Sleeping - Sacramento,CA

Babies need to put themselves to sleep~so it is better to put them in their bed before they are completely asleep. Some babies have their thumb or fingers to suck, others have a pacifier, others like to touch or hold a blanket with the silky part around it, etc.Babies also like to hear music so a wind up music maker attached to the crib is safe. With SIDS no stuffed toys in bed and the blanket should be tucked into the bottom of the crib so baby can't pull it over his/her head. Once baby is in bed with Mom, it is really difficult to get them to sleep in thier crib. Don't pick baby up but do comfort him/her by touching and talking to them. They will learn to sleep on thier own but it takes time.
F.

hummm. maybe something spooked him? since he is verbal you can try to ask him, but I would not put the idea into his head about being afraid bc if that is not the issue after you mention it, it might be. you know him best so you will know how to talk to him about it. did your work sched. change? maybe he feels like he misses you and craves more time from you? maybe you can be sure to spend a bit longer one on one time with him. did you always put him in bed asleep? or are you just doing this now to see if it helps? bc if this is a new thing maybe that is the problem, maybe he is all happy and cozy in your arms and then naturally does not like to be put in the bed? hope some of this helps, good luck

Get his ears checked. My son behaved EXACTLY the same way with his first ear infection. No other signs. No fever, no tugging on the ear no reduced appetite just screaming when I put him in his crib. Turns out the pressure can get really intense when they lay down flat (so it isn't really the crib itself as much as being completely flat). He actually ended up screaming so hard he burst his opposite ear drum when I tried (on the advice of other moms) to let him cry for ten minutes and see if he'd sooth himself.

It's worth a trip to the doctor just to find out if this is really a behavioral issue or something else... Even if it is behavioral, most sleep training programs don't recommend "cry it out" this young.

Hope this helps.

Is he sleeping well if you take him to bed with you- if so that kinda rules out ear infection, unless you are letting him sleep propped against you are something. So it is more the comfort of your presence then a health issue. This is a time of growth and change so chances are you might not really be able to do anything about it. If he is not waking because he is hungry or wet try to comfort him while he is still in his crib. Sing to him, rub his tummy and head,giving him a pacifier (if you use them) etc. Lighted and sound mobiles work well too. Did the lighting change in his room at all? Even something as simple as always leaving a hall light on because you know you have to get up to feed him- then shutting it off because he is now starting to sleep through the night, can affect them. Good luck- hope this helps. I know you need some sleep too.

Hi B.,
My son is 3.5, almost 4 months old too and the last week has been really challenging. I think there are just major developmental milestones happening right now that make it hard for them to settle down. My son has started freaking out when I put the sleep sack on him at night. He's developed an association between the sleep sack and mommy leaving him in the dark room. He sleeps in a co-sleeper by our bed so he's not alone for long, but I don't think that registers.
One thing that has really helped us was getting a "Sleep Sheep." It's a white noise machine inside a cute stuffed sheep. It has four sounds (we like rain best) and it just provides some background soothing. It's become part of his routine and I can see that it really helps. Also, it's not an expensive product ($25 - 30).
Good luck. I'm sure we'll sleep again some day.
A.
p.s. Just thought of another thing that helps-- I warm his bed with a heating pad before he goes down (take pad out when I put him down of course).

How long are you giving him to cry before you go back in?

I had to give my daughter about 30 min before she calmed down and dozed off, but I know how hard that is to do!

Is there any chance he has an ear infection? Has he been congested lately? Laying down flat puts pressure on the ears and can really hurt when they have an ear infection.

Good luck,
K.

Oooops, sorry, he's 3.5 MONTHS old.
I couldn't delete my answer below, sorry.
(are you feeding him on demand? 3 Months old is a major growth-spurt time.... and intake needs increases. Or gas? Ear infection? Separation Anxiety? Hunger? Some sort of pain? )

You said he refuses to sleep in his bed... is anything wrong with his bed? Has he verbalized why he is crying/screaming when you put him to bed? Have you asked him? He's 3.5 and he can probably say something about it or the reason...

Next, is he having night-mares perhaps? At this age this happens.

Is he afraid of the dark or does he have any nigh time fears? At this age it happens.

Did anything happen to him recently that may have affected him?

Where was he sleeping before this? In his room or yours?

Try to figure these things out.... before assuming he's doing it on purpose. Maybe something is wrong. I don't believe he is just trying to be difficult.

All the best,
Susan