1 year old sleeping arrangments.

Lucille - posted on 06/04/2010

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Hi -
we also use a routine. feed at 5-5:30, play for half an hour, bath at 6-6:30, feed and wind down from 6:30 - 7:15, go to his room rock for two seconds while I kiss him goodnight with the lights off then put him down. I avoid all eye contact though once he is down, as if I look at him he will moan for me. I just turn around and walk out.
You have to stick to it though, even if your baby cries. Perhaps time it, and at first every 5 minutes go in and rock him for a second then put him down. Don't let the baby fall asleep in your arms.

Rebekah - posted on 06/03/2010

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You can: swaddle him less and less, hold him but rock him less and less, lay him down drowsy but awake, or do the controlled crying thing. If you are consistent any of the above should work. Some things would obviously take much longer, but that's a matter of what you prefer.

I've taught my daughter to be comfortable falling asleep in her own bed from early on. I do nurse my daughter and rock her a little before putting her down to sleep, but she's usually awake when I put her into her crib. The times that she might not be quite ready to go to sleep she'll cry a little, but it's usually just a protest cry (like, "mama I want to play not sleep!") When she was just learning to fall asleep we did the controlled crying and within a week she could put herself to sleep.

Jay - posted on 06/03/2010

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i know its hard to leave them crying but if you stick with it he'll be going to sleep himself. My own opinion is that if your staying in the room with them when are they gonna grow out of needing you when they go to sleep. I don't think it is abondoning your child because if your going back and forth they know your still there. My wee boy at about 6 months starting getting upset when i put him down and oh me did he scream some nights it would take an hour others it would take 2 but as i've said its worth it in the end. I get time to myself in the evening and a good nights sleep. If you do try it stick to it though don't do a couple of nights and give up that'll just confuse him.

Amelia - posted on 06/03/2010

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Do not let him cry alone in his crib!!!! Most young children are just not developementally ready to fall asleep without some help. Babies need to be taught how to sleep, not forced and abandoned!
I lay my daughter downand keep my hand on her so that she knows i am there, sometimes she needs me to pat her back and hum quietly to get her to relax. It used to take 20 minutes for her to get into a deep enough sleep that i could leave without her waking, but now it only takes 5 or 10.

Maybe try rocking him until he is sleepy but still awake a bit, then laying him down but keeping your hand on him so he is still comforted.

Reading this may help as well:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t070300...

Wendy - posted on 06/03/2010

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Hi Leanne
I used to swaddle my son, stopped doing that one week and still rocked him to sleep and then when he was about 11 months old I said to myself I can't keep doing this. So like some of the others suggested I tried the controlled crying, now he has his bath with Daddy, comes downstairs, Daddy reads stories and then I get the milk and say it's bedtime up we go I do still hold him tight and give him his milk, wind him and a few cuddles mummy loves you, if you need mummy then just call now he even points to his cot so I put him down, and say goodnight, he usually sits up and smiles but he didn't to begin with. I understand it's hard to let them cry it's horrible to hear them cry but eventually he will stop crying and calm down, I used to go into him and say it's bedtime and give him a cuddle and put him back. But you really need to make up your mind to do it then give it a proper go, I bet he'll be settling himself after a week of torture x

Heather - posted on 06/03/2010

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My 1yr old boy doesn't fall asleep himself either. While it is a pain, I know it's not the worst thing to snuggle him till he's drifted off. It won't be long till he won't want me in his bedroom at all. Enjoy the time you have with him. No matter what we do, there is always someone or something to say it should have been done different.

Ricky - posted on 06/02/2010

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I think like most things, you may need to wean him off, don't swaddle him as tight one night and every night or couple nights loosen it a little bit more, eventually he wont need to be swaddled.

My son was a rock-a-baby too for the longest time too. like other moms say you need to start a routine. I used to have to rock him to sleep, so one night I held him in my lap while reading him books, eventually after many many books he fell asleep, I kept at it everynight and slowly the amount of books I had to read became less and less. I can now get away with one or two books and he is asleep, once he is asleep I move him to his crib and if he wakes during the move I lay him down and continue reading to him. Eventually I will start reading to him when he is in his crib instead of my lap, but i have to wean him into that yet.

For the staying up til midnight, cut out his last nap if possible. My son used to nap at 6-7ish than stay up til 11ish. He is now not allowed to nap after 6 and he will go to bed 8-9ish.

Leanne - posted on 06/02/2010

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Thanks. I tried it last night. But he wouldnt calm down. He kept screaming and woke my neighbors up. He doesnt want to go to bed until midnight most nights. and its really hard on me. I just want him to sleep by himself lol.

Jay - posted on 06/02/2010

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the best thing would be to have a good bedtime routine my little boy has his supper about 6 and goes into the bath after. He gets his pjs on and he gets to play for an hour or so then has his bottle and goes down after. Swaddling and rocking them i think is a bad habit to get into you need to be strong and put them down in their cot. If they cry when you leave the room leave them to cry for 15 mins or so. If they're still crying after this time go in give them a cuddle to settle them down and put them back in the cot, i know its alot of running back and forth but it is well worth it in the end. My little boy was falling asleep himself from about 2 weeks because i've just stuck to this routine. He now goes down at 8 and falls asleep himself. I have one of them v-tech teddies that play bedtime music i put that on for about 5 mins and it always works. Hope this helps

Isaac - posted on 06/01/2010

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Okay it is going to be really hard at first but that is what you are going to have to do. You need to decide on a routine and stick to it. We take a bath, then I read him a book while he drinks his milk then we brush his teeth and I give him a big hug and say night night mommy loves you and lay him down. We have been doing this since 6 months and he doesnt cry anymore. It will take at least a week to get to the point where they understand. Let them cry and then after about ten minutes calmly walk in, lay them down tell them its bed time and walk back out. The second time just lay them down, dont say anything. It took my nephew almost an hour of this the first night. If it is close to ten minutes and you hear the crying dieing down don't go in. Just let it go because then they are probably falling asleep and going in will only take it back to the beginning. Good Luck!!