Bed time and co-sleeping

[Annie21]

Hello,

I have a seven week old who is a cuddler and doesn't like to sleep unless he is in the sling or lying next to me. We currently co-sleep with him, but I am going to be sending him to day-care soon (in a month) and so I want him to get used to sleeping in a crib/falling asleep without being held. Any other co-sleeping families in similar situations?

I also would like him to fall asleep in a crib to start the night and then come in bed when he starts night nursing. Any families with successful routines?

Thanks!

[Katie T]

No really helpful advise, but you could try sleeping with the crib sheet for a couple nights so it smells like you or putting a used nursing pad by his head so he smells you.

Sorry no better ideas.

Welcome to Mothering!

[cristeen]

It's a little early to expect a baby to fall asleep without any interaction at all. Many children don't gain that ability until well after a year. At not even 2 months, you're asking a lot.

That being said, there are ways to provide interaction that don't require you holding/nursing him. My little guy starting around 3 months was willing to fall asleep in his stroller while it was being rocked back and forth - for naps only. A cradle/bassinet, bouncy chair, baby hammock, etc., can provide similar movement. For us, night-time still requires a bottle at the very least, and he's 5 mos. But even now falling asleep in the stroller is a last resort - when I can't get him down by nursing because he's so interested in life.

The only way I know of to teach a child that young to go to sleep without any interaction is by practicing CIO, which is not something you will find advocated here. To get him down in a crib, you'd probably have to nurse/walk/sling him to sleep and then put him in the crib for the first part of the night.

HTH

[Annie21]

I think the shirt idea helped because yesterday he took a three hour nap in his crib! At night, I have been nursing him and rocking him until he is very sleepy and then put his in the crib that is next to our bed. So far he falls asleep, though we do a lot of back-rubbing, singing to him to assure him we are there (we don't let him cry). He usually is in bed with us by 11pm, but I was just wondering if other people have bed time routines and then co-sleep.

Thank you for the responses!

[maguvet]

my DS is 9 months old. He naps in his crib twice a day, and sleeps the first 4-6 hours of his night in his crib. Then we co-sleep 6-8 hours, and most of the time he is awake I am wearing/holding him. He is a light sleeper and just gets more restful sleep this way, but we did not start this until he was about 5 months old. Before that he needed to be held almost all the time. He likes his crib and sometimes when he is tired, he even reaches out toward it.