[ElizabethS]

Ok so I know I've posted this before but....Ethan still has NEVER slept through the night. He has never woken up just once. He wakes 2-3 times a night between 12-6am and eats.

He's still in my bed.

We need to get him in his own bed. I think it's cruel to let him cry BUT when I rock him to sleep and put in the pack n play by our bed, he wakes up immediately screaming like Frankenstein. I can rock him to sleep, lay him down, 100X and if I don't put him in my bed, he wakes up immediately. So my only option seems to be to let him cry himself to sleep, and comfort him occasionally. BUT I can't follow through with this. I can't bear to hear him cry even 60 seconds much less the hour or two it will prob. take for him to fall asleep.

I wouldn't even think of putting him in his own bed except for 2 things (1) he seems to be waking up a lot when I move or my husband moves and I think he'd actually sleep BETTER and LONGER in his own crib once he gets used to the idea, and (2) my intimate life is really suffering.

So what the heck do I do?

[shockandawe]

Ya let him do it. I think this is one of those times when you have to be tougher than he is. Sounds like he knows that if he peeps up, someone will come running. Make sure he's ok...have DH try it during the day a few times to get him used to the space in the daytime...and keep doing it. consistency is the only way I think you're going to win this battle.

As long as you know there's nothing wrong and he's not let to go for hours on end, you're not hurting him. I think the key is getting naps down first though. Good luck.

[Jule'sMomInOR]

I'm no help. Juliana still sleeps with us and wakes up multiple times throughout the night, and I don't let her cry at all. I just figure she'll grow out of it eventually so I'm hanging in there. I guess you have to figure out what you think will work best for your family.

[nevergivingup]

I'm no help either Elizabeth. I'm in the same boat as you and kind of on the fence. Aidyen does the same thing that Ethan does and I don't even bother trying to get him in his bed because its just easier to keep him with me and nurse him, but it sounds like Ethan would sleep better in his own bed. Maybe just try letting him fuss for a few minutes and take it from there. I mean I am against CIO also but fussing won't hurt him. You have to do what's best for him and your family

[Hollybear]

I have no advice, but when Sophie was having some of her hardest nights this article always made me feel better! Everything You Know About Sleeping Through the Night Is Wrong | The Stir

Once Sophie "graduated" from swaddling, a Halo Sleepsack really helped. Also, having a solid nighttime routine helps us too.

I will be honest and say if you truly want him in his own room/crib, at this age it WILL take some crying, especially at his age now. This is one of the main reasons why I refused to co-sleep because that is a hard habit to break. Im all for co-sleeping if your truly ok with allowing them to sleep with you for as long as they like just because habits form very very early and as they get older it is harder.


Only thing I can say is make it a priority for him to be in his crib no matter what. He will need to cry some, even if it's only 5 minutes at a time, and it will take a week or so before it begins to work. Oh and a set routine might help too. Good luck.

[Genesis 33-5]

I really don't have any advice either but I do agree with Hollybear & KaiX2momma... We swaddled M&M until they were 3 months old, and then we started putting them in the Halo Sleep Sacks. They never did sleep with us, but slept in our room in their pack n play until they were 5 months old. Then we transitioned to their cribs where they still co-slept until about 7 months old. Then the playing started, so we put them in seperate cribs. Honestly, they seem much more happier with their own space We have crying episodes, and DH is MUCH better with letting them cry than I am.... I am the "rescuer" They totally know that mommy is wrapped around their little finger....

[TxgirlinKy]

I don't know much about co-sleeping but I do know about letting them cry and it working. My son has always had a really hard time falling asleep and we would have to go in all through the night to help him get back to sleep. At about 6 months old we tried letting him cry and it didn't work. We let him cry an hour and a half for several nights and it never got easier for him. He would cry for the same length every night. We gave up and went back to rocking etc.
At 8 months old, after th worst of his teething had past, we did it again. The first night he cried an hour and a half again but the second night it was only 15 minutes. Now it is usually just a few minutes.
I know how hard it is to do. My husband had to be the strong one and watched him on the monitor while I covered my head with a pillow and tried not to cry too.
I will say also that if we tried the method of going in occasionally and patting him, then it only madeit take much longer. I recommend just going cold turkey.
Good luck to you. It sucks for everyone but once it was over his sleep is so much better overall so I know it was worth it.

[Lilly Bella]

it doesn't have to take crying but you do have to sacrifice your own sleep for a few days. i explained how in your other thread. and yes i know you might have to lay him back down 100 times. like i said, you will have to sacrifice your own sleep...if you aren't willing to do that and aren't willing to let him cry, then there's really nothing else you can do.

[Vincent'sMommy]

I'm with Mariah. He's still mainly in our bed. He'll sleep a little while in his crib, maybe a couple hours on a good night, but I'd rather not keep getting up with him when he keeps waking up every 30-60 minutes after that so he just sleeps with us. He's usually the one moving and waking us up after a couple of hours so then Vincent an I move to the couch for the rest of the morning. I would love for him to be a crib sleeper but our situation isn't to the point where I'm willing to lose sleep for a couple of weeks to make it happen. I'm just secretly hoping he'll get to be a heavier sleeper as he gets older.

[Jule'sMomInOR]

Originally Posted by Lilly Bella

it doesn't have to take crying but you do have to sacrifice your own sleep for a few days. i explained how in your other thread. and yes i know you might have to lay him back down 100 times. like i said, you will have to sacrifice your own sleep...if you aren't willing to do that and aren't willing to let him cry, then there's really nothing else you can do.

Which other thread is this? I need this information. LOL.

[nat1970]

I can email you a copy of sleep sense if you pm me your address. It is essentially CIO, but in small doses and helps with the process. I've never had a problem with getting mine to sleep because I've never rocked them to sleep so they were never used to it, but a friend of mine did and read my copy and it helped them. You can always read and maybe just take a few things from it. You definitely don't want to be like my BFF who still has her 7 yr old sleeping with them and they have to go to the sofa to DTD. Just crazy.

[*BabyMaMa*]

I dealt with this last week. I established a routine, like Holly said, by rocking Leah for no more than five minutes (after bath time, reading, snuggling), and placing her in her crib still awake. She would cry a bit, but eventually fall asleep on her own.

I've heard of a lot of people using a technique of sitting on the floor with their back turned to the crib, so that baby will know mommy is still there, and it's okay to lay down and go to bed. I've never tried that, but maybe it'll help with your anxiety (if you decide to let him cry).

[Daffodil]

I need to figure this out too. I have a feeling she won't sleep in her crib in crib-form, ever. I think she MIGHT sleep in it if its a toddler-bed, but I don't know how early I can put her in a toddler bed. I've read some people do it as early as 14 months and some not until their kid is 3.

Originally Posted by Daffodil

I need to figure this out too. I have a feeling she won't sleep in her crib in crib-form, ever. I think she MIGHT sleep in it if its a toddler-bed, but I don't know how early I can put her in a toddler bed. I've read some people do it as early as 14 months and some not until their kid is 3.

I had Kaitlyn in a toddler bed at 14ish months and then a twin bed close to 18-20 months ( i forget exact) because she hated the toddler bed and would sneak into the spare room and sleep in the big twin so I just gave her the twin. She was ready. I just dont see Kaileigh being ready that age though. I will try as soon as she knows how to get on and off things the right way though.

[Wren]

Originally Posted by *BabyMaMa*

I dealt with this last week. I established a routine, like Holly said, by rocking Leah for no more than five minutes (after bath time, reading, snuggling), and placing her in her crib still awake. She would cry a bit, but eventually fall asleep on her own.

I've heard of a lot of people using a technique of sitting on the floor with their back turned to the crib, so that baby will know mommy is still there, and it's okay to lay down and go to bed. I've never tried that, but maybe it'll help with your anxiety (if you decide to let him cry).

This sounds like what we did. I used to have to rock Stella to sleep, but I started rocking her until she was half asleep, and then putting her in her crib. Now sometimes she fusses for a couple minutes, but she goes to sleep on her own. Sometimes when she is falling asleep I will stand over her crib and smile at her for a few minutes because if I leave right away she will scream. If she doesn't go to sleep quickly and starts crying, I will go in after 5 or 10 minutes and pick her up and rock her until she calms down, and then lay her down again. It takes a lot of repetition at first, but now I normally don't have to go back in, and if I do it is only once.

For her naps I still have to rock her to sleep. Her schedule isn't consistent enough during the day so if she starts crying she can keep it going for a long time without falling asleep. Sometimes she gets really fussy and overtired and fights me when I try to rock her so I will have to put her down and let her scream herself to sleep, but I try to avoid that.

[Wren]

I forgot to add - have you ever tried transferring him to the crib after he has been asleep in your bed for an hour or so? I think once he has settled into a deep sleep you might have more success. He sounds like me Whenever I am in a new bed in a hotel or visiting friends I absolutely cannot sleep. It takes me about 3 nights to be able to sleep in a new place.

[Jule'sMomInOR]

Originally Posted by KaiX2Momma

I had Kaitlyn in a toddler bed at 14ish months and then a twin bed close to 18-20 months ( i forget exact) because she hated the toddler bed and would sneak into the spare room and sleep in the big twin so I just gave her the twin. She was ready. I just dont see Kaileigh being ready that age though. I will try as soon as she knows how to get on and off things the right way though.

What's the difference between a toddler bed and regular twin bed?

A toddler bed is a lot more little then a twin. It sits like 5 inches from the floor

Toddler bed-

Twin bed-


A toddler bed holds a baby crib mattress. Thats how little it is.

[Karlie]

I moved Luca by letting him fall asleep with a bottle or me bouncing him to sleep like always and then putting him to bed while he was fully asleep. When he woke up through the night I would rock him back to sleep. In the last few weeks I have been putting him to bed fully awake, turning the radio on and walking out. If he cries I stay with him and stroke his forehead or pat him, but often I can just leave him to it. It's been super easy transitioning him out of our bed and knock on wood, he's slept through the night for the last 3 weeks (apart from a bout of teething related screaming at 9pm last night).
There is a book called the 'no-cry sleep solution' that you might want to read. I read it when Noah was a baby and can't remember the details but I think it's a lot like Kristen's method (and mine I guess).
I wouldn't let a baby at this age cry it out. It's just such a hard age with teeth and other stuff going on, how would you know when they are just fighting sleep or geniunely hurting. Or you might let them cry for a few nights, get them into a good routine and then 4 weeks later you're back to square one because they're teething or something, and all the old habits return.