Over reliance on my sling

[Thumbtack]

My ds is 8mo and I have accidently taught him (and myself) to rely on my ergo sling to fall asleep . . . and also feed. And do everything really. He sometimes feeds when he is not in the sling but gets very distracted.

The issue I have is the falling asleep bit - I can sometimes get him from the sling to bed by laying with him and very slowley unclipping the sling and slipping him out, but more often than not, he wakes up and I feel really bad. I feel like unless he stays in the sling for his naps, he doesnt get a good enough sleep, as i ve woken him up by trying to transfer him.

I know this is my fault, If i try and lay on the bed with him to nurse or fall asleep IT REALLY DOESNT WORK!! He thinks its a game, even if he utterly exhausted he instantly wakes up.

Any ideas on how I teach him to fall asleep laying down with me or tips on how not to wake him up when I transfer him?

I have all the time in the world to teach him a new process as neither him or I are going anywhere . .

Thanks

[Nicknamefail]

I was you, in fact to get dd to sleep she not only had to be in the erg but I had to pace up and down the stairs for 10 mins!

I wish I could tell you she now sleeps beautifully in the cot, but I have swapped one sleep prop for another. I bring her car seat indoors, it a blanket over it and rock her. Takes about 5 mins. As I said, one prop for Nother, but at least I can have a shower with this one.

As for feeds, in her room, blackout blind up, lights off.

Good luck!

[Rockchick1984]

I used a sling almost constantly with DS when he was smaller. Around 12 months he stopped wanting to nap in there, and began settling better in the cot so my advice would be to just stick with it for now and see what happens :)

[Thumbtack]

Thanks for the replies! I will wait it out then

[lovepigeon]

Hi my DD would also have all her naps in the sling until she was about 10 months old, then I started using pushchair sometimes when we were out walking so she would sometimes sleep in there. This didn't always work as sometimes we would be out and she'd cry so I'd have to walk with her in the sling whilst pushing empty pushchair so that she could BF and go to sleep in sling.

I also found trying to transfer her never worked - she would always wake up.

Like Rockchick I found that by around 12 months she preferred to sleep in her pushchair/on sofa/on bed. Breastfeeding lying down is a good way to get them napping elsewhere, but just noticed you said it doesn't work for you.

Now at 16mo she even naps in her own bed which I never though would happen but I do have to BF her to sleep with me lying on a mattress next to her.

[CreatureRetorts]

Keep trying. Put him down after twenty minsasleep then work backwards. I was worse with my ds - he slept on me for all naps until 10 months and I was going back to work when he was 1 so had to sort it out. We got there in the end!

[Nicknamefail]

Lovepigeon I am relieved to hear your 16 mo to sleep as I'm pretty sure I'll still be doing that then. Not sure I will be admitting it in RL though!!!