Help getting DS to sleep now he's crawling.

[SirBoobAlot]

Just when things had started to settle a bit..!

DS has recently found he can crawl, sit up from laying, and then stand up in his cot. Getting him to sleep is now an utter nightmare. Evening isn't too bad (normally 20 minutes protesting) as I have been tucking the end of the GroBag into the end of the cot. But even those 20 minutes are very difficult. During the day is even worse.

Stopped feeding him to sleep a while ago, he'll normally have milk until he's sleepy, then go down into his cot, sometimes with his dummy, sometimes without, with his Seahorse playing, and drop off. Now, he'll be put into his cot and be instantly on all fours / standing up. Its just taken me an hour to get him down.

When he's been standing up, I've been picking him up and laying him back down. Try to avoid looking at him or talking to him as much as possible. When he (inevitably) then starts to cry and stands up again, I have been picking him up, giving him a quick cuddle so he is calm again, then laying him back down.

I'm so stressed right now - this on top of being bitten every two bloody minutes when he's feeding is driving me round the bend.

Any suggestions would be really great. Thanks.

its a phase. sorry!

ds did this too and you just have to ride it out while its still a new experience for him.

FWIW i used to either cuddle him to sleep/ wait till he was exhausted before bed/ leave him to it/ start naps in the day off in the car.

good luck, it won't last for longer than a couple of weeks. then you can wait for the phase when he runs backwards and forwards in bed giggling his head off!

It will wear off though, right? I am so knackered!

My DS did this as well. Getting him to sleep was a nightmare. When he stood up, I didn't lie him down immediately because if I did it turned into a battle. I left him for a while, then told him I was going to "help him lie down", gave him his blanket, etc. He would sometimes stand up 30 times before falling asleep, even if he was really tired. At the same time, he started waking up a few times in the night becuase he'd find himself sitting in the corner of the cot unable to lie down. It was a PITA. I think it lasted 2-4 weeks. Now he only stands up a couple of times usually before lying himself down. However since all this started, we have been staying in the room with him until he falls asleep. We didn't use to do it but now if we try and leave when he's still awake, he starts screaming. I'd rather sit in his room for 40 minutes with him falling asleep calmly than leave him alone and have 40 minutes of screaming instead.
Anyway, it's just a phase ;) hope it doesn't last too long for you.

it wont last! promise! :)

with ds we still put him down and then go and sit in our room next door and read till he's quiet.
that way you can

• hear if he's clambering about - it doesn't always come through our monitor properly.
• get in there quickly if he bumps himself - my ds flings himself about without much thought for his own safety!
• relax with a good book while still parenting! :)
• the book also helps the time go quicker.
• i think ds knows where we are so he doesn't feel too abandoned iykwim as mummy and daddy are nearby.

be prepared for this phase to reappear when he learns to stand, cruise and walk!

fingers crossed!