A gentle way to help 10 month old sleep in cot?

[BluebellRobina]

Since the 5 month sleep regression and when he basically got too big for his sidecrib, my 10 month old has basically co-slept in our bed. He breastfeeds and then completely cuddles up to me with his arms round me and falls asleep. For night time and all naps he will sleep this way (this is also now the only way he will breastfeed, but that's another story 😅).

Once he's asleep I can slowly disconnect from him. Sometimes he wakes and cries so I stay. We put his big cot next to the bed and connected it with the sidecrib straps so he can only roll into his cot. I also move him into this cot if he is really deeply asleep. at night I often don't as otherwise he constantly wakes--

The issue is he is now getting very mobile and starting to crawl around the bed and crawling up into our bed when we're asleep at 5am! So I will need to put the side of the cot back up. I would also like him to start sleeping there as my back is starting to hurt from the position I have to be in when cosleeping.

I'm not even going to put him into his own room yet, just get him to sleep in the cot next to me! Ive tried this and lie in the bed right next to him, but he still hates it and has to be completely on my mattress 🤣 he keeps crying and putting his arms up and trying to climb over. I feel really bad.

Has anyone had a similar thing and have they been able to get their child in the cot?

Whether rightly or wrongly im really only into gentle methods.

Thanks.

[peakotter]

Try the no cry sleep solution. Lots of good ideas there for people like you and me.

[BabetteAteOtemeal]

OP are you me and did I write this post in a sleep deprived moment of madness?!

Also have a 10mo DS who is ON ME at all times. I love him and the closeness but also really need to actually work and clean house and wash self and sit alone without holding a child whilst he naps.

No advice here, just following to steal tips!

[peakotter]

I also found that sorting falling asleep makes it much easier to repeat it in the night. All three of mine were in some form of cosleeper and by the third I learnt this.

I started by putting some time between milk and sleep, then moved to falling asleep in the cot (sometimes involved me being strict while they yelled but never left them). It is much easier if you have a partner who is willing to do this.

Once you have falling asleep in the cot sorted, you can repeat your method during the night. Or you can be a softie and give up at 5am and let them in for cuddles!

[BlenheimOrange]

For DS it turned out he woke/cried less if he went to sleep in the same situation he’d be when he roused each sleep cycle. Otherwise he’d fully wake each cycle (so every goddamned 45 minutes).

So we needed to put him at the start of the night where he would be later (in his cot beside our bed but with the side up, same as you) and just waaaaaaait while he figured out how to go to sleep there. It did involve tolerating him crying a bit, and it definitely involved having to make ourselves do the same thing each time he woke in the night instead of taking him in with us, which was hard because we were tired. But it didn’t involve ever leaving him alone to cry. And it helped within a couple of days.

[Heyha]

Can't help much as have got my own crappy sleeper but what DID help a transition was to put the cot at the end of our bed rather than at my side. She's in her own room now quite happily, just wish she wouldn't wake up more than once a night (teeth/snot/just cos). Good luck, we will all get there in the end 😊

[johnd2]

We were pretty much exactly your situation, a month ago, then we went to visit my family and he slept terribly the first couple of days and then fine.
So we got home a week later and decided to move his cot into the next bedroom (originally we were planning side on first, then move gradually further away from our bed.)
Anyway first night was awful getting him to sleep, then after that no problem. I even think he sleeps better now.
The main thing was we never left him crying even for a minute, we made sure he is lying down in the cot rather then crawling around it, and if he gets distressed (rather then complaining/protesting cry) we pick him up until he calms down.
Now he is 11 months and we are wondering why we worried.
It is more tricky for breast feeding, as it's on another room, but it's a step in the right direction.
Good luck!

[LividLaughLovely]

Following.

Baby feeds to sleep and will only sleep on me or in my bed. No crib is acceptable to him 😫