How Do I Get My 3 Month Old to Sleep on His Own and Transition Him to Crib?

I have a 4 yr old daughter and a 4 month old daughter. We went through something similar recently with the 4 month old. For her, she wanted to be held, so we simulated it by tucking rolled-up recieving blankets against her body (from her armpits to her thighs) and then tucking a blanket snugly around her to keep them snug up against her. That's how we started, about 2 months ago, and now she doesn't need it anymore, but sometimes falls asleep faster at night if we do the snug blanket.
So, my advice is - look at the physical set up of the bassinet - what might be freaking him out is suddenly all this huge space around him. Is there something you can do to make the crib feel more like the bassinet? Roll up a blanket or sheet and make a perimeter around him, maybe? Over time you can move it further away from him and then remove it completely.
Another thought: maybe he needs to get used to the new room - in that case, move the bassinet into that room and put him to sleep in it as you've been, then gradually move him over to the crib for naps and then bedtime.
I would also put him in the crib on occasion to look around for a few minutes when you are in the room doing something else, putting away his clothes, or just sit down for a minute. Stand next to the crib so he can see you if he fusses, put the mobile on, whatever works to get him used to being in there.
Try a couple of things, try them more than once and Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

To get our daughter used to being in her own room and eventually into her own crib we slowly transitioned her. Her bassinet was first by our bed until we decided it was time. After that, each night, we moved the bassinet farther away, down to the end of the bed, over to the door, into the hallway, into her room, etc.. We let her sleep in the bassinet in her own room next to her crib for a few nights and then finally into the crib. I don't know if this will work for you but it did for us and now the only place she will sleep is in her crib ;) Good luck.

Hi K.:

Anytime you make changes in a child's life, it takes time to adjust. For you and your family and also for the child.

If you want to get him out of the bed, then you have to put him there and be consistant. If you have met all of his needs, then be consistant and put him where you want him to sleep. The consistancy must be maintained be all of the members of the family. Children learn by the repetitave doing of the same thing. It will be noisy and uncomfortable for a while, but you are training him that this is where he is to sleep.

Hi,

My 2 year old had no problem transitioning from the bassinet to the crib. However my 1 year old did. We started off with the bassinet in her room and she was fine with that. She wouldn't sleep in the crib. She sleeps with a body pillow down one side of her crib, even now. Which I find funny because when I put her in my bed she has no problem with the wide space. We tried removing the pillow a few weeks ago and she had a fit.

I thinking making the space in the crib smaller will work for you. Another thing that might work is rubbing your scent on his favorite blanket or something that he holds close and place that in the crib with him. Oh, I forgot for my 2 year old I did play music at night for her. We played the baby Einsteins classical collection, lullabies, and some music I found at the dollar store for deep sleep. It was soothing for her as well as us (we could hear it through the monitor).