Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Flip

Original poster

How do you do it?!

13 replies

Teachtolive · 04/04/2018 20:41

Have 2 dcs and made the mistake of holding dc1 to sleep. 2.5 years later and still the same, I have to wait til dc1 goes to sleep before I can leave the room.

Dc2 is 5mos. I'm working on making sure there's no falling asleep while feeding and trying as much as possible to get her into the cot drowsy but awake. But I have to wonder how do i get her just to go down into the cot eyes open and let her fall asleep alone without crying?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

FATEdestiny · 04/04/2018 21:47

With a dummy 👶

fleetingthinker · 04/04/2018 21:50

Feed as much as she wants, then put on her side and pat to sleep. Mine found their thumb at this age and learnt to drop off independently after a couple of months.

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 05/04/2018 05:46

Still something I'm struggling with! My 5 month DS is a dummy refuser, as was my DD who's now 2.9. She never found her thumb. Some babies just don't, plus the thing with a dummy is they can cause a lot of waking when they're dropped and baby is too young to find it and put it back in themselves.

I think it's just time, I'd say 5 months is still early yet. In my experience and from everything I've seen on here, some babies are just better at self soothing than others. Mine aren't but my DD did once she stopped breastfeeding at 13 months and we have no issues now. Hopeful of the same with DS...

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 05/04/2018 05:48

You shouldn't be putting babies on their side to sleep at 5 months @fleetingthinker

Original poster

Teachtolive · 05/04/2018 08:00

She has found her thumb a bit of late. It doesn't seem to be something she uses to soothe herself though. She tends to just muck about with thumb sucking during the day!

OP posts:

April45 · 05/04/2018 09:01

You need to introduce a comfort item that isn't you.. teddy, dummy, muslin anytging really. Carry it with you so it has your smell on then keep pushing it. It will take some time but she will start to use it.

BestBeforeYesterday · 05/04/2018 09:39

At that age I fed them, put them down awake, and then sat next to them stroking their tummies. I also had white noise on. I then gradually reduced the amount of stroking until I was just sitting next to them, then I'd try putting them down and leaving the room, returning if they cried. Took maybe 2 weeks or so. Neither of them had a dummy, DS2 was sucking his thumb at that age.

Original poster

Teachtolive · 05/04/2018 10:41

BestBeforeYesterday that's an interesting method. Did you ever find that when you pit yours in the cot that even if they'd been relaxed before, they suddenly came to life in the cot?

OP posts:

fleetingthinker · 05/04/2018 19:29

You can absolutely put a baby on their side & pat to sleep. As long as you are there and put them on their backs once asleep.

At 5 months a large majority of babies are rolling over anyway so they aren't back sleeping anymore.

DairyisClosed · 05/04/2018 19:32

My youngest used to do that when he was very little with no issues but the started complaining as he got older. I just decided to wait it out. Now I just put them in bed. Have a cuddle. Sat goodnight. And leave. If they get out I'd bed I out them back in.

vgiraffe · 05/04/2018 23:00

Sorry to hijack but @WhoAteAllthePercyPigs I'm curious as to how stopping breastfeeding helped with self-settling? We're in a similar situation.

PP we started using a 'gentle' sleep training although ended up letting DD whinge/cry a little as that worked better for her. This was at 8 months which seemed the right time for her but she's still a little hit and miss with self settling.

WhoAteAllthePercyPigs · 07/04/2018 15:50

Sorry @vgiraffe just saw this! Well it wasn't a direct thing overnight. But she had been going to sleep after a feed and once the feed was gone we needed to change our routine. So my DH took over bedtime so she wouldn't associate it with me. He read stories and played night time music from her Violet bear...we still do this now! It took a while at first but with a consistent routine we were able to leave her drowsy but still awake - a state I never thought possible! She was 13 months old though so it was easier than it would have been a few months before.

Does this help?

vgiraffe · 07/04/2018 19:12

Thanks for sharing! Did you find that she then self settled consistently? My DD is 14 months and can self settle (usually does) but fairly often starts crying (more than just whinging) so I resort to feeding to sleep! I'm debating whether stopping breastfeeding will help her self settle more often. We are thinking of stopping for other reasons too but the sleep is what's making me continue!

Flip