Does your 6 month old self-settle at bedtime?

[Daffodilly]

We have recently started DS on a proper bedtime routine for 7:30ish bedtime. (First 5 months he was downstairs with us in the evenings). It is going OK, but it takes quite a while and MANY trips up and downstairs to settle him in his cot - rocking, ssshing, patting, trying dummy, putting dummy back in, etc.

Just wondering how many people have a 6 month old that can put themselves off to sleep, or am I just expecting too much? Do I just keep going as we are now and hope he will eventually "get" it?

I don't think that you're expecting too much. Babies need to learn to self-settle, because this isn't a skill that they're born with, but if you persevere your DS will manage it. My DS1 was cuddled to sleep from birth so never learnt how to self-settle until he was nearly two when in desperation we did CC, but we learnt our lesson and when DS2 arrived we would put him to bed very drowsy, so that he learnt to fall asleep by himself very quickly.

Your DS might settle a bit better if you give him something to hold on to (a blanket or a taggie); my DS2 likes cuddling something as he nods off......

Good luck!

My ds2 turned 6 months today. he self settles for bedtime and for naps. Every now and again I have to go in to him, but he is normally fine.
Ds1 was awful and I spent months having to settle him.

Should have added, he has a dummy, 2 teddies (he changes his mind on which one he prefers [hmm, and has a night light that plays music and projects moving pictures onto the ceiling

[hollow laugh]

Mmmm...what is the alternative?? Can you feed to sleep and put n the cot in the evening or are you trying to avoid this?
As having them down with me in the evening drove me mad way before 5 months and I tried and tried to put him to bed earlier.
My DS (7 months) does self settle (I put him down sleepy but awake usually) but I didn't really do anything special to achieve this. As far as I remember I went from putting him down asleep to putting him down when he was almost asleep occasionally to putting him down when he was just looking sleepy.
I will openly admit I think I have an easy baby though!

Just keep doing what feels right for you, but stick to what you're doing - you lo will get it eventually! Mine is 5 months, from 2-3 months I put him to bed v drowsy, stayed with him, put dummy back in, shhhsd, patted etc, and slowly he got it. Dropped one prop/help from me after the other, now I put him down after bedtime ritual awake and he puts himself to sleep, no problem. I would try, though, not to pick him up unless totally necessary. Just keep going!

Yes, he did.

Thanks for all replies, just wondering what other people do really.

Oh for an "easy baby"!

No real alternative. Sometimes he feeds to sleep, but often wakes as I put him in the cot. I am OK to carry on for now as we are as only alternatives I can see are back to having him downstairs all evening (which is no good for us or him) or CC (which I don't feel ready to do and with a DD 2.8 daren't risk disturbing her and having them BOTH up).

Hey ho - we survived this once and DD now goes down OK most of the time.

God, I'm like a stuck record but...No Cry Sleep Solution is v good. If you do it now I'm sure she'll be self-settling in no time.

It seems it is a skill some babies arrive at naturally but many (most?) need help- my son is 13mo and I wish we'd found it sooner!

It's basically what mdavza says but a bit more detail. We've had great results.

I would say that 6 months is really little to be able to self-settle but if she's not a natural at it, she'll need your help to learn how to do it and you'll be glad you started sooner rather than later

we shushed to sleep from the beginning. No doubt DS is a relatively easy baby - he settles very well... (does he sleep through at 20mo? only just so we were lucky in that respect.