Baby doesn't want to be rocked to sleep anymore

[ymnaz]

My little boy just turned 5 months and all of a sudden he hates being put to sleep while being held in my arms or rocked in anyones arms. He was the complete opposite of this before. Now he just wants to be laid down next to me and tapped to sleep.

Is this normal? Why does he suddenly no longer want to be rocked to sleep in my arms?

Just your baby's preference? Neither of mine especially liked being rocked or bounced. I recall with horror my Step-MIL (lovely but utterly bonkers) vigorously swinging 2 month old DD practically at arms length, whilst belting out lullabies while I was trying to shout over the top of the noise of a)the lullabies and b) DD's screams of rage, that DD like to be held very tight and completely still, no looking qt her and no direct communication with her, otherwise she couldn't sleep. Tight hold (to stop them repeatedly bashing themselves in the face) and light taps on the bum seemed to do it for mine, or in DS's case, nipple in mouth and job's a gud'un (trifle tricky for DH to achieve)

Their brain changes and being rocked can be too stimulating for some babies as they get older. I would view this as a good thing and one step closer to independent sleep!

I think they're all completely different. Our eldest would have to be rocked, tapped or bounced (or a combination of all three!) until he was 8 months... then overnight he just wanted to be left to it. Whereas our girl was always quite happy to just drop off on her own, maybe with some very light rocking.
See it as a positive. As someone else said, it's a step towards independent sleep... which is a step towards you getting normal sleep back!

I'll swap you for a 7 month old who was rocked to sleep 1.30 this morning 😂

Brilliant! Put him down and let him get on with it! At least you won't be one of these parents that still try to rock their 2yos to sleep

I wish my little boy would do this! Put him down and enjoy it, sounds like he has just found his personality and knows what he wants which is great :)

My baby did this too out of no where! We rocked him to sleep every night until he turned 7 months and he decided he didn’t want it. He just wants to be put in his cot with his soother and comforter and falls asleep himself. I do miss the snuggles but he’s nearly 10kgs now so my back is better 😅

Our 5 month old is the same, she likes to be put in her cot to go off to sleep. It's a bit sad, I loved having sleepy snuggles.

You've won the baby lottery! We're sleep training 1yo DS at the moment because I cannot cope with the 45 minute rocking, cuddling, bum patting routine anymore. Soz DS.

This is a good thing OP.