baby not falling asleep on his own

Joeli - posted on 12/08/2009

Sorry Ladies, I do not agree with a baby not being spoilt. They are 7 months old now, and they are totally aware of what is happening and their surroundings, including their mums etc. It probably is going to be a MUCH more difficult taks now, that your baby is 7 months old. You need to understand that your baby is has been used to this process of sleeping for a long time now, and you cant just expect it to be as easy as letting them cry and they are going to fall asleep. My lil girl was taught from about 6 weeks old to fall asleep on her own, i would let her do her cry (which is one with breaks) which to me meant i want you in here with me mummy!! i would go back in and soothe her by rubbing her on her tummy and putting her dummy in and saying the exact same thing everytime i put her to bed which was "Sleep time Taya, Mummy and Daddy love you" It took a couple of days and she would then go down with no hassles. It is different if you child is crying histerically though, soothe them in your arms and i think its important you put your baby in their cot awake, even slightly awake. Rock them in their cot, sit beside the cot, then slowly each time make your way out of the room. It definitely doesnt happen over night, but let me tell you it is so much easier if they dont need YOU to put them to sleep, that way they are not so dependant on you. My lil girl still looks at me and smiles too. Its not good for your baby to be totally reliant on you, what happens if something happens and you need to go away for a few days or something, that is not fair on the child.

Good luck and i hope it all turns out, it gets frustrating doing the same thing over and over, but i promise if you persist, the baby will eventually just think well mums not giving in so i will just learn to go to sleep by itself. It will happen, but if you continue to give in, they will be harder and harder, because i personally believe they are smart enough to know whats going on.

Brandi - posted on 12/08/2009

I agree. I don't think that a baby can be spoiled just by the mother meeting their needs. When a baby cries, I think that it is because they have a problem they need you to fix, whether it be that they are hungry, hurting, dirty, hot, cold, uncomfortable, or just plain lonely. As a mother of a VERY VERY clingy baby, I sympathize and totally relate to your desire to get your baby to sleep alone. I too am desperate for a full night of good uninterrupted sleep ... but I also want to be sure when the morning comes that I have done my job during the night. My daughter smiles at me as soon as she sees me, all the time, without fail. And when someone else is holding her anywhere near me, she almost flings herself out of their arms to get to her "mama". This means that I am doing what I am supposed to do ... and I am sure that you are, too. So don't worry ... this too shall pass.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 12/08/2009

I agree that babies cry for a reason. A lot of people tell you that they should be able to self soothe by a certain age or should be sleeping through a night by a certain age. When someone asks about their child not crawling/sitting up/talking etc. the response is usually 'they will do it when they're ready.' Well, why can't babies sleep through the night or self soothe when they're ready? Here's a link about CIO and some research done about it:
http://drbenkim.com/articles-attachment-...

Here are some helpful links about sleep from Dr. Sears. I found the link: '31 ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep' very helpful.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100...

Sarah - posted on 12/08/2009

Hi,



My 6 month old daughter went through a stage like that and people told me to leave her as I was spoiling her, I don't agree that you can 'spoil' a baby and if they are crying they are crying for a reason and just want to be soothed by their mum. Not long after going through this stage a couple of teeth started appearing, so I put it down to her being in pain at the time, I found dentinox really helped before letting her nap, giving her a cuddle until she seemed to start getting sleepy and then putting her down just before she fell asleep. I used to put the TV on with cartoons so if she woke up when I was in a different room, she wouldnt feel alone. This seems to have worked so far with me.

She has got a lot better recently so I think it's prob just a stage they go through. Good Luck and I hope it gets better soon for you xx