To think 'put them down drowsy but awake' is a lie

[georgarina]

Has any baby ever done this??

Also feed, play, sleep.

Mine just don't sleep unless held or fed. As little babies anyway.

That phrase makes me shudder now and I’m well past that stage. It was more ‘put the baby down drowsy then screaming’.

Both of mine did this easily.
Appreciate it doesn't work for everyone, but there is no need to make out that it is an absolute fantasy.

Worked with 2 of mine, not the first but that was probably me being inexperienced. They’re all different so I wouldn’t say it’s a lie. One of mine never slept in a buggy so I always thought that was a lie until I had another that did

My children all went to sleep when put down awake.

I have 4 children. It worked with my youngest. Even now if she’s tired she’ll just go get her blanket and lay down for a nap.
The older 3 I had to fight to get them to sleep.

Both of mine went to sleep after being laid down awake. To be honest, it never occurred to me to do anything else! Obviously if they had been distressed I'd have cuddled/rocked them but they weren't.

@ParadiseLaundry I just read that last night on the happiest baby website. I couldn't believe it. So I do believe you HV but it sounds bonkers, apparently helps to teach them to self settle. No one told that to my babies 🤣

It didn’t work at all until recently (8 months.) I don’t think the principle behind it is a bad one, but as with all things, if it doesn’t work for your baby it isn’t a bad thing.

I was completely baffled when I put DD2 down “drowsy but awake” and she just… fell asleep! I’d come to the conclusion it was a myth!! All it took to get DD1 to sleep was 45 mins feeding, swaddling, white noise, holding her until she was fast asleep then putting her down incredibly gently and hoping she didn’t wake up meaning we’d have to restart the whole process.

Never worked for ds but worked for dd.

Ds was fed to sleep and dd would put down in her cot so I could switch her nightlight and bedtimes songs on and she was already asleep. That all changed when she was 8 months and decided fighting it and screaming was much more fun

My mum did the same for all 4 of us and it worked. I tried with my two, so did she and they cried to high heaven everytime. I will still have a go with this baby in the hope that it will nod off itself but I doubt it.

Worked for me but not all babies will go to sleep alone if they are used to being fed/held/rocked to sleep.

People who it worked for - are you/were you exclusively breastfeeding? My babies slept pretty much whenever they fed, even if they'd just had a nap!

Both of mine did this and were//are no effort to get to sleep, so it's not total bollocks.

It really does depend on the baby, I've been fortunate to have two children who slept through from 6 weeks and touch wood, are just generally content and good sleepers. I know for both my nephews this was utter rubbish and putting them down to sleep was a massive challenge.

@WiggIyWoo No, works for me and both mine were/are formula fed!

Once DS got to 4 months we did pick up put down and once through that we put him down awake and he went to sleep himself, and he has since then. They’re all different.

Worked for mine but it's a very gradual process, it takes time but also imho none of it really works if you start it from scratch with an older baby of 8 or 9m who has been fed/held to sleep since birth.

With ds1 it worked after the 11pm feed - he would lie there quite happily whilst we got ready for bed and then fall asleep. And at no other time. [shrug]

I used to rock DS to sleep but we’d get false starts and he’d wake up screaming after 25 mins.

Recently we’ve started doing drowsy but awake and it’s working. He now does 3 hour stretches in the cot instead at night.

He does take a while to settle, bedtime routine of feeding and getting him to sleep probably takes 45 mins, with 25 of that getting him to sleep, but it’s only been a week and shortening every day.

Wigglywoo and yes, exclusively bf. Mine didn't always sleep after a feed, but then I tended to stop when they were doing the fluttery comfort sucking when you can tell they aren't taking more milk.

It worked for my twins but not for my singletons.

Three kids here, a lie for every single one!! They have always screamed if I tried it. Enjoy the cuddles, mine are older now and I miss rocking a baby

It might not always work but it's definitely preferable if your goal is a child who goes to sleep on their own.

Never worked for my lot! Especially in their early weeks. Have a Google of the fourth trimester

Worked well for both of mine! My eldest particularly hated being held close or rocked- just wanted to be left alone when tired. Luckily DC2 is a lot more cuddly but both were good. What annoyed me more was when we did have sleep problems EVERYONE just says ‘co-sleep’ to solve everything. Both me, DH and both babies did not get on with co sleeping whatsoever. It certainly didn’t give us better sleep!