Self Settling

Pretty sure i've started something on this before, but baby brain means its all foggy now

My Ds is a pretty good sleeper (most the time) after a dreamfeed he will sleep all night until around 6.30, he makes a lot of noise in the night, sometimes cries out briefly etc etc but obviously puts himself back to sleep, sometimes I even hear him chatting but again back to sleep. occasionally his cries escalate and I put his music on and that does it, or pop the dummy in.

So I keep having people tell me we should just be putting him down awake at nap/bedtime but we don't, we have to wait until he is sleepy, this normally doesn't take long after we have wrapped and had a cuddle, but if he goes down wide awake he just does not go to sleep.

since he obviously can re-settle is this something I need to push? Just had several people this week (including some who don't have babies ) say just put him down and its got me questioning myself.

Any tips on how you just put them down awake?

The one thing my mum really made sure we did was put Caden down awake right from the day we brought him home. And it was the best advice anyone ever gave me!
So after his feed and all that I would swaddle him and tuck him in pop hs mobile on and leave the room.
Almost everytime he would fall asleep by himself, he would grizzle sometimes but I just popped my head in and checked him and if he was fine Id elave him to it.

Now at 7 months old, we do the same thing(but he isnt swaddled hasnt been since 3 months old), after his bottle day and night, we put him int his cot awake and put his music on and dummy in and leave him to it.
Yep he will kick up a fuss and cry and scream sometimes, but I usually wait 10 mins then go in and put his dummy back in, or turn his music back on etc and then leave again.

I guess I sort of use a bit of the old tough love thing, if there is nothing wrong he can cry it out and it does him no harm Now he knows the drill, and "most" times will just play in his cot and il go check him 10 or so mins later and he is fast asleep.

But in saying that, all babies are different so what works for us might not work for you. but I think definitly try and put him down awake now, so that he gets used to it as he gets older and it will make life much easier for you aswell

Good Luck!

Edited by Sheza

For the first three months Isabelle wouldnt sleep anywhere but on or next to her Mummy .. and to tell you the truth, I was too tired to listen to her screaming so I just let her.

That part was just to let you know that they outgrow it at about six months we could leave her in her cot awake (but obv tired) and turn her mobile on and she would be fine.

Ive never left her to cry, so even when upset she wont go bonkers as she "yelps" and she knows someone will come ... even now at her age when she is teething she is a tad "needy" so one of us will usually sit in her room in the rocking chair and read until she drifts off to sleep (otherwise she frets and gets upset and then is a nightmare to settle)

Funny thing is I vaguely remember we used to put him down awake with a mobile on and he would drift off. But now he grizzles and grizzles and grizzles.

Time to get tough I think.

Angel what is the sleepsense programme you talk about.

The sleep sense programme was an ebook someone sent to me. If you PM me i could email you a copy i think - will have to ask my husband if this is possible. Its hard work but we decided that we had to get tough :( So far we've gone from waking every 1 or 2hours at night to sleeping 6 or 7 in a row. I would definately start this programme from newborn next time. It is divided into different age groups too which i thought was good. PM me if you're interested

One thing that has settled our baby that I forgot about is The Gladiator soundtrack, must admit it is good music.

Since DH likes that sort of music he turns it on when she is really grumpy and it takes a while but she eventually calms down.

So music may be a good thing to try aswell.

We have a variety of music and actually ocean sounds works in the night if he wakes I turn that on and thats all he needs.

He has a musical but it seems to freak him out.

Ok so litterally if he is fed/dry and its time for bed can you just lie them down tuck them in and walk away? Our other problem is his legs, tucked in he just kicks and kicks and kicks until the blanket is gone, too hot for a sleeping bag at the mo, which is very annoying.

Right well after feed tonight put him down he was looking sleepy and then as always perked right up.......so left him to it, he grizzled for about 15 minutes before it started to escalate, went in and he was so nearly asleep, put his ocean sounds on again and he went quiet.

Noise started up again left it a bit, went in, this time by the time I got to the cot he was asleep and the bit I am most exited about is that normally he stirs after 45 minutes and tonight he didn't. So determined to carry on.

oh yay thats great Fiona!! and yep when they are fed and changed and basicly ready for bed awake or sleep you just put them in tuck them in and say goodnight
He will get better at it if you keep up with it, Caden did. We get the odd night where he just will not go to sleep, and on those nights Ill do what ever I can tog et him to sleep. Rocking doesnt usually work cos he is biga nd wiggly lol. But I sing to him or pat his back etc, but thats only if he is hysterical or wont settle.

Caden would kick and kick until his blanekts were gone aswell, but he sleeps without his blanket on him at the moment cos its too hot, and he just has his pj's on, I will go in and pull a sheet over him but when i check him later its gone again so i gave up lol!!
In winter Im going to use a sleeping sack again incase of this.