Bedtime problem...

[Gem]

Hi everyone. I'm having problems getting Harry to bed and I wonder if you can help.

Every evening it's the same story. Harry settles really well just before bedtime, then screams blue murder when I try and lay him down in his moses basket. I have to admit that this is probably my fault, because when he crys during the night (and it's not time for a feed) I take him in to bed with me and he then settles immediately.

But bedtime is becoming a real nightmare. He is getting a bit big for his moses basket, at three months I don't feel ready to let him sleep in his nursery alone yet.

I wondered if you could suggest anything that might make getting him to sleep in his bed a little easier. He was wrapped tight in a blanket last night, but he still felt around and cried when he realised where he was!

I can't keep having him in bed with me. It's a vicous circle!

 

[Vicky]

Try putting him awake in his moses basket so he can go off to sleep on his own, he might cry but leave him for five minutes go back in tell him everythings ok and just start leaving the room slowly e.g sit on the end of the bed, then move slowly away from him until your out the door. This is what i did with Kacy when she didn't like her moses basket and it worked really well for me.

Hope this helps hun keep us informed.

 

HI hun I had the same thing with Damien, he loves being in bed with me and sleeps wonderfully but I needed to get him to stay in his own cot. He was growing out his moses basket so I brought his cot into my room (at 16 weeks I am still not ready to let him go into his own room) and it is pulled up right next to my bed. Means I can't get out of bed so easy but it's made him feel safe and close to me as he literally next to me. I started a couple of weeks ago by putting him into bed on his own at 7 or 8pm, awake or asleep, after his bottle and let him fall asleep on his own. He actually took to it really quckly and goes down virtuallly without a peep every night now. Still give him another bottle at about 11 coz he needs it but he doesnt wake up much for this and goes straight back down again afterwards.

Hope that helps xx

 

[Manda]

Abi started crying in her moses basket as soon as she went in a cot she was fine, she sleeps with her arms sprawled out and hates being swaddled maybe worth a try

 

[lauramumof2]

Jess liked her growbag, she liked to sleep with her arms up and back. You could try putting your p'js or nightie from the night before in the cots then your smell is close by.

I dont think he is too young to be in the nursery in a cot on his own but thats your decision, you know him better than us.

Good luck,

 

[Manda]

thats how abi sleeps lol.

 

[lauramumof2]

its lovely isnt it. They look so comfy. Now she sleeps on her front but still with the hands up.

 

[Manda]

Abi always starts off on her back like that but sometimes ends up on her side now sooo cute lol

 

[Duds]

Hi Gem,

Im having the same problem with Aimee although I have now moved her into her cot at excatly 3 months as she really had outgrown the moses basket. I finder it harder for me with her being in her own room as I have to keep getting up to feed her etc & I havent been sleeping properly because im worried about her but I think its better for the baby as they get used to their room&bed early as the older they are the more aware of their surroundings. Its up to you tho hun, you know your baby the best.

Aimee screams the place down as soon as I put her into her cot and fights sleep until she is so knackered that she cant take anymore.
I dont know what the answer is..... someone told me that its just until they get used to going to bed and the routine.
Every baby is different but Aimee is best left for a few minutes to cry/grizzle and then calms down and sometimes goes off, if she doesnt and is really distressed (like last night) I go back in pick her up till she is quiet then put her back down again. She will cry as soon as she hits the matress but its just for reassurance. I stay with her for a few mins but leave as soon as poss as the more im there fussing the worse she is!
It took me 4/5 attempts last night but eventually she went off.
I hate her going to sleep so upset though & wonder if she will ever go happily...
Its def best to put a baby down awake so they learn how to get off to sleep on their own.

Good luck.

 

[Manda]

Totally agree with putting them down awake as if they wake in the night they can get themselves back off to sleep unless they're hungry

 

[tracyM]

If you don't fancy going cold turkey on the crying and they will settle if put them down asleep, you could try giving them a little nudge when they're put down, enough to make them aware, but not enough to wake them up.

HV suggested we try this for Alex's middle of the night bottle as he was waking an hour after his bottle if we put him down asleep and wanting to get up, usually at 4am, or not going back to sleep at all if we woke him. We now get to 5 or 6am before he's wanting to be up and about

 

[Rosebay]

You could also try putting him in his cot during the daytime when he's in a good mood and playing with him in there so that he starts to associate the cot with good things.

+++

 

[melhoney]

How about putting him in the cot during the day, and staying with him, in the room, but not interacting with him. you could be doing your own stuff, and calmly talking to him to reassure him...It all depends if it's just going to sleep in his cot, or night time though!
Don't know what to suggest otherwise! Till last night, Maheen had been ok with bed routine...but then, we spent 4 hours in E&R, so!!!
Let's see tonight!

Mel xx

 

[Duds]

After saying all that earlier Aimee went down pretty well last night and slept through the night !!!

Im not holding my breath mind but there's always hope!

 

[Gem]

I did the right thing and put him to bed in his cot in his own room. He went out like a light and slept with his arms up in the air and a big smile on his face!

The first night he went right through! Nine hours, but since then he's woken up every morning at 5.30am like clockwork. I'm sure he watches the little clock on his windowsill!! I don't mind cos I get about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep which is lovely. But we have a new problem now...

When Harry wakes up at 5.30, he wants to play! He doesn't want to go back to sleep and cries when I lay him back down. I don't mind really, but getting up at 5.30 every day is a bit silly. I'm knackered by the time 8pm arrives.

 

[Manda]

Gem Abi used to do this but at 3am i stuck it out a while but then just couldn't do it anymore so i used to sit Abi in her rocing chair by our bed and i used to go back off to sleep whenever i woke Abi would be asleep, i did this for about 3 weeks until she got out of the habit