So What About Nap Time?

Hi my name is J. i have a 1yr old and i don't really have any help for you my daughter does sleep in her crib now and i did start her with naps in her crib then nightime in her crib i felt that naps were easier to break her in then at night. mostly to get her used to her crib and room. i am also struggling with getiing her to sleep though. she wont just lay down and go to sleep and it has been taking me an hr to put her down going back and forth between crying for 15 min and calming her by rocking her. this is hard for me as well so i guess i am mostly saying you are not alone:) and good luck oh ya and keep working on this because it only gets harder the older they get!!!!

I have an almost identical situation with my 8 month old little guy - a couple of months ago he was sleeping in his crib and crying it out for only about 10 minutes. Then through various vacation and illness related things - he's in bed with us and does not want to sleep alone.

Many kind ladies from this site suggested letting him cry it out (which did work for him previously). We're still in the thick of it but crying it out seems to be working again. The comprimise we've made is to verbally comfort him at 5 min, then at 10, then at 15 etc. and sit with the door open just enough we can see in but he can't see us. It's not easy and we take shifts when one parent gets frayed nerves, but we both have faith that in a few weeks things will look better.

Good Luck!

With my son we used to just put him in the crib when he was tired. After a few days of crying he will learn to go to sleep. We did the same for bed time. Now that he is 20 months old when it's nap time and bed time we do the same routine. Doing the same consistent thing helps them know this is time to sleep.

Good luck

I feel you pain. We struggled with naptimes and bedtime for quite awhie. I was able to nurse my daughter to sleep for many months and then it just didn't work anymore and soon I was rocking forever, only to have her wake up screaming when she touched the crib. I also understand the willful child, as my daughter would scream forever - there was just no winding down. The cry it out method just didn't work for us and I really wasn't up for it.

At 9 months we ended up using a method recommended by the Baby Whisperer, Tracy Hogg. This is what we did. We'd do the nighttime routine or naptime routine (shorter version) IE - bath, book, bottle, bed. We'd set her down in her crib and turn around and walk out. She'd immediately get up and cry/scream..but we'd give it a few minutes, at least 2 minutes - up to 5 minutes. Then we'd go back in, pick her up and comfort her - till she was drowsy, just starting to get starey eyed or closing her eyes - and then set her back down again in the crib and walk out. She, of course, would scream but you walk out and give her a few minutes. You might have heard of it, but basically this is the PickUp-PutDown method. You repeat this process until baby falls asleep.

I knew the first night would be rough and it took us 10-12 times of this PUPD before she went to sleep. The book warns you to be ready to do this for several nights in a row. We chose to start it on a Friday and work with it at each naptime/bedtime through the weekend. For us, we got lucky and it really only took a couple days. Baby woke 2 more times during the night, at which we repeated PUPD consistently. Also, just like other methods when you go in - its important to simply tell baby "Its time to sleep" or something like that, but not to talk much - in order to give baby the message its time to sleep.

We did this at naps too. I have to say, after the initial night I saw results the very next day at her naptime. She was much much easier to put down. However, it might take you longer if your baby isn't use to their crib. You also might want to think about incorporating a "lovey" type security blanket or item at this time. Set it next to them each night and you might be surprised how quickly they grab onto it for comfort.

I liked this method as it allowed me to go in and pick up / comfort my chid without just letting her cry it out for however long. I knew instinctively just patting her back but not picking her up wouldn't work for us. I just have a very determined child. So, this let her be comforted in my arms, but not too long and also gave her the message.

I am happy to say its been about six weeks and my daughter has been sleeping through the night consistently and goes down much much easier. We have a few setbacks when she got sick, but we just kept up with PUPD and she was back on track.

You might want to check out the book or google it online for more info, but basically that is what we did. Good Luck. I know its so hard and such a struggle.

My oldest stopped taking naps when he was six months. BUT, he slept all night in his crib for twelve straight hours so I figured it was a good trade off and wasn't going to complain! (I transitioned him from my bed to his crib at six months, too.)

If I were you, I'd get bed time squared away before you try to change things up for nap time. I used the CIO method with two of my three boys. (The third one has always gone down without a fuss.) And by cry it out, I do mean that literally because I cried with the first one, too. For the second one, I put him in his crib and went to take a long and noisy shower. My most stubborn child took three nights - but each night involved less time before he went to sleep. Once he went down easily at night, I found that he went down easily for his nap, too.

Just remember that all babies are different (even the CIO people with multiple kids will tell you that). Your baby might not do well with CIO. Not all do; and some relapse repeatedly. Like any other method, it does not fit all children. Our child is perfectly capable of screaming for hours until she collapses from sheer exhaustion and sadness, so it's not a tool we use. If your child has a persistent (hard to distract) and reactive (puts a lot of energy into emotional responses) personality, I wouldn't even bother.

Either way, the advice seen repeatedly all over MamaSource, regardless of topic, often boils down to 1) go with your gut and 2) remember this is a short period compared to all the rest of your time together; it will end or change soon!

Sorry, but I just can't understand all of you young mothers that do this.. It makes no sense. A new born will sleep anywhere so why start the sleeping with you thing. No you have a problem. I can't believe that your husbands put up with this. That bed is for mom and dad, husband and wife. Dr. Phil would be all over this.

Hi, M.,
Naps. Moms: Aren't they the biggest battle for us?! ;P

My oldest son who is now 2 1/2 years old fought naps like that too. I remember sitting out in the living room, listening to him scream for an hour or so. It's not my preferred training method, but often it is the only option. He slept in our bed til he was 7 months old and then I started training him to the bassinet. He sleeps really deeply and well now (though not more that 10 or 11 hours at night)but I wouldn't want to go through it again. Keep at it. He'll get the clue eventually. You don't want a monster on your hands. Commit your time to training him to sleep. You will ALL be happier. Just tell yourself, "It's for his good too!" cause if you aren't happy you start resenting and you don't enjoy him so much.

I have an 8 month old too. And you know what? He sleeps really well already! I tried an experiment (I didn't want to share my bed with him for weeks and I wanted my husband back too, plus I felt great and could get up and nurse him just fine) At three weeks we worked on naps in the bassinet, then nights (he'd still wake up 2-3 times a night of course). He did really well. I do think it's easier to start as soon as possible for me. :P Anyway, at about 6 months when I started feeling like I wanted my ROOM back and my sleep, I started putting him to bed in his crib in another room. He did beautifully. I let him cry for awhile as long as it's just yelling. The screaming just isn't right, but like I said sometimes to keep your sanity you've gotta let them learn. At least, he's healthy enough to scream! Finally, Jason is alternating between sleeping all the way through the night to waking up once. I feel so much more human!

Anyway, I hope that helps! Just a few things I've learned.
Happy sleeping!

I also feel your pain, and days like you mentioned are really really hard to go through... Personally I am a fan of Dr Sears and natural attachment parenting..Have you tried reading your son books before nap time? How many naps does he take per day? Maybe if he is taking two, its time to transition to one? Try putting him to sleep a little later in the day, maybe after lunch? To get my son to sleep at naptime, I read him books until he falls asleep, if they are tired enough they should conk out in 3-4 books.

As for night time, we just transitioned out son into his own room ( but he is 2 1/2) Our first step was pushing his crib up against our bed with the side down that faces our bed, so he can feel closer/crawl over if he needs to. We did this for a long time, until it got to the point that we werent sleeping hardly at all. Next, during debtime we would do our normal routine, read books, teeth,etc.. and then lay with him for about 5 minutes, then we let him know that we had to go downstairs but that we would be up at bedtime gave him his teddy and he did wonderful at going to sleep by himself. Then we finally bought him a fire engine bed to put in his own room and ever since he has slept in his own bed happily :)

I tried the cry it out solution on days that I was about to lose my mind when he wouldnt take a nap but I personally couldnt handle seeing him cry so hard for so long, and he never really gave up. I think it also really depends on the child too. I hope you can find something that works though. Good luck!

A.

( I just saw that your son was only 8 months, these tips might not work until later, I think we began transitioning our son around 18 months. Your little one is still really young, maybe rock him to sleep and then lay him in the crib right next to your bed?) Good luck~ When our son was that age he had to actually LAY on our chest to go to sleep or he wouldnt go lol, we just toughed it all out and went with the flow and he is a great sleeper now. They go through SO many different sleeping transitions, you kind of just have to do whats best for your family.
Good luck again!

Hi M.,

I have a 6 month old boy and have recently found a schedule that works for both of us. Yes, you are correct, you should get him to nap during the day so that he sleeps better at night. And no, don't let him get completely exhausted. What I have been doing lately is that if I see him get tired and fuzzy or he rubs his eyes I then rock him and sing to him until he closes his eyes and is almost asleep, then i put him in his crib on his belly, then i rub his back. If he wakes up and lifts his head and starts screaming I do it again... rock, and walk and put him back down.
Also, as the book you mentioned says, try to get your baby to take longer naps. So if my boy wakes up after about half hour or 45 minutes, I know he is still tired, so I pick him up and rock him and do the same thing over until he takes a nap that is at least an hour and a half. Two or three of these a day and I think your baby will get the rest he needs. Also, try the stroller for one of those naps and go to the mall and walk around for a couple of hours, he'll see that he can go to sleep in different ways. That might help too.
Good luck!

My children are now 6 and 3. I had the same experience with my first child, and first tried the gentler methods, which didn't work for my very sensitive and super-alert daughter. I had received a book at a shower, called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, that I had initially found repulsive because it advocated for letting babies cry. I broke down at 9 months and followed the method in the book and it worked without too much agony. The little agony we did experience was due to our inconsistency. In that respect, I've found that overall, no matter what the method, consistency is the key, for any area of discipline (using the Dr. Sears definition), whether for sleep, food, dressing, getting out the door, etc.

I'm still following the books' guidelines for my older childrens' sleep habits and they are usually very well rested and as happy as a preschooler and a sassy six-year-old can be!

You sound like a great mom! Congrads on trying to figure out what to do with the little man. He is going to have to get used to the idea of being in his own bed. He will sleep eventually, it might take a while since he is used to being the king of the bedroom.
Be patient with yourself and with him. He is going to have to learn a new routine and that takes time. He won't die if he crys and he will eventually sleep. A few days of getting used to the new routine and you should find that he will get used to it. It does take 21 days to get into a new habit. Realize that he has to learn to sooth himself and it does not sound like he knows how to do that yet. Patting him or rubbing his tummy can sometimes help. A firm lay down and music can be soothing. A binky? A special blanket? A stuffed animal? Maybe find something that he can sooth with? These are just ideas, you are the best one to know what will help him. He will fall asleep when he is tired. Don't give up, you can do it! We are all cheering you on!

D.

For nap and bedtime you will need to invest a couple of days of work and sleep and personal patience.
Step 1: Give him a big hug and kiss and tell him its nap time and lay him in his crip. (At night you might want to read him a short story from a children's book.)
Step 2: Wait outside his room where he can't see you for one minute after he starts crying (use a stopwatch if you want) and then go in and repeat step one, only don't lift him up, just give him a kiss and reassure him that its naptime.
Step 3: Wait 3 minutes and repeat step one.
Step 4: Wait 5 minutes...
Step 5: Wait 8 minutes...
Step 6: Wait 10 minutes and continue this time period until he goes to sleep or its not nap time anymore. (At night, you do this every 10 minutes until he goes to sleep)
When he gets tired (from not having a nap), put him in his crib and do this "extinction" exercise every time. Don't sabatage yourself by going in his room any earlier. It won't take more than a few of these "sessions" and you will finally have your life, and your husband back. ...If you get tired, send your husband in for one of the "sessions". Don't break the rules, even once, or you will have to start all over again. Conditioning a child takes time and they are very smart - they know when they can condition you back.

I know how terrible crying it out can get - you are in tears yourself because you think you are scarring your child! But stick with it. Your baby needs to have that skill of getting to sleep on his own.

My sister has just finally succeeded in getting her 12 month old into his crib for naps and bedtime. When she visited me here in WA in April she had to hold him to sleep and as soon as she put him down he'd wake up. She decided she'd had it! She wasn't getting anything done all day long! So she got home and started with the crying it out. She would go in every 15-20 minutes and speak soothingly to him while laying him down with a kiss, then leave again. It took a solid week - she said he even would fall asleep standing up in his crib only to wake himself up as he fell down! But finally as of our last phone call he is sleeping in his bed.

Persevere!!

We've gone through a similar process. Leaving him alone and screaming doesn't really do anyone any good. Our son didn't "want" to move to a crib, but we needed him to because I don't sleep well with him in the bed. I found a fleece mattress pad, so that when I laid him in the crib he didn't fully wake up (after nursing to extreme drowsy state). The first 2 nights, he woke up a bit and fussed, so I picked him up immediately, held him until he relaxed, and put him back into the crib (a couple of minutes), and I had to do that 2 or three times in a row. So for about 10 minutes, until the last time I put him in he just fell asleep without fuss.
For naps, we also have a harder time than at bedtime, but if you do the same thing, for several days in a row, he adjusts. When he gets sleepy, after play then feeding, rock/bounce until he's mostly asleep, and put in crib. Do the same thing of soothing if he fusses (immediately is important, because if he starts crying, then he's too awake/worked up to go back to sleep), and putting back down, as many times as it takes. Honestly, if you do this for 3-5 days, it should work. Our son has never been a good sleeper, and this type of method helped him really learn how to self-soothe, but the key is to not let the baby get to the point of crying, pick him up and soothe before that. Before we knew it, he would fuss in his sleep, then relax on his own and settle back down.

The other thing that works this time of year for us at naptimes is a well timed walk in the stroller, and letting him spend his whole nap in the stroller.

Best wishes!

Be strong and get some ear plugs. Once they are in their bed do not pick them up for anything pat their back rub them but do not bick them up. Tuff Love is the only way.

When I transitioned my 5m old from our bedroom into her own room and crib I started with naptimes. I would give her a bottle, rock her to sleep then put her down in the crib. It was a somewhat easier transition since she slept in a Arms Reach co-sleeper in our room, not in our bed, but she could still tell the difference. I put her down asleep for the first few days, then put her down once and she woke up...looked around, curled up with her lovey bear then went to sleep. I did this for about 2 weeks before puting her in there overnight so she would be very used to the room and crib. One thing that helped was that I had her sleep on a blanket wrapped around the mattress in the co-sleeper, then moved the blanket into the crib (again, tucked into the mattress) so it would smell and feel familiar. SHe did ok and after the 2 week naps she slept in the crib overnight without much fuss. Maybe try moving your son into a crib in your room first, then into his own room? With you at least in the room he might make the transition easier and you would at least have your bed back... GOod luck!

the ideal solution would be to put your mattresses together on the floor and make a true family bed, with no worries about him falling out, and no need for your husband to sleep elsewhere. it's really quite simple if you can arrange it, and would take care of all your problems. also, at 8 months he really needs to be close to you, this is the famous separation anxiety stage and he needs to know you are there for him. please please please don't abandon him and let him "cry it out"!

M.,

My husband and I did the same thing with our first son. He slept with us. Then he slept in our bed during naps. It was so hard to get him out of our bed. To this day my sons favorite place to watch cartoons is mine and my husbands bed.

we did buy our son a toddler bed when he became mobile. This way the fall is minimal, and they learn to sleep in their big kid bed by themselves. It doesn't completely solve the problem, but if you're consistent the transition will happen. All kids want to grow up. A toddler bed is the next step, and there are all kinds that you can find at resale shops, or garage sales.

Good luck to you , and have a great day, Becki

M.,

I have a six month old, and I too have not slept with my husband in months. Anyway, my daugher and I co-sleep after her first wake-up of the night on (usually 11 or 12am I bring her from her crib to my bed), she also does nap in her crib. What I did to help my daughter sleep in her crib (half the time anyway) is to put a blow up mattress on the floor right next to her crib, this made the frequent wake-ups and transitions much easier. You could also try putting his crib mattress on the floor by you and having him sleep on that, then once he get's used to that, move the mattress to his crib. (Dr. Sears goes into this method thouroughly in his book, The Baby Sleep Book). Basicially what I'm saying is to move to his room for a while, that way he still has you, but he can get used to being in his own room and you can phase out. It may take a while and seem to slow for you, but it is definitely the gentiler way to go!! There is no quick fix with this situation which I know you are looking for (I would be too!), and I really don't agree with the CIO method, but then again, some people swear by it. Right now he needs you to teach him to sleep by himself, not force him into it. "Screaming it out" may work for a while, but chances are, it wont last long term. Do what seems to work for you and your son. As for the night sleeping, maybe your husband will just have to deal with sleeping with you and baby for a while. (My husband and I are working on doing that as well, it's wierd how it just becomes habit to seep apart after a while.) Good luck to you!!

I really liked Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr. Ferber. A lot of people refer to his method as the cry it out method, but they obviously haven't read his book. He does a great job of explaining why we sleep and why it is so important. It worked wonders for both of my kids.

Nap time is a little bit different then bed time. Even just the first few hours of the night would help! Can you put him to sleep in a chair and then into the crib?
I like to teach new routines and beds at nap time as I have more energy and can turn up the music if need be. A possibility is for you to sleep next to him a few times. Just on the floor where you can reach up to him.
As far as getting him up ontime. Yes, if he screams for the whole nap time that is ok. Keep the rest of the day on routine. You will find the rest of the day rather difficult when this happens but he may sleep easier later. He may get overtired and be very difficult to put to sleep too. The trick is to stick to whatever plan you have decided on until either it works or you comeup with a better plan!

I used the Dr. Ferber method and got it from his book. "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems". It worked fabulously for all three of my kids and in fact they are all great sleepers now and i don't know what i would have done without this method, because yes the other methods were too easy on them. I would suggest doing the same thing at nap times as at bed time. With each of mine it took about two weeks max to make a complete wonderful change! What also works well for my 2 year old is a fan in her room at nap time so she is not distracted by household noise. Good luck!

I also struggled with wanting my baby to sleep happily and having my bed space. The "AT ARMS REACH" co-sleeper was the answer for us. We got the full size one and it was comfortable for the baby for about 18 months. I would lay close enough to put my arm arround her, or even nurse and then roll over next to my husband when she fell asleep. At about 18 months we put her big girl bed right next to our bed.

When I got pregnant with the second one we put the toddler bed on dads side(before the baby came so she did not feel replaced but was giving dad a turn to be close to her) and let the new baby use the at arms reach until she was about a year. Wall to wall bed for a while but every one was happy. Then we let the girls sleep together in a full size bed in their own newly decorated room. Now 4 & 7 they prefer 2 seperate twin beds.

The "AT ARMS REACH" co- sleeper was the best thing I ever bought. It folds up to be portable and store well and it can double as a play pen if you just pull up the forth side. This has been great even recently when we have guests.

O' by the way we found that having calming music or WHITE NOISE helped alot since we did not always go to sleep and get up at the same time as the baby.

Hi M.,

My husband and I decided before our kids were born that we would try a family bed. With our first, it was a no-go. He wasn't interested. Our second was sleeping in our bed at least part time for his first few years. I sometimes think we analize this stuff too much. It seems that your gut tells you not to let your baby (yes, baby) cry or scream himself to sleep. How does that give him a good association with sleep? Is there really anything wrong with rocking a baby to sleep? I don't think so. This part of his life is short when you look at the big picture. If you need to get him out of your bed (and that's OK), try putting some blankets on the floor next to your bed. Lie there with him and take it from there. Move him farther away from your bed over time. When he's ready, he'll jump into better sleep patterns. Or maybe he'll be one of those people who just don't sleep like the average person. Either way, I think you'll feel better in the long run about comforting your little one than you would about allowing him to scream for two hours. I know it's not easy, but you'll be OK. All of you. Good luck!

M.,
We had a similar problem with our son and our ped. gave us this tip. I put the rocking chair by his crib and proceded with a routine then put him to bed. He cried and cried but I NEVER picked him up. I just soothed him, holding his hand, singing to him and talking softly, all through the crying. He eventually laid down and went to sleep. We did this for about a week and he finally went to bed on his own. I did then transfer to putting him in bed sitting for a couple of minutes then leaving. He would cry and I would let him cry for a minute then go back in, sit for a minute then leave. Never saying anything during this. Now he says good night and goes to sleep on his own. Good luck!
K.

We also love the William Sears approach. Our 5 year ols still sleeps with us often.
When he was small, naps were difficult. I got a twin size memory foam matress cover and made a bed in a quiet corner of the living room floor. I held and walked with him until he drifted off, then down on the floor. It was quite comfortable, I napped with him on occasion. But nothing to fall off from made it safer. If it is in the way during the rest of the day, I could roll it up and stash it somewhere.

You might also try reading the family bed as it gives lots of ideas of how to co-sleep safely as well as Night time Parenting. ( also a book)

Things that have worked in our family.

We took our bed off the frame and put the mattress on the floor so no one can fall off. To get more time with my husband I lay down in another bed with the little one and get them to sleep and then I get some time alone with hubby and get baby when baby wakes up to nurse.

We also sometime purposely get the kids to sleep in our bed so that we have the rest of the house for us.

As far as naps are concerned, not all kids have set naps. You might just try letting baby fall alseep in your arms when tired and then set baby down where ever you want baby to sleep.

We don't even have a crib and the main reason is it is too hard to put a baby down in one and usually babies are smart and would rather go to sleep when they are not alone. Falling asleep is a vulnerable time for them and one of the times they crave connection with their parents the most.

Your life with your husband is never going to go back to exactly what it was before kids regardless of where your son sleeps. And a screaming crying fussy child in the next room does not exactly put anyone in the mood anyway!

Be creative and have fun with it, and realize he will only be this little for a little while.

Many blessings to you and your family!

I don't truly understand your struggle as my girls never slept in my bed both were in their own beds from day one. but I have had my struggles with getting them to sleep with out holding, rocking, patting ect. both of my older daughters ( one is 3 1/2 the other just turned 1) responded well to the method i am going to tell you about. yes it is a cry it out method but not one that they just scream for hours. the first time you go through your bed time routine then lay them down. walk out of the room just like you would like it to go from now one. they will cry and scream and get up but just walk out. let him cry for 3 to 5 minutes. ( if your like me you will have to watch the clock) let him do what ever he wants ( short of hurting himself) for that time but stay out of his room. when that time is up quietly with no lights on or just the night light. go into his room lay him back down and pat his back or rub his back for a minute till he starts to calm down. don't pick hiim up out of bed. then walk out again. he will again cry same thing stay out but this time up it to 5 or 7 minutes. let him cry then quietly go back in and lay him down and calm him a bit. after a minute walk out again. this time don't go back for 9 or 10 minutes. each time you go out stay out for 1 or 2 or 5 minutes extra. my girls had a really hard first night but usually got it by 20 minutes in between times to go in. and it got easier every night till the 4th night when they went right to bed no trouble. it was a hard don't get me wrong but by going in every few minutes you let him know your still there for him. and by increasing the time interval you let him know it is bed time and he needs to rest when he is tired but your still there. good luck with whatever method you use. I would start at bed time and try to continue at nap time the next day. the more consitent you are the faster it will work.

My daughter is 8 months as well and we just transfered out of the room. Ok naps are really important especially consistant naps. My girl takes a nap between 9-10am (depending when she wakes up) and than another at around 2-3pm. Her bedtime is around 7-8pm. Now she still isn't sleeping through the night (which I will work on) but I finally got her out of our room and hubby can get a good night sleep! Yea! I will do the cry through the night, I don't like it but it works ( I have to others and I did it with them) however you do want to do it earlier than later, because the later the harder.
On the naps What I did with my first daughter was I prepared her for her nap. For example like 30 minutes before nap start preparing him for down time. Like read some books, dim the lights, feed him, rock him whatever you do to calm him will start preparing him for nap time (at least until he is pro). You will have to let him cry it out for naps. He needs to know this is nap time and he will get in within two days. Start with naps than the cry through the night. When he has naps down then you can prepare yourself for the night or you could do it all at once, but that might be a lot. Well good luck if you have any questions let me now. Oh and a good book I had with the other kiddos was I think calld Healthy sleep habits Happy baby. Don't remember the writer but its easy to find. good luck you'll do great!

I'm a mother of two and we made our fair share of mistakes when it comes to nap time and bedtime. I would advise to start with one or the other and get that perfected the way you want it and then move on to the other. He's going to cry, unfortunately. The thing to remember is that it will only get worse the longer you wait. It's obviously not safe for your son to sleep in your bed anymore so it's time he learns how to sleep in his own bed. I read the No Cry Sleep Solution with my first and found it was not a good fit for us. Have you read Happy Sleep Habits, Happy Child? Also, The Sleep Whisperer. Just remember that whatever you decide to do is going to take time and you have to commit to following through. Once you start a program you can't quit half way through or it won't work. Good Luck. We've all been there. It's not easy to hear your sweet child cry, but it's a fact of life. Once he masters sleeping in his own bed he will get better sleep and so will you.

Do the routine. Maybe a bath, rock in a chair, read a few books and lay baby down in the crib. You can stay in the room. He will cry whether you are in the room or not. It is hard to her them cry.

I rocked my daughter to sleep in a nice recliner after reading books, singing and having a bottle. She would fall asleep and I would try ever so gently to put her in the crib. She would wake up as soon as she was layed down. So I put a comforter in her crib because she loved sleeping on cozy things. It took many tries before I could transfer without her waking up completely. After she got a little older I would do the routine and if she didn't fall asleep I put her in her crib awake. The first two days she cried very loud for five minutes and fell asleep. I got a small cd player and played a disc of lullaby's. To this day, now 6, she still loves the disc(Nationalgraphics songs of the world-lullabies in several languages).

Holy moly! Your situation is almost EXACTLY like mine. I have an 8 month old baby girl and she is doing the same thing. She will rarely go back to sleep at night without the booby. When she falls asleep she can do it with a pacifier, with papa, but not when she has to go back asleep when she wakes up (3-6 times per night). I have ALSO read the No-Cry Sleep solution, not Dr. Sears...but generally I agree with his advice in The Baby Book and The Breastfeeding Book (those two I have read). So, I went to find Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, which is inbetween Sears and Ferber. I tried another cry-it-out way, where I was in the room with her and held her hand in bed. Sometimes it works..sometimes it doesn't . Have you tried putting him in a different room? I am going to try that. We shall see. I would love to know what kind of other advice you get...as you see I need it too!

At 8 months he's still a baby. Rock him to sleep like he wants and then lay him down in his crib. For naps if you don't want to use the crib, lay him on a soft cushy blanket on the floor. They also have those fold out couch to bed's for kids (we have Spiderman and my kids love it). It has worked perfect for naps for all of them. They're only little for such a short time. Enjoy the time you get to rock him; he'll be big before you know it! Good luck!!

Hi there,

I have a 12-month old little girl who sounds exactly like your little guy. She would sleep in our bed at night, and would nap in our bed or in an Amby Baby Motion bed. Basically, the only ways she would fall asleep were nursing/bottle feeding or motion. We were in the same situation with our bed not being safe for her to sleep in anymore, and we knew we had to get her sleeping in her crib, but she would SCREAM if we tried putting her in it. My friend, who has a baby the same age as my daughter, suggested the Sleepeasy Solution to me and said that it worked great. I was skeptical, especially when the authors claimed that we'd see results in 5 days. Like you, I wanted to do things the gentle way and had read the No-Cry Sleep Solution and the Dr. Sears Baby Sleep Book, but those methods just weren't working. Basically, with Sleepeasy, your baby learns how to self-soothe, but you don't totally abandon them. You do checks at specified intervals and reassure them that they are ok and that you are still there for them. The book is a quick read, and I highly suggest reading it and seeing if it is right for you. We are on our 6th day of it and my daughter is sleeping for 12 hours at night in her own crib unassisted. It's amazing, and I really can't believe that she is doing it. We are tackling naps at the same time (which the authors suggest doing, but you don't have to if it's too overwhelming to you), but the naps aren't going as well. She gets a lot more upset when we put her down for naps. The authors say that naps are harder to work on and it takes longer to see results. I checked the book out from the library, but I'm sure that local bookstores carry it, as well. If you decide to do it, just know that it will be hard to listen to your little one cry, but if you stick with it, you will see a drastic improvement. I think the thing that made it especially hard for me was that i was hoping to do things the No-Cry way, but that just didn't work out. She wasn't getting enough sleep, and neither were we...and she wasn't safe with the sleeping arrangement anymore. I think the whole thing has been harder on me than it was on her, and I really needed a lot of support from my friend who had been through it already. Let me know if you have any questions or want any more information on our experiences with the method. Hang in there!