Sleep routines & Sleep Training?

Nicola - posted on 12/07/2009

I still swaddle my baby and she is almost 8 months, she loves the comfort of being wrapped up. Though saying that she normally has her arms out within 1 minute of falling asleep. What your doing sounds fine, though you may want to stop rocking her, just wrap her up put her in the cot and pat her on the opposite shoulder to the side you are standing, if she starts crying pat her faster and more firmer, as she calms and is starting closing her eyes, slow patting until you are just resting your hand on her shoulder. I then say good night or good sleep and leave the room.
I only started this technique when she was 6 months but i wish i knew it earlier as now im battling because she can not settle herself. I got this technique from the BabyBliss book, it is also online as well, i think its www.babybliss.com.au.

Jessica - posted on 12/07/2009

if you want to stop swaddling her do it gradually, so leave on arm out then the next night the other arm out then let her sleep just her bottem half wrapped for a few nights the you should be able to transfer her into a sleeping bag, they can be very snuggy for them and still feel the secuity of being wrapped. this is what i did with my son cos he would wriggle out of his wrap at night and wake up, so i was re wrapping all night. my son is 4 months old now and he loves his sleeping bag and he knows when he goes in it its sleep time. If you want to stop the rocking then you will have to do this gradually, i was having to rock my son and was thinking what the heck am i gonna do when hes too big to rock, so i started working with him to fall asleep without rocking when he was 2 months old, the old she gets the harder it will be to break the habbit. try putting her in bed when she is just starting to fall asleep rather than rocking her completely to sleep, once she is used to that, you can try putting her in bed and just patting her bum rubbing her belly. this is how i started, then one day i put my son down in his bassinett while i went and got the washing out the washing machine and he was whinging a bit and i was calliung out to him 'hang on a minute, mummys comming' then he just stopped, mind you i was still talking to him so he knew i was near, and when i went to get him he was asleep!! i couldnt believe it, so from then on i would put him to bed awake he would whinge for about 2-3minutes and then asleep. i thought thats not too bad, hes not crying himself to sleep so i was okay with this.

Now i put him in his sleeping bag, put him in bed, tuck him in, kiss him and by the time i walk out he is usually asleep. Because she has been rocked this is her was of knowing its time to sleep, so you need to give her clear messages it sleep time soon, like a bath routine in the evening, and do it the same time each night. My son is also on a feeding and sleeping routine through the day so not too sure if that help at all.

they are just my experiences with my son i know rocking can get a bit annoying after as while, but if your still happy to do then keep doing it, its not a bad thing that you do she obviously loves it, just do whats right for you,

good luck =)

Alicia - posted on 12/07/2009

For our bedtime routine, I give her a bath, (alternating every other night with soap so she doesn't get dry skin). Then I nurse her while we rock until she falls asleep or I notice cues from her that she's satisfied. Then I lay her in her cradle (in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom) and snuggle the blankets around her. I quit swaddling her a week or two ago, she is 11weeks old now. The reason I stopped swaddling her was because she started getting frustrated being wrapped up and was always unswaddled by the morning anyway.

One more thing, when I lay her down, I do it when she is drowsy, and I play her teddy bear with "womb" sounds. It plays rain, ocean wave, wind, or heart beat. I also turn her lullabies from Fisher-Price on. The teddy stops after 45mnutes, and the music plays until we get up in the morning.

She is breastfed only and sleeps on avg 8 hours, wakes up to nurse and then sleeps for 4 more hours before she seems ready for her day.

BUT I do have to say one thing.... If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Sarah - posted on 12/07/2009

keep doing what you are doing! She is too young for sleep training..I wouldn't start it until 6 months or so.

Tiffany Jill - posted on 12/07/2009

babycenter.com is awesome

Tiffany Jill - posted on 12/07/2009

plz ignire my bad typing im extremly sleep depravated and having trouble concentrating..colic is a nightmare!

Audrey - posted on 12/07/2009

I just read something on this but I am not sure what it said to do to break the swaddling habit. Have you ever checked out babycenter.com? I love that website. I think you have to do what works for you. Every baby is different. Everyone always tries to give me advice on sleep and we don't have the best method but we ended up doing what we had to do for us all to get rest...so yeah she sleeps with us!:) My baby would not sleep in her bassinet so we tried the crib, her swing, a bouncy seat, everything. At 7 months we are starting to work on some new things but its a hard process. Good luck! Wish I could be more help.

Gwen - posted on 12/07/2009

Why in the heck would you even consider sleep training?!! Lol :-)

You have an infant who sleeps 8-9 hours straight. That is awesome!! If she likes being swaddled, keep doing it. Stick w/ what's working.

Tiffany Jill - posted on 12/07/2009

what is her eating habbits like? hav u tried puttin her on a strict bottle routin? l find a warm bath and bottles always help my lil man sleep. atm he stil jus over a month old but hes got colic n up all night and day. i feed him like . 6am then 9 ten 12 then 3 then 6 and so on occasoinaly misisng bottles. try puttin her on a strict routine to help her settle? on puttin a dvd on for her to fall asleep to. i also found a colohured flashin light reali helps