Sleepy but awake (!?)

[Nosleepforthewicked]

My son's sleeping has overall been abysmal. He's 5 and a half months. Daytime sleep as well as nightime. We have had the odd night but just one waking... tried all sorts but the reason I'm posting is - id like to get him to do this "Sleepy but awake" thing when going down. I feel that it may solve some of our problems... I've tried it for about a week and he ends up pinging awake when out down despite being knackered and we start all over again. Sometimes it can really set us back and he decides its party time.

Does anyone have one of these mythical creatures that go down sleepy but awake? Do you have any tips or advice for me?

Our DS is 4 months and we put him down sleepy, sometimes his eyes ping open when we put him in the crib but we just leave him (unless he gets upset obviously in which case we pick him up for a cuddle to settle him). Sometimes he’ll doze back off within a few minutes other times he’ll talk to himself for half an hour or so before nodding off! We play white noise whilst settling him and keep it going when we put him down

Thanks for replying gilbert. I've just put him down and tried to keep the rocking to a minimum. One eye was firmly closed and the other slightly open... I'm not sure if this counts as sleepy but awake! I'm sure he'll let me know though as we usually have a few wake ups before the dream feed!

"Sleepy but awake"... I've tried it for about a week and he ends up pinging awake when out down

You have misinterpreted what sleepy but awake means. If he pings awake, then he was asleep when being put down (because to wake up means to have been asleep).

Baby needs to be awake. As in, actually awake and not asleep. The sleepy bit means "ready for a sleep", not asleep (or nearly asleep).

Maybe an adult context would help you understand. Say you woke up after 8 hours sleep at 7am and then two hours later, at 9am you went back to bed to try to go to sleep. You would not be tired. You would not feel "sleepy". So you would unlikely go to sleep.

Whereas if that same day, after waking at 7am you went to bed again 11pm later in the evening, at that time you may well be tired. You would be "tired and ready for bed" or to put it another way sleepy but awake.

To put baby down "sleepy but awake" means to put baby down awake, but tired and ready for a sleep. Not put down asleep. Not nearly asleep. But put down awake, properly awake, at a time when baby is ready for a sleep.