self settling help
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=38913
Printed Date: 24 August 2025 at 11:02am
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Topic: self settling help
Posted By: fairy1
Subject: self settling help
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 2:27pm
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DS is almost 6 months old and has pretty much never self settled, I think we might have had a week when he did. He doesn't seem to show any sleep signs, just appears to go from being happy to overtired. Generally the only way to get him to sleep is to feed him to sleep and Idon't want to do that anymore. He's waking overnight and it seems to be because he can't resettle himself so I have to feed him to sleep and I know he can sleep through as he occasionally does it.
I tried the techniques on the sleep store website but they don't seem to help. They just seem to make him scream more. He refuses a dummy, pretty much has never taken it. At night we use a sleep sack, I've tried using it during the day and/or wrapping it and it doesn't seem to help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I really want him to be able to self settle as it would be good for him and me. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: MrsEmma
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 4:01pm
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Hi melissag
Sorry, I don't have any personal advice as DS seemed to get the hang of self settling on his own, but have you had a look at The Sleep Store website? I have them bookmarked, their advice is great. Here's the area on http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/Sleep+Information/Babies+4+to+12+months/Teaching+your+baby+to+self-settle.html - Self Settling Hope it may help! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 4:33pm
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Thanks for your comment but I've tried the sleep stores techniques and they don't seem to work with DS.
I went to the plunket family center when DS was about 6 weeks old and they couldn't get him to go to sleep after a whole hour with him in the cot. They said I have a difficult baby  .------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Richtea
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 7:16pm
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Hi, some suggestions that have worked for us:
Introduce a comforter, we have a fluffy rabbit material thing, have it between you and Ds when feeding so he recognises the smell and remind him of a comforting time, put him to bed with it every night. Leave him at least 15 mins at night before going in or if you do go in just give him the comforter Feed him to sleep but wake him up and read a story in dim light before popping him in his cot. Sit next to him, hand on chest till he falls asleep Get a gloworm type thing that plays music for a set time, he may then start to associate the music and comforter as a sleep thing so in the night you can pop it back on and when he is older can do it himself. Is he warm / cool enough? Is the room too light / too dark? White noise on repeat all nigh That's all I can think of right now, hope something helps ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 24 April 2011 at 10:03pm
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Thanks Richtea. Hopefully the temperature thing works, tried it this afternoon (took a layer off) and he went to sleep being wrapped which I haven't done for a month (wasn't self settling then either) without much fuss. Might try the comforter thing if its not temperature. Would a teddy bear work? We got given a few of those so could alternate it easily if one needed washing.
Wish we could use a glowworm thing in his cot but as we have a movement monitor it can affect it. We don't want to remove the movement senses as yet as he has had a few apneas. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Richtea
Date Posted: 25 April 2011 at 11:12am
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This is what we use http://www.babywarehouse.co.nz/product_info.php?products_id=3830 - Sleepyhead cozie
It is good because it is breathable so I don't worry so much if the little one puts it over her face ( I do go in and remove it once she is asleep).I guess a teddy would work but I imagine they would get attached to just one or else would want them all at the same time :) Good luck.. Hope it gets better for you  ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Marengo
Date Posted: 26 April 2011 at 9:26am
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the baby centre website has lots of suggestions for self settling too..
http://www.babycenter.com/404_how-do-i-teach-my-baby-to-soothe-himself-to-sleep_1272921.bc ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 Our angel Ella Louise born 13.04.
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Posted By: shesmiles
Date Posted: 26 April 2011 at 11:02pm
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We use a glow worm thing (I think its a sea horse) and have a movement monitor and there hasn't been any problems. Is there supposed to be? The music only goes for 5 mins, during which time I either have my hand on his chest or am lurking nearby.
Its probably no help as you're already using a sleep sack, but DS is still swaddled, with one arm out, as they flail all over the place and he winds himself up. Doing one thing consistently i.e. wrapping and glowy toy and hand on chest for a minute, whatever it is, seems to eventually trigger that it is 'nigh nighs' or nap time. Edited to add - I know that it isn't 'self-settling' but its working for us all much better that previously  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Bobchannz
Date Posted: 27 April 2011 at 1:52pm
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How long did you try the technique from the Sleepstore for? It took us ten nights, with no improvement or change until the fourth night. We took turns sleeping, and there was no feeding to sleep. ------------- www.makedomum.blogspot.co.nz |
Posted By: thetravelbugtribe
Date Posted: 27 April 2011 at 2:17pm
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We have been having the same problems, DD can self settle during the night - except for the one time each night she wakes up hungry - but not usually during the day.
We recently introduced a lullaby glowworm which is starting to work, she used to lie there and watch it but now her eyelids start dropping while its playing, along with wrapping during the day and sleeping bag at night (doesnt seem to work the other way round!!), shushing and hand on chest. Unfortunately at the moment she is teething which messes everything up but most of the time I dont have to feed her to sleep, maybe to nearly asleep then I can put her down and shush/hand/glowworm her the rest of the way. She has several soft toys that we might try as comforters if we dont get any further with what we are doing, and I am going to check out that baby centre link too. Good luck. I just need to work on this 2am feed now. She used to sleep through... ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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