Sleeping in the crib!

Sarah - posted on 05/20/2010

For anyone who is having trouble getting their baby to sleep or nap well, I have found the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Dr. Marc Weissbluth extremely helpful. My daughter takes two naps a day (a total of 3.5 hrs) and sleeps 12 hours through the night. It really helps you create a sleep schedule/routine.

Izolda - posted on 05/20/2010

My baby boy is nine months old. He has only slept through to the next morning twice since hes been born. I dont know what to do, he mainly has a blocked nose now but other days i dont know why he doesn't sleep through the night like other babies hes age. HELP?

Jamie - posted on 05/18/2010

I was the same way. I finally moved my 9 month old from my bed to his crib at 6 months because he got too active to sleep in our bed anymore. I was freaked out the first couple of nights,but I check on him before I go to bed and any other time I feel the need to. I have a baby monitor and I can hear him moving and making noises all night, so I usually only check him once so I don't accidentally wake him. I had to learn the difference between his whimpers and when he actually needs me cry. I found that most of the time, he will put himself back to sleep pretty quickly if he wakes up slightly and I don't go rushing in. It is scary at first, but in the long run, its so much easier to put them to bed in their own room and have your bedroom back!

Kathleen - posted on 05/18/2010

I think it's normal to feel that way, I've been doing the same exact thing with my 8 almost nine month old, I have 3 kids, and it was the same with them, my promise to myself is, when she turns 1 she will go to her own room. It has worked for the other 2, I'm not saying it was easy letting go of that, but it seemed to work out just fine.

Jeneane Renee - posted on 05/18/2010

Yea, I'd say your lucky that she's sleeping in the play pen our daughter doesn't want to sleep anywhere but our bed, and she'll wake up whenever we try to lay her in the crib.

Sarah - posted on 05/18/2010

I found that it was easy to transition my daughter from a pack and play in our room to her crib at one month. She may have fussed a little at first, but quickly got used to sleeping in her own room. If anything, she slept much better because it was quieter-no snoring, no alarms, etc.

Stephanie - posted on 05/17/2010

my daughter has been sleeping in her crib in her own room since she was about 3months old, it was very hard but i had the baby monitor right next to my bed turned up high to hear her breathing (she snores so that helps), both doors were kept open and i had a clear view into her room from my bed. I knew the longer she stayed in our room the harder it would be to let go, plus my husband has to get up for work at 5am and is a heavy sleeper so i really got sick of the alarm waking her up 5times before he got up.

Everyone does things at a different pace so don't worry too much, but trust me you will wake up if she starts moving or making noise-it's just a built in mom thing i think.

Jenn - posted on 05/17/2010

Our bedroom was big enough to have the crib in the room with us. We had her in our room for the first two months and then moved it into her room. I think it was an easier transition since we always used a crib. Still on occasion when she's really fussy and up for the 5th time in the night I will bring her to bed with us for a bit. But it doesn't happen very often. I get better sleep when she's not in the room. I think whatever you feel comfortable with is fine, but keep trying to put her in the crib at night, maybe on the weekend when you have a little more time check in on her and still catch up on sleep. Have confidence in her and yourself.

Claudia - posted on 05/16/2010

use a monitor.. i'm sure your little baby will be fine.. i totally understand being paranoid as well.. i always go & check on our baby before we go to bed for the night. i used to worry more, but i can hear him fine through the monitor.. your daughter is going to be alright now ..
if you feel better, maybe buy a video monitor?
we have always put our son in his crib right from the get go.. we do sleep with him once in a while for naps, but for the most part he's alone.. and the monitor is a great help.. but again, you can just sneak in on her before you go to bed & i'm sure she'll be fine for the rest of the night..
if she wasnt.. she would let you know! my son does!

Amanda - posted on 05/16/2010

Perhaps you should look into the Graco Angel Care monitor. You put a sensor pad under the crib mattress and it senses if your baby is breathing. The only down side is if they are tossers and turners like my little one, it will go off if they scoot themselves to the far ends the the mattress. We recieved one as a gift and it really puts my mind at rest that she's fine in the other room.

Krystie - posted on 05/16/2010

no idea really as my 9 month old still sleeps in my bed or in the bed side crib. i think this age is far to young to be sleeping apart from mommy. but thats my personal opinion.

Michelle Sanchez - posted on 05/15/2010

do you have a baby monitor? maybe that will help you out. mine doesnt have her own room so she has to sleep in our room however she wont sleep in her crib we had to get a play pen because to her it was snuggly and her crib was way too big and she hated it.

Eve - posted on 05/15/2010

I think you ultimately do what you are most comfortable with. Since the baby is used to sleeping in the playpen, what about moving that to her room? That way, she's in the bed she's already comfortable with, and she can learn to sleep in a different room.

I have a Fisher Price monitor with 2 handsets, and I keep one plugged in on my nightstand. If I turn it all the way up, I can hear my 9-mo-old breathing. At his 4-month check, his pediatrician said it was a good time to turn off the monitor, that he would let us know if he needed us. I started turning it down so I still hear him if he cries (or even stirs), but I don't hear him breathing unless I roll over and really listen for it. I have learned to trust that he is okay. (While I know it can actually make the paranoia worse to think this way, I also think we are just giving ourselves the illusion of control when we assume that we could protect them from SIDS or something like it if we were right next to them.)

The monitor we have has "Mom Response" so I can turn on music or wave sounds from the receiver. I used to turn on the wave sounds every night when we sat down to nurse and rock. I thought if I could create an association between that sound and being comforted and rocked and going to sleep in my arms, maybe then I could use the sound when I wasn't in the room to help him soothe himself back to sleep. It usually works.

We are teething now and have been battling a cold for almost a week, so he's been up during the night a lot the last few days, and I've brought him back to our bed a couple times. Honestly, now that he's bigger, I don't think he sleeps as comfortably laying on my chest as he used to. He stirs around a lot laying on me, whereas in his crib, he just tucks him arms and legs up underneath and goes to sleep. I'm hoping I'm not setting myself up for a problem by letting him sleep with us a couple times in a row, but I can only do about 45 minutes out of bed in the middle of the night before I reach the point where I either need to trade off with my husband and take the baby to bed with me.

We put Alex in his crib the day we brought him home, and that worked for about the first week. After he came out of his newborn daze, he wouldn't sleep anywhere but our arms for the next few weeks. I think he was around 6 weeks when we started putting him back in the crib, swaddled, and he would usually do a 3-4 hour stretch. At 3 months he started sleeping 11-7, and now he's usually 8:30-7:30, although we occasionally have bad weeks, like we are this week!

RITA - posted on 05/15/2010

Don't feel bad, I just changed my son into his crib (it used to be my daughter's) just last weekend! He is now 9 months this week! But we had to do it because he was still in the bassinet and had fallen out...

Cally - posted on 05/15/2010

bring the crib into your room and put it next to your bed, remove one of the sides if need be so you can put it right next to you so you can reach her easily, its better to get her used to her crib so the transition into her own room will be easier .

Alicia - posted on 05/14/2010

My daughter is 9 monthes old and sleeps with my husband and I. She still doesnt even sleep all the way through the night. Some nights she'll wake up 3-4 times and other nights she'll wake up 5-6 times. She naps in her crib and I usually put her down in her crib and she'll sleep there for the first 2 hours. The Dr says to just leave her in the and let her cry - but I cant! Help!

Alicia - posted on 05/14/2010

I'd say it is time to get over it. She will learn that she is supposed to sleep there for nap and night. Relax and you'll feel much better. Make sure her crib is up to date on the latest safety guidelines and that makes her crib a safe place even if she is awake.

Kellie - posted on 05/14/2010

I am sure this is really hard for you, but it will be much easier for her, and you, in the long run if you get her used to sleeping in her crib at night. You can always use a baby moniter or leave your bedroom door open so you can hear her if she cries.

Katy - posted on 05/13/2010

My daughter is 8.5 months old and has been sleeping in her own room in her own crib since she was a month old. We have a motion sensor pad. This detects if the movement of the baby (even breathing) and if there is no movement after 20 seconds then an alarm will sound. I have had false alarms before because my daughter is all over her crib and will get on her side with her back against the side of the crib so it doesnt detect her. It comes with baby moniters so we can hear everything she does. I have had it since she was born and they say you can use it all the way up until she is a year old. Good luck!

Judie - posted on 05/13/2010

Our son has been in his crib since the night we brought him home! It has worked GREAT for all of us. We do have a monitor with 2 handsets so one sat at each of our nightstands for the first couple weeks, then we just kept the one on my side. We have never had a problem and our son sleeps great! I was a bit nervous about it, but I would have been just as nervous with him in a basinet next to me......you can't hear SIDS, so the fear is there with or wothout them next to you. I have a friend who's baby was napping RIGHT next to them on the couch and it died of SIDS, there was no breathing struggle to hear, he just stopped. So.......knowing that I kept him in his crib so that we all sleep well.

Sirena - posted on 05/12/2010

I felt the same way, paranoid when my daughter first went to bed in her crib. I read some literature that said she needs to learn how to self-soothe back to bed when she wakes up at night. It was difficult for me to keep from going into her room and rescuing her but I did it and now she seems to sleep better in her crib. She was outgrowing the co-sleeper in our bedroom and I didn't want her to get in the habit of sleeping with us so I attempted to put her down in her crib at night and it seems to be working out okay. As you mentioned, I had to suck it up and allow her to stay in her crib. I think it was harder on me than it was on her.

Christine - posted on 05/12/2010

My daughter is 9 months old and has been in her crib in her room, next to ours since she was two weeks old. I was paranoid the first week, but I thought is was better and more comfortable in her crib. She has been sleeping through the night for 12 hours since she was 3 months old. I can hear her when she wakes in the morning. She is now my alarm clock at 7 am.

Trisha - posted on 05/12/2010

I have two kids. My son is going to be 3 and he slept in bed with me for about 4-5 months. I transitioned him to his crib and although he did cry a bit after a few weeks he became a great sleeper in his crib and still is. He will stay in bed until we come get him. My daughter is almost 9 months and she has been in her bed since she grew out of her bassinet. I have an Angelcare Deluxe Monitor. It has the pad that when you have a newborn it will alert you if your child isn't moving. Your baby is now at an age where she is not going to suffocate since she should be able to lift her head. My monitor is good enough that I can hear my daughter breathing. Rest assured your daughter will sleep better in her crib and you will eventually get comfortable enough to sleep well. You and your husband need your space. It is really important as a couple. Hope it goes well. Your little one will do fine!

Christina - posted on 05/11/2010

i should also add, my oldest slept with us and i didnt get him into his own bed until he was 3. after that he still wanted to sleep with us and he comes into our room now if he gets scared and hes 10. this is why i was so determined to transition my youngest while he was small. i let them both sleep with us in the first place because i breast feed and it was so much easier.

Christina - posted on 05/11/2010

my son slept with us until he was 3 1/2 months old and my husband had had enough. i started putting him in his crib in his room with the closet light on and his music. he cried and i went in his room every 5 min and gave him his pacifier and walked out. the first few nights it took an hour. i had a baby monitor so i could hear him but it was so hard. after a week it only took 15 min and after a 3 weeks i could put him in his crib, turn on his music and he would roll over and go to sleep, no crying.

Sara - posted on 05/10/2010

I have 3 children. The youngest is 9 months. It does not get easier to move the baby into his/her own room the more children you have. I think you need to do whatever it is you feel most comfortable with. I just wanted to share something my aunt said to me when I told her I was worried about moving my first baby into her own room. Quote "Really. You really think you wont hear her. 2 things - 1 - she is smarter than you give her credit for. 2 - its not about hearing her. You will feel her."
ITS TRUE! I would hear her turn over. lol How you sleep after you have kids is not the same as how you sleep before you have kids thats for sure! But again, thats just me....

Angelia - posted on 05/08/2010

I think its time to get her into her crib now. My daughter is the same age and she sleeps well in her crib. I worry all the time about her and i dont think that worry will ever go away no matter how old they are.
Start by putting her in the crib and checking on her every half hour/ or hour until you go to bed. Eventually you wont have to check all the time.
Hope all goes well.

Jucelia - posted on 05/07/2010

Yes, I think you should suck it up and put her in her crib for the night...have the monitor next to you so u can hear as soon she cries. I know what u are going through. My son is 8 1/2 mo and he just put the baby in his own room last month. He s still waking up often during the night, I am not sure if it's the teeth or the habits. But i am being persistent. It's better for both of us. I keep the monitor close to me, so I hear as soon he cries. But I still put him with us in bed in the morning, he loves it !

Shaniqua - posted on 05/07/2010

At the end of the day no matter what we all say, your gonna do whats in your gut.
Ask yourself what you want to do. If you want to transition to the crib at night monitors will put you at ease. My sons room is also right next to ours aside from using a monitor. If your daughters room is far from yours I could see that making you nervous.
Something to also consider is your daughter being at a stage where kids can pull up and come out the crib so make sure its lowered all the way if and when you take that step.
My son still sleeps with my husband and I most nights or when ever he wakes up for a feeding.
You will figure it out mommy. Good luck.

Emily - posted on 05/07/2010

I have to disagree with you, Allison. We transitioned our 3-year-old out of our bed and it was easy as pie.

Allison - posted on 05/07/2010

I know a lot of people are saying do what is right and comfortable for you, but babies who continue to sleep with their parents have a very hard time making the transition when it is ABSOLUTELY necessary (when they are toddlers+). No one can turn back the hands of time, so I cannot really say you should have been putting her in her own room a LONG time ago. Now that she is almost 9 months old, you really should make the transition. It will take some time for you both to get used to, but I think it is necessary. Take everyone elses advice about a good monitor. They really do help give you peace of mind when you wake up wondering.



We moved our daughter into her own room, which is just down the hall, when she was only 2 months old. We have had no problems with her sleeping in her crib. We established a routine with her from the get go, and she has done great. Now at 8.5 months old, she is used to sleeping alone in her room. She even entertains herself in the mornings when she wakes up a little earlier than me, and patiently waits until I come to get her.



Once you make the transition...you will see how glorious it can be!

Victoria - posted on 05/07/2010

Tonya,
When my son was about 7 weeks old I started putting him in his crib..I used a monitor until about a month ago. He will be 9 months in 6 days and it has helped tremedously to get him out of our room and into a quiet room, he sleeps alot better in there at night..We had him in a bassinet in our room first but I read on parents.com that you "should" start sleeping them in their cribs at 2 months, that is the only reason I started that..If this is your first child, then it is normal to be worried and check on her at all hours of the night, but believe me it will help her in the long run and quite honestly you and your husband too! I would say in a nice respectful way suck it up and put her in there, use your monitor and have confidence in yourself..It won't take long maybe 2 or 3 days before you get comfortable with her being in there all alone but it is normal and good for her to sleep in her crib, after all, isn't that why you bought it, lol.(I hope you know that was a joke...).. Anyway, I really hope you find the courage to put her in her crib because you will be proud of yourself when it is all said and done...I hope that I have helped in your time of need..

Meagen - posted on 05/07/2010

The first night my son slept in his crib at around 6 months, I slept in the same room. The second night I slept in my own bed, but with the door open. He has slept through the night since we put him in there. Love it. He is loud enough that we can hear him when he cries. My daughter was in her crib at 3 months. With her we used a monitor to hear her. They sleep better in the crib.

Jessica - posted on 05/07/2010

I nurse our daughter and she doesn't sleep through the night so she sleeps in our room in her playpen. I don't want to get up and go into her room every night, so I don't blame you. you do what you feel is right.

Marci - posted on 05/07/2010

I am the same way. My 9 months old daughter sleeps with me and my husband in our bed. She fell off the Ned last week and we want to get her in her crib. Any advice would be great!

Chasity - posted on 05/07/2010

not to mention she has slept with me or in her bassinette in our room till she out grew it since she was born...it WAS nerve racking but they need to learn sometime...i know they are just babies once and i wanted to soak it all up, so to speak,
but i kept thinking about our next baby...lol dont think i could handle 2 babies in the bed....
i will probably let the next baby sleep with me too till i decide the time is right...
its all about what you think is right for YOUR family, not what others want you to do...just letting you know what has worked for me. and maybe someone might benifit from it..

i also put atleast 2 extra paci's in her crib incase she looses her at night...that helps her too...

Chasity - posted on 05/07/2010

i was having the same problem. my daughter was sleeping with us..i was so uncomfortable...i couldnt afford a video monitor so i got a regular one on ebay. i started by turning on a radio at night in our room for a few weeks. Then i just decided to do it one night...i put the radio and the humidifier (that has always been in our room) in her room. i sing and rock or just hold her till she finds her way to sleep then put her in her bed..sometimes she wakes up and whimpers a lil but i believe the radio and familiar humidifier light helps her go back to sleep.
its been a week now and she is doing good. sleeps about 10 or 11 till about 9a. sometimes wakes up between 5 30 and 730. then i give up and let her sleep with me till time to get up.
its a small step.
the first night i didnt not sleep hardly any cause i kept checking the monitor..lol
but i LOVE then uninterrupted sleep..
sorry so long...

Jacque - posted on 05/07/2010

My daughter is 37 weeks old and she sleeps in her playpen in our room as well. I think you need to do whats comfortable for you. Check out the facebook site Ask Dr. Sears.

Amanda - posted on 05/07/2010

I say do what you feel most comfortable with! I did not start out intending to have my daughter sleep with us, but at the same time, I love it! Since I work out of the house, it's was just easier to bring her into our bed during the middle of the night....she was sleeping in her crib, then went through a spell of colds, ear infections, etc....back she came. I'm just about to make the move back to the crib again...but love to cuddle with her all night too. Enjoy having your daughter in your room, some day you'll have trouble getting her to sleep at home. LOL

Tarah - posted on 05/07/2010

SAME here! Our 8.5 daughter naps in her crib during the day, and has off and on slept in the playpen at night lately. Usually when my DH sleeps with me, b/c we're STILL trying to get our 3 yr. old twins to sleep on THEIR own (if that tells ya anything about letting them sleep wherever), in their own bed, he doesn't like for her to sleep in HER own crib and room. I guess he just feels if I'm the one by myself having to deal with making her sleep on her own, then he will turn a blind eye. Usually, it's myself, the baby and my 6 yr. old sleeping in our room. I must say, we've always co-slept, and I am SICK of it. Our entire marriage it feels, has been sleeping with children between or around us. I want my bed back! Amongst "other" things. LOL It's hard enough having 4 lil ones under the age of 6 around. But it's been the only way to attempt sleep the past 6 years.
I'll be honest with you. My 6 yr. old would have been fine sleeping in his own crib. We're, like you, paranoid parents. The twins, not so much, b/c they had their own issues. But the baby can sleep on her own. And I am starting to tell that she now has grown attached and understands she can manipulate us into letting her sleep in our room. LOL Ava has ALWAYS slept on her own, in her own bed. Whether it be the bassinet or playpen. I was firm on that. But now b/c of our ongoing paranoia, letting the kids sleep on their own, there may be consequences if I don't continue to put her in her crib at night as well. And I do have a monitor that I keep on all day and night.

Don't know if this helps, but I figured I would let ya know, you are not alone. I am paranoid, I'm a push over, I'm a mom ;) There's no right or wrong in this game.

Best of luck! And Happy Mother's Day!

Nichole - posted on 05/07/2010

My son will be 9 months on the 26th.. and he still sleeps in the packn play in my room also.. Mostly because I don't have a room for him as of yet, and there isn't enough room for a crib in my room... I think he's doing just fine, If im not in there for whatever reason, he still sleeps..

Jill - posted on 05/06/2010

I have fisher price and i love it!!! Never heard a neighbor and only get faint static if i'm in the backyard by the shed.

Jill - posted on 05/06/2010

I personally put my children in their cribs from the day we brought them home from the hospital. They are now 4 yrs old and 8 months and we have a wonderful bedtime routine. I got a lot of criticism for doing it though. I am hard of hearing when it comes to faint sounds so i bought a baby monitor WITH lights on it so that if i think i hear something in the middle of the night i can look at the monitor. The louder he cries, the more lights that come on. Sometimes i wake up becasue its my husband but as long as i don't see any of the lights on, i go back to bed. Hope this helps.

Emily - posted on 05/06/2010

If it works for you, no need to change it. I co-sleep with my baby at night, but she sleeps in her crib or other places for naps. It's fine. I don't think you're paranoid either.. I can't imagine not sleeping in the same room with my baby!

Renae - posted on 05/06/2010

I agree that a baby monitor my make you less anxious. Our boy is the same age as yours and has been in his cot since he grew out of his bassinet in the room next to ours. We have had no issues with him sleeping in there and I am comfortable that I can hear him now so we both sleep better at night. I can understand your hesitation though it took me a little while to get comfortable with the idea initially. Good luck!

Carley - posted on 05/06/2010

ok, off topic, kind of...


we will be moving soon, in a 1 bedrom now, so the option of Emma (8months) having her own room isn't really an option right now.
Hopeing to get a 2bedroom when we move (it will help us work things out- her dad and i aren't together, but working on getting things back to normal- i sleep in the bedroom, her crib is in here so she either sleeps in the crib, or on fussy teething nights in the bed with me, he sleeps in the living room on the couch :( ) anyways, yeah, hopeing to get a 2 bedroom so she has her own room, and we have ours, which will go a long way towards helping us.

My question is- what monitors do you gals use? i had a few i looked at that i liked, but read reviews of them being staticky, hearing neighbours, etc.
I want a good monitor, so i don't have to run in and check on her when she doesn't need me to, and so that we can get some "us" time.


I'm open to any and all suggestions- video monitors, audio ones, whatever. but please, any suggestions for brands to buy are more than welcome and needed :)
either reply to me on here, or send me a pm through circle of mom's, or an email carleygregg@hotmail.com


thanks for any help you can give me ladies, i really appreciate it :)

Becca - posted on 05/06/2010

Most monitors if positioned close enough to the crib and turned up all the way allow you to hear your child breathe. I found that if I was nervous about my son being okay I would listen on the monitor for his breathing and that would reassure me he was okay.

If you are really worried I would get yourself a video monitor. That way you can check on him without having to go in.

It does get easier.

Briana - posted on 05/05/2010

Use the monitor and trust it more. I do think its you hun, your baby will be fine with a monitor. My baby is the same age and he has been in his crib since he grew out of the bassinet. I have a cordless monitor that hangs with me through out the house while he sleeps, it is so clear and I can hear him breathing if I want to! It probably is soothing for her to know your there and that in my opinion can turn into an issue of her needing you there always while she sleeps, but dont stress, I really think you should try a good monitor again. Freedom!!! :)

Megan - posted on 05/05/2010

I have the opposite problem! I am (finally) comfortable with my daughter sleeping in her crib in her room but she refuses to! I have tried several times and she will sleep for maybe an hour and then wake up. Once she's comforted and calmed down she cries the second I lay her back in her crib, even if she was asleep! I usually give up after three times because I'm exhausted and put her back in her playpen. She sleeps fine in her playpen (in our room) and my husband doesn't mind. I'm just wondering if there is a window of time where they need to learn to sleep in their crib, or if you can wait until they are ready? If they ever are ready, lol. :o) Thanks so much!

Tonya - posted on 05/04/2010

I do have a baby monitor and your right it does help. But the couple of times I put her in her crib at night, I would wake up about 10 times to go and check on her. I would rationalize it as (just incase something was wrong). I do agree with you I don't want her in my room forever (neither does my husband). I think I will need to just get over my paranoia and put her in the crib at night.