How do you get your baby to sleep?

[stellamel]

How do you put your little one down - awake or asleep? My DS is 8 weeks old and I can only get him to bed if he's rocked to sleep, fed to sleep (at night), or driven in the car or walked in pram (daytime).

I don't mind the this, but it would be nice if he went down without help, plus all the books I read say you should put your baby down awake, even the Birth to 5 book the health visitor gave me at my post natal check says to put baby down awake and to do it asap or you're setting yourself up for a nightmare.

How do I do this? my DS cries if he's put down awake - and I can't leave him to cry! does anyone have any tips or experience they can share. Thanks!

asleep. i feed them til they're asleep, then put in crib.

has worked for all 3 of mine so far and no terrible sleep problems or rods!

I don't really understand this obsession with putting tiny babies down to sleep while they're still awake. Isn't it entirely natural for a baby to want to be rocked, cuddled and soothed to sleep? I have always thought so.

I also think it is important to go with what works with your baby and their individual temperament when they are still small. There is plenty of time for routine later. Ignore all the 'rod for your own back' stuff. I have never found it to be true.

In my own experience, m two were totally different. One needed to be rocked, or pushed in buggy, and fed to sleep for most of the first year of his life. The other could be put down awake from birth and would drift off in a seconds (still like this at 16 mths). Nothing I did or didn't do.

Guve yourself a break and do what works. When it stops working - or if it stops working for you - have a rethink.

Good luck

you start by outting them down fast asleep then you gradually start putting them down when they're very nearly asleep, then just a bit asleep then awake. so you don't really just all of a sudden put them down wide away.

you'll find that gradually your baby will probably learn how to self settle. so in the night instead of waking every few hours for feeding back to sleep, they will whimper a bit/roll about/kick legs/suck fingers/suck dummy, until they nod off again. when they can do this it's easier to put them down half awake in the first place.

when you've fed them and they're knocked out fast asleep, stir them a little bit, just so their eyes flicker a bit, then put them down, and work it from there.

remember it is still early days

I fed / rocked / walked ds2 to sleep until he became able to do it himself - now at 7 months I feed him at bedtime and he often lies in his cot grinning and giggling at me, chatters away for a while then puts himself to sleep. I didn't push it - he did it when he was ready.

Middle of the night not so easy, but that's another story....

Don't stress about it at this stage, just ignore the books and enjoy your baby. They're not tiny for long, and holding a little sleepy baby is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Great replies! brought a tear to my eye, I love cuddling him to sleep or snuggling in bed and feeding him to sleep. SO nice to hear that I am not doing something stupid! Or setting myself up for a fall

I've fed all 3 to sleep, when little. With dd I tried putting her down awake and it didn't really 'click' until she was about 10 months.

With ds1, he sometimes just fell asleep only once in cot/crib. Less breast oriented and generally more amenable to sleep full stop.

With ds2, he is 6 months. I feed him to sleep. If he then wakes but isn't hungry I hold him and he has a dummy and then nods off. Tonight he was shattered because didn't settle well during the day (teething?) and he fell straight asleep as I was feeding him but then woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep. Ended up getting him up and he's now fast asleep next to me on the sofa. With dd I would have been terrified that this was a BAD THING. Now am just grateful that he's asleep and happy. He'll get the knack at some point, whether it's a case of me pushing it when we're ready or whether it just comes naturally.

If you want your arms back for abit, I recommend swaddling - was a godsend with both my boys when they were little babies and they slept really well when swaddled. Otherwise just enjoy cuddling him and feeding him to sleep - it all passes so fast - or pop him in a sling to free up your hands and he'll sleep happily all snuggled up against you...