[lavatea]

There's a similar thread here:
http://forums.families.com/how-long-do-you,t118140
but it seemed to be talking about young toddlers vs. infants, so I decided to start my own thread. Mods, feel free to move this if you think it's appropriate.

Here's my situation:
Aiden is now 8 months old (although he's still small so he looks closer to 5 or 6 months, I'd say). He generally takes two naps during the day still and goes to bed around 8:30-9. Lately, however, I've been having a hard time getting him to stay asleep for very long. First off, he will only go to sleep if you bounce/rock him. Then you have to carefully put him in the crib. He usually wakes up and screams. I'm not big on letting babies cry it out. If he just fusses around, I'll let him stay in his bed b/c sometimes he'll fall back asleep, but more often than not it turns into a cry fest. At that point I have to get him up and start all over. It's worse during the day, but this often happens at night when it's time to go to bed, too. If it's naptime and he keeps fighting me I just give up and make him play, although today, for instance, he didn't want to play. He kept rubbing his eyes, but the kid just would not sleep for me. I can't hold him for 2 hours while he naps. Any suggestions?

Sometimes at night when he's really hard like this I just lay down and nurse him to sleep. Since I'm alone or with just Amelie a lot of the time now, sometimes I just co-sleep. I had tried to get out of co-sleeping because he was nursing all night long and my hips were hurting from laying on my side, but now I just go more with the flow of the night.

[wanna be a young mother]

Nevy started to do this last month. I just stopped giving her 2 naps. Now she's down to one 2-3 hr nap but if she gets sleepy later on she will take another 20 mins or so. I let her play until she falls alseep by herself. I think they are just at the age where they feel like they will miss something if they fall asleep. Just let him stay up until he puts himself to sleep. I lay Nevy down on a blanket on the floor. She plays until she gets to tired and then rolls over and goes to bed. Sometimes I'll pick her up and put her in the crib but most times I just let her sleep where she is !

[DivasMomma]

i used to do the same thing...just let her play until she crashed...


how about a car ride? I know it puts both girls to sleep pretty quick....

i would also try (weather permitting) a walk in the stroller before bedtime

HTH

[KR258]

Do you have a swing? That alway put my fussy neice to sleep. She was a big fighter...would swing her arms and legs to get down and wouldn't even be rocked in your arms. She did anything to keep herself awake but put her in a swing and she was asleep in 5 minutes.

[lavatea]

We have a floor swing. He was sleeping in it for about 2 weeks (about a month ago now). He rarely will now, and usually when he does it's because we put him in it after we rocked/bounced him to sleep and we were lucky enough for him to stay asleep in it.

[ASheppa0821]

When Emma falls asleep and I feel her body go limp, I rock her for 10 minutes past that until I know she's GOOOOOD and asleep, then when I put her in her crib, she rolls to her tummy and goes right to sleep.

[twinzplus3]

Lavatea--are you wanting to co-sleep or not? I think if you want to. . .go ahead and plan for it and work towards making it work. It sounds like you definitely have a high need guy. I would also encourage you to figure out when you can get that time in for yourself so that you feel like you can function.

[lavatea]

I like co-sleeping for the most part, but sometimes I'd like to sleep alone. I co-slept when he was a baby. I've probable only been putting him in his crib for a month and a half or so. I started doing that because I wasn't sleeping well for 1)he nursed all night and 2)my hips were hurting - even if I put a pillow behind my back for support. I guess I don't mind co-sleeping overall. The past few nights he's been sleeping with me again. I've just been staying awake until after he falls asleep and then I detach myself and move away so he can't nurse all night. If he stirs during the night, I then move back over until he settles down. This works fine when it's just he and I in the bed, but when his sister gets back from visiting relatives...

I think the naps are my main source of frustration. Although as I've mentioned in another thread, I think the biggest deep, down issue is not feeling as if I have any time to myself. So I'm desperate for him to sleep so I can do whatever I please with no distractions.

[KR258]

Maybe a babysitter once a week for a few hours would help?

[Mom261724]

It's so wierd, i am having the same problem with Lilly (almost 8 months). She wants to be held to go to sleep and then when i lay her down she wakes back up. I have been getting her up and rocking her in the chair for a few more minutes. It has been helping a little. It must be a phase they are going through. I know that Lilly has been very clingy lately, almost like a seperation anxiety. I have also had my 2 month old step son here for a few days a week too, so that may be playing a part in it too, i'm not sure. But i wish i could co sleep with her sometimes, i get so tired that sometimes we fall asleep in the chair together LoL! Then by the time i realize it, she is awake again! I am trying not to get in the habit of that though, I really like sleeping in my own bed! LoL! But if you are comfortable co sleeping, i would say just keep it up That way you both get a good night sleep.