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#1
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Sleeping Problem
Okay, a few nights ago I was so tired to even come upstairs and put Daniel
(2 months) l to sleep in his crib. I had no energy and I was on the couch, and his car seat was right beside it, so I put him in there, and I fell asleep and so did he. Anyhow - ever since he will not sleep in his crib! Or in his playpen! He will only fall asleep in his swing, or in his car seat! Even if I try to move him, gradually and slowly he will wake up once he hits the mattress. I even have a back thing that curves that I can put him on his side so he wont roll over, and that will usually keep him in the same position somewhat as I put him laying down in... and then 2 minutes later he wakes up. I need to try to get him out of this habit. Wierd thing though, is he will fall asleep on our bed if I do put him down on it... he will stay asleep... but its just his crib and his playpen. Any suggestions?? Its getting really annoying because I cant keep sleeping on the couch (to make sure hes okay in it)... I miss sleeping in my bed.... Do you think Crying it out will help a bit? When he cries, and I dont do anything about it he will screech even louder after a while, turning beat red ...and how long would I let him cry for if that would be a good idea anyhow? Thanks! Sara |
#2
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Sleeping Problem
"Tig" wrote:
Do you think Crying it out will help a bit? Not one bit. No one who recommends such methods (and you should likely read the sources of those who do) recommends any such method for a child that young. My understanding is that six months is the minimum. Two months is *way* too young. When he cries, and I dont do anything about it he will screech even louder after a while, turning beat red ...and how long would I let him cry for if that would be a good idea anyhow? Parenting requires a lot of sacrifice, and in those early months, the sacrifice often comes in the form of sleep and comfort. You should, and can, endure. You can handle it a lot better than your child, who knows nothing of the world at this point except the comfort and care of his parent. So, that is what you give. P. Tierney |
#3
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Sleeping Problem
I need to try to get him out of this habit. Wierd thing though, is he
will fall asleep on our bed if I do put him down on it... he will stay asleep... but its just his crib and his playpen. Any suggestions?? Its getting really annoying because I cant keep sleeping on the couch (to make sure hes okay in it)... I miss sleeping in my bed.... Do you think Crying it out will help a bit? Can't do that with a baby so young. I'm sure people do, but I think it's cruel. (And I have let my babies cry to train them to sleep alone when they were older, so I'm not 100% against that approach.) I never used the carseat, but I know a few people who have had babies like yours. One used to put her baby in his carseat *in his crib* in the hopes that he'd get used to that general environment. I agree with P. Tierney that you just need to cope for a while longer. Try to get naps during the day and/or get yourself to bed as soon as he goes down at night. I would just add the caveat that you should keep in mind your ultimate goal (in your case, perhaps, him sleeping in his crib) as you choose coping mechanisms, whether they be using the carseat and swing or bringing him into bed. You might try putting him down for naps in the crib, since you will not be so tired and frustrated if you need to go back to him a lot. Try to get him into sleep in your arms (or the swing etc.) and then put him down in the crib. When we wakes up, put him back to sleep in your arms and then put him in the crib again. And again. etc. He will eventually stay down for you. And then he'll wake up in the crib and eventually get used to that being his sleeping place. At least, that has always been my theory. Good luck; you probably have months of problematic sleep ahead of you. |
#4
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Sleeping Problem
Anyhow - ever since he will not sleep in his crib! Or
in his playpen! He will only fall asleep in his swing, or in his car seat! Biggest mistake I always made was trying to put DD in the middle of the crib. She hated it, until my sister told me to try putting her in the corner, with her head touching the bumper on top and her back almost against the other bumper. Once I did that things improved. It turned out DD did not like the feeling of "open-ness." |
#5
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Sleeping Problem
Both of my children had similiar problems, they would wake the minute they
were over their crib, however if we put them in the parental bed the would stay sleeping. Out of desperation we added egg foam crate to the crib, under the sheets. We still put the chilren on their backs or sides for sleeping. I believe our children had gottten used to the softness of our bed, due to my wife's breastfeeding. I hope this helps. -- ************************************************** * The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. -- Elbert Hubbard "Tig" wrote in message ... Okay, a few nights ago I was so tired to even come upstairs and put Daniel (2 months) l to sleep in his crib. I had no energy and I was on the couch, and his car seat was right beside it, so I put him in there, and I fell asleep and so did he. Anyhow - ever since he will not sleep in his crib! Or in his playpen! He will only fall asleep in his swing, or in his car seat! Even if I try to move him, gradually and slowly he will wake up once he hits the mattress. I even have a back thing that curves that I can put him on his side so he wont roll over, and that will usually keep him in the same position somewhat as I put him laying down in... and then 2 minutes later he wakes up. I need to try to get him out of this habit. Wierd thing though, is he will fall asleep on our bed if I do put him down on it... he will stay asleep... but its just his crib and his playpen. Any suggestions?? Its getting really annoying because I cant keep sleeping on the couch (to make sure hes okay in it)... I miss sleeping in my bed.... Do you think Crying it out will help a bit? When he cries, and I dont do anything about it he will screech even louder after a while, turning beat red ...and how long would I let him cry for if that would be a good idea anyhow? Thanks! Sara |
#6
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Sleeping Problem
In article , Tig says...
Okay, a few nights ago I was so tired to even come upstairs and put Daniel (2 months) l to sleep in his crib. I had no energy and I was on the couch, and his car seat was right beside it, so I put him in there, and I fell asleep and so did he. Anyhow - ever since he will not sleep in his crib! Or in his playpen! He will only fall asleep in his swing, or in his car seat! Even if I try to move him, gradually and slowly he will wake up once he hits the mattress. I even have a back thing that curves that I can put him on his side so he wont roll over, and that will usually keep him in the same position somewhat as I put him laying down in... and then 2 minutes later he wakes up. I need to try to get him out of this habit. Can your consider just letting him sleep in his swing or carseat in the crib. Possibly there's a safety issue (none come to mind, but someone may have some information), but I let my son sleep in his carseat in his crib sometimes. He was a pretty good sleeper, but woudl wake up when moved from the carseat to the crib, so I would just put him in the crib. Wierd thing though, is he will fall asleep on our bed if I do put him down on it... he will stay asleep... but its just his crib and his playpen. Any suggestions?? Its getting really annoying because I cant keep sleeping on the couch (to make sure hes okay in it)... I miss sleeping in my bed.... Can you consider bringing him to your bed to sleep? What seems to be consistent about these behaviors is that he seems to need confined spaces. Try swaddling him? Do you think Crying it out will help a bit? When he cries, and I dont do anything about it he will screech even louder after a while, turning beat red ...and how long would I let him cry for if that would be a good idea anyhow? Don't think it would be a good idea this young. Banty |
#7
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Sleeping Problem
Tig wrote:
: Okay, a few nights ago I was so tired to even come upstairs and put Daniel : (2 months) l to sleep in his crib. I had no energy and I was on the couch, : and his car seat was right beside it, so I put him in there, and I fell : asleep and so did he. Anyhow - ever since he will not sleep in his crib! Or : in his playpen! He will only fall asleep in his swing, or in his car seat! : Even if I try to move him, gradually and slowly he will wake up once he : hits the mattress. I even have a back thing that curves that I can put him : on his side so he wont roll over, and that will usually keep him in the : same position somewhat as I put him laying down in... and then 2 minutes : later he wakes up. : I need to try to get him out of this habit. Wierd thing though, is he will : fall asleep on our bed if I do put him down on it... he will stay asleep... : but its just his crib and his playpen. Any suggestions?? Its getting really : annoying because I cant keep sleeping on the couch (to make sure hes okay in : it)... I miss sleeping in my bed.... Two suggestions. The easiest is to purchase a baby monitor and continue to allow your baby to sleep in the car seat or swing while you leave the room and sleep in your own bed. If he fusses or wakes up, you can hear him on the monitor and attend to his needs. The other suggestion is more difficult but will probably be better off for the entire family later on. I'd suggest you begin reading Ferber's book called "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" to get some background information on sleep associations. Some children form far stronger sleep associations than others. If your baby slept fine in a crib but now prefers to sleep upright, unless you can devise a way he can sleep upright as a teen you will eventually have to retrain him to sleep lying down. Right now, your baby prefers sleeping upright and has formed a sleep association with an upright position. You should discuss this with your pediatrician to rule out any abnormalities which would predispose your child to want to sleep upright. Once you are sure that he is well fed and dry and there are no illnesses or problems other than his preference to sleep upright, I think it is wise to attempt to use Ferber's method, even if it involves a little crying, to retrain him to sleep supine. You can, of course, wait until he's 6 months old but then the habit will be even further ingrained and it'll take that much more effort to get him to sleep lying down. But read Ferber's book. Don't do his method without reading it first for the people who are the first to condemn "cry-it-out" have never read Ferber nor do they understand sleep medicine nor have some had a baby who forms very rigid sleep associations. Just as with adults, some are temperamentally flexible while others are rigid. Same with babies and sleep associations. Good luck and let us know how it works out for you. Noreen |
#8
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Sleeping Problem
In article ,
Noreen Cooper wrote: Right now, your baby prefers sleeping upright and has formed a sleep association with an upright position. You should discuss this with your pediatrician to rule out any abnormalities which would predispose your child to want to sleep upright. For two of mine, gastro-esophageal reflux made it more comfortable for them to sleep more upright. My middle son slept in his carseat for almost 6 months, with his pediatrician's approval. Once you are sure that he is well fed and dry and there are no illnesses or problems other than his preference to sleep upright, I think it is wise to attempt to use Ferber's method, even if it involves a little crying, to retrain him to sleep supine. You can, of course, wait until he's 6 months old but then the habit will be even further ingrained and it'll take that much more effort to get him to sleep lying down. But read Ferber's book. Don't do his method without reading it first for the people who are the first to condemn "cry-it-out" have never read Ferber nor do they understand sleep medicine nor have some had a baby who forms very rigid sleep associations. Just as with adults, some are temperamentally flexible while others are rigid. Same with babies and sleep associations. Last time *I* read Ferber's book, I'm almost certain he advised against letting a baby under 5 or 6 months cry-it-out for any reason. For a two-month-old baby, it is still worthwhile to think about changing the sleep association, but the cold-turkey controlled crying approach should probably wait. It's still a good read in terms of helping parents understand sleep associations, but I don't think Ferber gave much in the way of practical advice for parents of young infants other than to *avoid* forming inappropriate sleep associations in the first place, and it's too late for that. I'll suggest a newer sleep book, Elizabeth Pantley's "The No Cry Sleep Solution". She discusses sleep associations in a way that is very consistent with the theories Ferber presents, but then presents gentler (and slower) methods of changing them. I first got this book when my youngest was over a year old, I think, and have since passed it on (along with my copy of Ferber) to a cousin who needed it more than I do, but I am pretty sure she deals explicitly with very young infants in her book. I once saw a review that described it as "Ferber without the crying" which seems pretty accurate to me. A lot of it was stuff I had come up with on my own after reading Ferber and trying to adjust it to a gentler approach myself, but there were several new and useful ideas there as well. I'd really recommend it. --Robyn (mommy to Ryan 9/93 and Matthew 6/96 and Evan 3/01) *Be the first on your block to own the comprehensive and comprehensible TCP/IP Guide! http://www.tcpipguide.com *For a challenging little arithmetic puzzle for kids and adults alike, check out http://cgi.wff-n-proof.com/MSQ-Ind/I-1E.htm |
#9
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Sleeping Problem
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