8 Month Old Baby Won't Sleep in Crib

Hi, L.! My son is 11 months and since he was born we could only get him to sleep in his swing. By 7 or 8 months he was getting a little big to sleep in his swing. We put him in his crib and ended up getting up with him ALL THE TIME b/c he didnt want to be in there. They suggested that we put him in his crib when he started getting tired (rubbing his eyes etc.) Eventually he started recognizing that when he's tired he goes there. We went through the "self soothing" thing which broke my heart. We would only go in after about 5 minutes of him crying...lay him back down and tell him goodnight and leave again. It was REALLY hard for a few days but since about the third night he goes to sleep without making a peep. We put a music station (sirius) on his TV so he has a little light and soothing music. It's worked really well. He also sleeps with a blanket that he only gets at bed time which soothes him also. Hope it helps!

Dear L.,
I too had this same problem with both of my children. I know it is difficult to listen to them cry but, I have learned that that is the best way. Sometimes I would lay with them until they fell asleep and then put them into their crib or I would play nightime songs and sit in the room with them for a while until they were to sleepy to argue with me about going to bed. I weaned my daughter off of sleeping with me in 1 week. It was hard, but, once again, it had to be done.

I had almost the same problem with my son(now is 4 1/2)I use to hold him until he fell a sleep. I tryed to get him to fall asleep by himself but it tore me up with the crying. One night i just had to get it over with. My girlfriends came over here and I finally just put him to bed. With their support i just let him cry himself to sleep ( it took 1 1/2 hrs) but they just keep telling me he is fine and if you go in there then it starts all over. For the nexted few nights the time got shorter to the point it stopped (the crying. Now to this day all i have to do is put him to bed and he goes to sleep. So i know that it will be hard but have someone there to help u through it. It might break ur heart but will be ok. Good luck and remember how much you love her and it will take time.

I don't know how to help really but I do know that if you don't nip it now it can last for a long while. My sister is still sleeping with her 18 month old. I had to rock my son until he was almost two and a half. It was a pain and so tiring for me. I was the only one who could put him to sleep. I had to be home at all times. I mean at sleep times. I finally had to resort to giving him a sippy cup of water so he could soothe himself to sleep. Then, that was hard to stop too. I wish I had some easy answer but I don't. Good Luck!!!!

You are so right... You never should have started to do this. And I know that it is hard to hear her cry at night, but she also needs to learn to self sooth. This will help when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She is first not hearing the sounds of you sleeping so music or something in her room at night will be good. Also try to rock her to sleep, the only thing with that is she will be going from your warm arms and cozy tight to being cold in an ope bed. For now make sure that her room is warm and she is going into a warm bed. Keep her tucked in tight and Good luck!! I really think that if you get some music even if it is the sounds of a heartbeat or something she will really do better with that!

Hi L.,

You are not alone. Let me tell you my story. I have three children and all three have co slept with me since they were born. (6,4 and 1) However, the 6 and 4 year old will now sleep in their bed for half of the night and then they come to find me to put them back to sleep. BUT... I loved every minute they were in my bed. They are only little for a couple of years. I don't think its bad like some people think its bad. I believe it has a ton of benefits. Of course, my husband travels a lot too. I think you need to do what you feel is right. Please let me know if I can help any more. L.

i say let her sleep with you, my 16 mo old sleeps with us as did my 3yr old. sleeping with you is not wrong. my son decided to sleep in his own room on his own. no trama, forcing him or anything. i love co sleeping, what a way to feel close and comfort the ones you love. they will move out when they are ready. personally, i think cryin it out is not for me, and is not good for building trust. 8 months is young!

I hate to tell you this but everything i have read says do not try to move them to their own bed between 7-9 months. I also had a similar problem. My son is now 11 months old and I lay him down it it and he is fine. I however had to start him off in the crib with it in My husbands and my room.

Give her babies magic tea and she'll start sleeping anywhere even in her crib.

I have the same problem! My son turns 8 months today. He started sleeping with us when he was about 1 month. He won't go to sleep in his crib, but if I nurse him or rock him to sleep, he will stay in there (that is if he doesn't wake up when I put him down).

For me, the crying gets old, and I have two other boys and a husband that are all trying to sleep at the same time I'm putting him to bed. I figure when he's old enough, he'll sleep in his own bed. Right now, i'm too tired and lazy to do anything about it :-) If you try something that works well, let me know!

we didn't co-sleep, but my dau. always liked to be rocked at night, specifically by me. As much as you don't like to hear her cry it out you may have to do that. It really isn't hurting her, that's just the only way she has to really try and get your attention right now.

You might minimize it by having one of those toys that hang on the crib. (we had the aquarium sounds/lights) to occupy her. Get her started playing and they sneak out when she's engrossed. Once you do that a few times she'll get used to soothing herself. She's just used to hearing your sounds/warmth for soothing. It took about 5 days with my dau. and she's been fine since.

L., Hello!

I would refer to Dr. William Sears web page just google Dr. William Sears. It is the first hit and before you enter the web page you will see a list of quick links under the main link that includes "sleep problems". There are ways to do this without the "crying it out". Listen to your own instincts and not the masses.

Good luck!

There are ways to get your baby in the crib without having to listen to them cry all the time. Start out slow, baby steps lol. It is going to take a while, but it will be worth it. Start out by rocking her to sleep and putting her in the crib, do this for a week. The first time she wakes up, rock her back to sleep, the second time, let her cry for maybe 5 mins, then rock her to sleep, after that add 5 mins of crying before going in until you reach 15 mins. Then when you get that far, dont pick her up to rock her back to sleep, rub her back while in the crib still, or tummy if she doesnt roll yet. Do this less and less too. Then just sit in the room with her while she is fussing and talk soothingly to her until she calms down, and each night work you way out of the room, until you are standing in the doorway talking to her. I dont know how long this will take you, maybe a month maybe longer, but it does work. Good Luck!

I know that this is hard, My son fell asleep in my arms every night for a year since he was born.

One night, I put him in his crib, and let him cry it out. He cried for about 40 min. the first night. Then it got better each night thereafter!

YOU are the one who has to be strong, I cried right along with him, but I stood firm, and did not go in the room!

I know it is hard, but if you start now, it will be so much easier when she gets older and has her BIG GIRL BED!

Dont feel like you are alone, because your not!

Good Luck!
T.

My seventeen month old has never slept in a crib, though we tried many times, and many hours. He just cannot be in any small enclosure. (Too many busted mouths and major bleeding has proven this).
What I have done, is to place twin mattress (air), on the floor, in his room. I now co-sleep with him there. Well, kind of. I sleep on the floor until he needs his 1am feeding. I'm still a nursing mom.
My son still will not sleep unless he is being held, rocked, walked, nursed. Just these past six weeks he has allowed his dad to walk him to sleep. What a nice break. Actually, many times, he'll only play when I try to get him to sleep, yet falls asleep within minutes (not always) when walked by Daddy.
Enjoy the co-sleeping, at least while the little one is less mobile. Now, once she starts to crawl off the bed........
For my oldest (now 4). We co-slept, with the crib butted against my bed. When she wouldn't sleep (wanted to play), I'd put her in her crib. Sometimes she chose to sleep in there, and I held her hand most of those nights. We did this for 1 1/2 yrs, until I got married. First night in new home, we put a queen size mattress in her bedroom (on the floor). There she slept, with no problems.
Best wishes,
S.

First of all, you didn't make a mistake. You did what you thought was best for you and your child at the time. I did the same thing with my daughter. She slept on my chest for the first two months of her life and then I put her into our bed. When she was 6 months old my husband and I wanted to reclaim our bed and we slowly transitioned her into her crib. We first started with nap time and then bed time. She would cry when I would first put her in her crib. I would let her cry for about five minutes and then go pick her up and soothe her and then lay her back down. I would then let her cry for another five minutes and repeat. After about 20 minutes of this she would give up. She now sleeps in her own crib all night long.

One thing that might help is getting a music box to hang on the side of her crib. Or running a fan at night for the white noise. And heck right now I have a humidifier running in my daughter's room and that thing is as loud as a truck I think and she goes sound asleep every night LOL

Just be patient with her ~ it will happen :o)

We co-slept with our daughter (now 15 months) until she was around your daughter's age. The first thing I did was to bring her crib into our room. (hopefully yours is big enough! :) ) It helped with the transition of eventually moving her downstairs into her own room within a few months or so. She now sleeps in her own bed in her own room through the night. This would probably be most successful if your daughter is already sleeping throught the night. Oh, be sure she is warm in her crib too, because she will be used to the body heat she is getting from you and your husband. I am sure you will be grateful for the extra space in your bed once you get this accomplished! My daughter became a real bed hog as she got older. Good LUCK!