Ugh somehow managed to get into "rock to sleep"

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

DD is only 5.5 months but annoyingly we seemed to got into the issue of rocking her to sleep - wouldn't mind if it worked relatively quickly but in the last week I've spent over 1.5 hours settling her for bed because she won't even be fed to sleep!

Annoying because two months ago we had a variety of ways of getting her down for naps, either rocking, stroking her forehead or even sometimes just swaddling her up, sticking the dummy in and she'd drift off.

She was also starting to occasionally nap longer than half an hour at a time - cant remember now the last time she did this.

Sigh, guess we need to teach her to self settle. In my head DS just started doing it on his own, I know that's not reality but can't remember how it happened in real life!

I try to get her down before or at the first tired sign, I think a bath is stimulating rather than calming her so how do I shift the bedtime routine (what do you do after a bath if not immediately stories then bed? We can easily shift DS' bedtime routine to accommodate)

She's too little and I'm not prepared anyway to do controlled crying.

Can you get a swinging chair to save your arms..

She will learn to self settle when she is developmentally able, don't sweat it, it will come in time.

Do you have a sling? It really helps to calm my DD if I wear her for a little while, she will either nap in the sling or just calm and relax which means she will then fall asleep easier.

Yeah I have a sling and she normally naps one nap a day in that. Settling for Mai's doesn't take too long so that's ok, it's bedtime that's the issue, not least because when DH works late it means poor DS has rushed bath, interrupted stories and often eventually puts himself to bed because he's tired if waiting. He's only 3

We had similar, always rocked to sleep. Did sleep training at 5.5 months by gradual withdrawal (a la "what worked for us" thread) which stopped us having to rock and also meant she stopped waking 8 times a night. That said, by 5.5 months we were generally able to do less rocking - we'd gradually worked it down til she sometimes fell asleep in our arms with no rocking. That's partly why we knew it was time to do the gradual withdrawal.

You say it's only been a week or so that it's taken so long to get her down. Thank heavens if that is the case, I remember that myself and it just destroys you, let alone poor DS. Could she be teething? Or is it possible she's actually not tired enough for bed? My DD dropped from 4 naps to two overnight at about that age. I just wonder if yours could do with dropping a late pm nap or something?

Hi there, I don't really have much advice seeing as my 5.5 month old is a horrible sleeper but I do have a couple of suggestions. When my DS is really going for it I pick him up and rock him but put his dummy in whilst he's in my arms, that way if he stirs or is still a bit awake when I put him back down he has that to suck on straight away. Also, you asked what you could do in-between bath and stories - have you tried baby massage? you can find it online or go on a course at your local children's centre. its a really good wind down time for them with 1 on 1 focus, lots of eye contact and touch with some calm songs and dim lighting. my DS loves this time of the evening and he knows that it goes bath, massage, pjs, boob and bed. good luck with it!

Thanks for responses - a week really isn't long enough to be getting stressed over is it? Puts it in perspective a little

I could try baby massage, she wasn't keen on it before and I guess that could be because bath was too late so over stimulating her. It was wonderful for DS but I only had him to think about - which is why DD doesn't really have a bedtime routine yet. When I tried it with her when she was tiny though it really stimulated her too.

Any ideas for routine order from dinner onwards with a 3.5yr old and 5.5month old who both need bathing which she is overstimulated by? At the mo DS is watching tv while I feed DD

Its hard sorting 2 out at bedtime. It only works for me because dd is 8 and loves to help! I bath them together, which saves a bit of time.

No advice as I know the practicalities of getting 2 to bed on time is hard. Hang in there though. My ds is similar age to yours and not a good sleeper I just keep reminding myself it won't be like this forever (I hope)

Good luck

So even rocking doesn't seem to help now. She seems to get to an almost asleep state but can't fall into deep sleep and whines then cries then sobs....every time she's needed to sleep the last few days has resulted in utter meltdown until she's either worn out or whiles accept boob

Good bathtime tonight though, think trick will be to bath them both, do stories etc all about 5:30 the. Put down SD at first tored sign

Rocking can be counter productive at this age as they're old enough to find it interesting and stimulating. For some, I think it just winds them up rather than calms down which is prob why it's taking you 1.5 hrs.

Have you read Nectarina's thread on gradual withdrawal? It's one of the gentlest ways of teaching self settling (at nearly 6 months i reckon the majority of children can self settle if given the skills to do so). There's also PUPD.

I'll have a read of that thread, thanks, would like to give gradual withdrawal a go. PUPD doesn't work because she won't be calmed (tried that this morning)

I always remember watching an episode of the baby whisperer and she was asking the mum in question to imagine you being in bed trying to get to sleep and suddenly someone comes along and starts jigging you up and down and talking in your ear. I know babies are different but it made me smile. :)