake up in another). I have been using this for a few days and obtained this method from the baby whisperer website. I think the pat backing is soothing for them but it also lets baby know that you're still there and haven't deserted them. Now my LO is getting used to it, the shush/patting has become shorter and I now stop patting as soon as he calms and he falls asleep by himself. Maybe you could use this technique at bedtime? My LO at bedtime usually falls asleep at the bottle which I can then place him in his moses and he'll sleep well (until 4am when he struggles to get back to sleep). However there have been times when I have out him down and he has awoken and will settle himself back to sleep but then there have been times when he won't and I cradle, cuddle him in my arms and pat his back until he settles. I try not to rock or swing as found he used it as a prop and wouldn't settle any other way so we phased that out.

    Sorry for the long ppst - thought I'd share with you waht has worked for me. I would stronglt recommend visiting the www.babywhisperer.com website. It's free to register and packed with useful advice. I don't follow the EASY routine strictly but take elements of it which suits my LO really well,

    Gi & Thomas - 10 weeks today
  • in the day nothings works for me - its fluke that he even naps if im holding him!

    i try laying him down before too tired but it just doesnt work i try pating, holding hand on tummy, dummy....

    HELP XX
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