3 month old won't sleep in cot.

[pozzled]

DD2 is 3 months and won't fall asleep by herself. She's done it less than ten times, probably more like 5. She'll only fall asleep 1) In the sling 2) Through rocking and bouncing for quite a long time or 3) Co-sleeping (and even then she has to be very tired to drop off). Sometimes I can then put her down once she's asleep, but that's pretty rare- she normally wakes as soon as I move.

As a result I've been carrying her in the sling through nearly every daytime nap (she's there as I type this) and co-sleeping every night. I can see how co-sleeping can be lovely if you choose to do it- but it's not my choice, I want my bed back!

I've tried putting one of my vests in the cot, rolling up a blanket to make the space a bit smaller and cosier, swaddling, playing lullabies, putting her down awake (she plays for a bit and then starts screaming for me).

Any advice? Please? It's really starting to get to me.

Yup, pick a time when she is alert, not hungry or windy, is looking directly into your eyes and able to concentrate.

Explain to her that she is safe, there are no wild animals about, that even though she can't see you (or sense your prescence when she is asleep), you are still there.
Explain to her that when she fears she has been abandoned, she hasn't and you will come back to her.

She will instantly understand and see the error of her ways

Yeah, thanks for that. I may just give it a try, nothing else is working!

Pozzled, my DS is 8 months and was just like that at 3 months, so you have my sympathies. And to some extent he is still like this a bit really. He is bf and still feeds to sleep at bedtime, and cos he is zonked will go straight in his cot. We do have a bedtime routine which we follow quite strictly, and started at about 3 months, and I think this helps.

During the day we have slowly slowly managed to get to the point where he will sleep on his own without lying on me, however he is not in his cot. I have done all sorts of trying to put him into his cot awake but generally fail. We have had some miraculous ones involving going into the cot nearly asleep, and I stroke and stroke and sh-sh-sh and he will eventually go to sleep, but timing is key and we have only recently managed this as my brain is only just returning to function.
I eventually made the decision that I would go slowly slowly with him and accept that I am ok with the investment of time. During the day (2naps as he is a big boy now) I enjoy the time sleeping/reading/knitting and accept that some jobs just have to wait.

I read Elizabeth Pantleys No cry sleep solution and there are some good tips in there some of which you have tried. Its not rocket science and there is no quick fix but she has some good hints...

And thinking about it, good consistent sleep routines and associations are the key thing I think.

Anyway, am waffling now. Will stop.
Hope it gets better.