Any tips on getting 4 mo DS to go to sleep without using me as a prop?

[Naetha]

Any ideas?

DS currently will only go to sleep during the day in my arms. Usually he falls asleep while feeding (bottle fed) - in this case if I transfer him to his cot or rocker, there's a 50/50 chance that he will wake up straight away, and if not straight away, then in the next 5 minutes. The only time he has a decent daytime nap, is if he sleeps in my arms.

Until recently he used a dummy if he was tired but not hungry, but since he started teething he won't take the dummy. In this situation, I usually have to walk him up and down until he falls asleep, although this can take up to 30 minutes.

I've tried the baby whisperer pick-up, put-down technique, but the problem is that he doesn't cry so much as get over excited. He is very much a baby that gets tired without every getting sleepy. He's only ever fallen asleep by himself two or three times.

At night he's usually fine (to be honest he doesn't really wake up during his feeds - practically sleeps right through them) but during the day really struggles. I think essentially he's far too excited in what's going on to go to sleep. Ironically, he seems to have more trouble settling in a quiet dark room than our front room during the day.

Any suggestions really appreciated!

[Naetha]

Bump - DS currently been awake for 4 hours now - desperately tired, but won't sleep!

I could take him for a walk in his pushchair, but that would still leave the problem for another day.

[nailpolish]

give him an old tshirt of yours to cuddle. one that needs washed therefre smells f you

but, sayng that, what is wrong with sitting down with a nice cuppa and the telly remote and letting ds cuddle into you? hes only 4 mths old! he is still tiny tiny tiny. make the msot of it now, cuddles with a baby are underestimated. beofre you know it he will be off out wiht his friends and you will be desperate for a cuddle together

[lilyloo]

Hi Naetha what do you do when it's bed time at night ?

[DaddyJ]

What happens when you put him down and just sit next to him,
maybe gently stroke his head to help him settle?

[nailpolish]

stroke his eyes and eyebrows

babies lvoe it

[Naetha]

Oh, and if I put him on his back in his cot, he rolls over on to his front and cries because he can't roll back, and runs out of strength to hold his head up.

[sigh]

Sorry, I do get frustrated!

[nailpolish]

roll up some towels and lay at his side (both sides) to try to stop him rolling over

do you think he wants to sleep on hsi front?

i put both mine to sleep on their fronts.

you could try putting him on his side with the rolled towels. lots of babies like sleeping on their side

[Naetha]

ooh replies!
Well, 30 minutes later, it turns out that he was hungry - but for solids, not his bottle.

We only started solids on Monday, and he's taken to it like a duck to water, but I thought if he was hungry he'd want milk rather than solids. He's only on two solid meals a day (weetabix for breakfast and carrot and parsnip for dinner) but obviously felt the need for something more substantial (even if less calorific).

I've just given him 3 "ice cubes" of pureed banana and he's just fallen asleep by himself in his bouncer (still covered in banana I'd like to add!).

I guess it's just another step on the learning curve

As for all your suggestions - they're all much appreciated. Usually if he's tired but not sleepy he'll grump without actually crying, and only stop this if he's doing something. However he can only cope with things for a short period of time (1-2 minutes) before he starts grumping again, however if I pick him up to soothe him, this usually makes him cry rather than settles him. Ditto stroking his forehead (which does work sometimes), giving him some milk (even if as the above shows, he is hungry) and walking up and down with him in my arms.

As for evening/night time, he seems to understand that it's sleepy time, and as long as he's not in pain (teething or wind) he'll fall asleep very easily.

I don't want to have to go back to swaddling him, but at the moment it seems like the only way I can get him to go to sleep by himself!

And don't get me wrong - I love cuddles with him, but sometimes I need to get other stuff done, and often his nap times are the only times to do it!

[Naetha]

Just taken a photo of him finally asleep - so cute!

i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/ldticp/Ben%20Llewelyn%20Thackray/IMG_0459.jpg

[moocowme]

i think he is to young for pick up put down. did you try shush/pat when you put him down? i found this worked well with my DS.

also must second the item of clothing. i have a really soft scarf that DS adores and if i rub this gently on his forehead he drifts of into a blissful sleep.

[Pablop]

aww Naetha he is really cute! My ds is the same just has 10 min cat naps during the day and is full of energy.

[Naetha]

Can I bump this please - had a nightmare weekend with Ben pretty much refusing to nap during the day. He just goes straight from excited to overtired with no calm and sleepy time in between.

I can get him to sleep in the car or in the pushchair, but it never seems to refresh him, and he's always very tired soon after.

If I put him in his cot / lay him down and sit next to him / soothe him / stroke him he just thinks it's playtime and messes around until he starts to cry.

He sleeps fine at night time now that we've started on solids, and most of the time he's fine once he's asleep, it's just getting him to sleep in the first place.

We've been having teething issues today, but I think the sleep is unrelated, and is more to do with the fact he can't seem to switch off.