Putting sleepy baby in cot

[Yeknomyeknom]

So, everyone says to lay your baby down when they are very sleepy but not yet asleep. This way they teach themselves to sleep. I am having no luck. When I do this my LO cries. I try leaving him for a minute to see if it passes...nope. I try picking him up, shushing and trying again, several times....nope. Am I missing something?

[MoonlightandRoses]

It might be a timing thing - so you're putting him down just as he's going from 'sleepy' to 'asleep' and he's startling awake with the movement.

It certainly took us a while to get the timing right at any rate.

[Yeknomyeknom]

Yep, he looks pretty startled. Can you give any advice on timing?

[showtunesgirl]

How old is your LO?

[IHeartKingThistle]

My mum always put a hot water bottle in the cot for a bit to warm it up before she put a baby in so the cold sheet wouldn't wake them. I assume she then took the hot water bottle out!

[RarelyAGobshite]

I think it depend s how old your lo is.

If he's under three months then I'd say just give him the cuddles he wants for the time being and try putting him in his bed when he is completely asleep.

The water bottle is a good tip

[MoonlightandRoses]

Hmm, it's a bit 'gut feel' type of thing - if you can, experiment with putting him down when he seems tired but not quite sleepy (might be only a minute in the difference with what you're doing currently, might be more).

If you mis-time and he falls asleep on you, then, as Rarely says, just wait until he's deeply asleep before putting him down.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Doesn't the baby whisperer say you've got a 'window' for this? Long time since I've read it but I'm sure she said put them down after the second yawn but before the third! Sounds odd but I'm sure it worked for us, I'm having flashbacks of screeching at DH 'That's the second yawn! Now! Go! Go!'

[Yeknomyeknom]

Thanks everyone. I will keep trying then. My LO is 10 weeks so maybe it will work better as he gets older.

[MoonlightandRoses]

It will, honest fails to mention the 'every time you figure out their routine they change it' during the first three months issue .

In all seriousness, it takes time to learn what they are trying to communicate, but it will happen.

[PaleHousewifeOfCumbriaCounty]

Hot water bottle is a great tip. I found going from my warm snuggles to cold cot was waking baby! How old is your baby?

[MoonlightandRoses]

Blast, meant to say "...it takes time to learn what their signals are..." , don't know how the "...communicate..." phrase ended up there instead - sorry.

[MortifiedAdams]

I always put dd down even before she 'looked' sleepy. She would be relatively alert and just sort of jabber away to herself and then start to.get sleepy.

Does he spend any awake.time in his.cot/basket?

[VisualiseAHorse]

The yawn thing worked for us too, until about 3/4 months old. Second yawn - get them into bed NOW!!!!

I've always tried to put him down awake instead. After a good long feed normally works well. Big feed, clean nappy, swaddled, into bed.

[Yeknomyeknom]

He goes in his cot every night after a feed ( I know, naughty). But if I try without the feed, he occupies himself for 10 mins then cries. In the day, same thing.