Almost One Year HATES His Crib

I'm not too familiar with this subject because both my children were in their cribs, in their rooms, from birth. They never even knew mommy & daddys bed existed! lol But, I did have to try several things before they would sleep through the night. Maybe some of them would be able to apply in your situation. First thing I did was make a very, very consistent bed time routine. Right down to the words I say (cozy blanky, sleep special, night-night) are the same every night to this very day. So very predictable for them. When they were smaller, I would try night light vs. no night light. Soft music (Norah Jones in our case!) or no music. Room darkening shades. And some safe "friends" in their cribs. It was always a lot of trial and error. It'll eventually work out. You'll just have to be very consistent in what you decide to do. If you move him back & forth, he's just going to get confused & know that if he cries enough, he'll be put back in your bed. It's a tough transition, but you'll get through it. Just rememeber........he won't be sleeping in your bed when he graduates high school! LOL =0)

Hi T., I can relate to you....totally...only my daughter was two before I finally got her out of my bed.
She HATED her crib from day one...I even turned it into a toddler bed at 11mos.....and she still hated it. So FINALLY I gave in a bought a twin bed with the same type mattress we have.
I started out putting her to sleep in my bed the way we usually do....me laying with her. Once she was good and asleep I would move her to her new bed... Se didn't even realize, and once morning came she woke up in her own bed and was ok with it. After a few days of that I started putting her to bed in her own bed laying with her till she went to sleep. AMAZINGLY she has stayed in her own bed.
I tried when she was smaller to let her cry it out...and it never worked. She would go a day or two and fall asleep, and then boom back to screaming for as long as I could stand. I couldn't take it. There was no reason to make her get that upset. I decided then that I am no fan of the cry it out method. I truly believe some babies just need extra security and take longer to transition into being able to handle being by themselves. Have patience and give a big bed a try, if anything you can slip into his bed at night for a while instead of yours. Maybe a while of that may make his bed a comfortable place to sleep and you will be able to move back to yours. If you are set on the move then you will find a way that makes you both happy...best of luck
T.

We have done a little of 3 things with my son. (who is almost 11 months old) Most of the time I start him out in his crib, then when he woke up, he came in our bed. Occasionally when he is having a rough night, I put him in the pack in play beside my bed. But, I don't just take my son to his bed and put him there and leave, we do a routine. Playtime, supper, bath, lotion and PJs, then his last bottle, and I rock him until he falls asleep. I don't really believe in cry-it-out methods. I love rocking and cuddling my son to sleep.

I say that to say - start a new routine. It may take a few nights for your baby to figure out what the new deal is. Try rocking him to sleep unless you feel as though you don't want to deal with that at night - but I love it. Just like cry it out methods, you may have to rock 30 to 45 mins the first night before he is asleep enough to lay down. But it will get shorter. Now I give my son the bottle, rock him for 5 to 10 mins, and he is solid out. Also, I tuck him in...put a blanket on him and tuck it up under him and move him up against his crib bumper. I think it makes him feel like someone is next to him.

Also, try padding the crib mattress under the sheet - have you ever felt how hard that mattress is? I wouldn't want to sleep there either! And, put something that smells like you in beside of him.

Good luck with the independent sleeping!

My daughter was a co-sleeper untill age 1. Then we put her in a pack and play right next to our bed. (I think that was more for me than her because I didn't want her out of my sight.) She cried for the first 3 nights but after that she was fine. The 1st night I left the room and every 5 minutes for an hour I would come in and let her no I was still there and everything was ok but that she had to go to sleep. The 2nd night she only cried for 10 minutes. The last night it was 5 minutes. Then at 18 months she went in her own room. Now she is 2 and she is in a crib and she doesn't want to sleep in her toddler bed. She loves the crib and I can't get her out of it.

i'm not sure what to tell you. it's not surprising that he hates it, because he has loved sleeping with you. and it's hard to reason with a 1 year old! i think i would just try spending some time in there every day, while he's awake, and let him play quietly in it for a while, like right before he naps, and right before bed. for now, i think it's going to take some time to transition, and one thing you may consider is skipping the crib and going directly to a toddler bed, or even a twin with guard rails, which may feel more like what he's used to up to now. you could really play up the big boy aspect, and make it a big deal. either way, like i said, i'd spend some quiet time unwinding in the crib/bed before every nap and at bedtime, so he starts to associate that with being sleepy. sit with him, and play soft music, or sing, or read a quiet book, or anything else that is part of your usual bedtime routine. once he starts to see that it's an ok place, i'd go for it. the other thing is, around this age, kids start to learn some cause and effect, and if you let him cry for a while, but then cave, all you're teaching him is that if he cries harder next time, you'll get him out then, too. we made the transition out of our bed when our daughter was 10 weeks old, and only then because i was going back to work and my husband worked nights, so she would have been alone in the bed for an hour each morning while i got ready to leave and before he came home, so that wasn't going to work for us. it was extremely hard with all the crying and screaming, but it really only took one night of me being strong and her crying for about 45 mins, until she cried herself to sleep... then each night, it got progressively shorter and shorter, and it eventually got to where she'd smile and be sooo happy when it was time for bed. even now, at 2, she tells me "ready bed!" and happily gets in her crib! i can only imagine though, that the tears will be worse at a year old, because he's had more time to get used to it. it's just one of those things, you're going to have to decide if you're ready for him to be in his own bed more than you don't want to hear him cry. i know that might sound mean, i don't in any way mean for it to, but there's no way around him crying that i can see. i also don't suggest you just dump in his bed and let him cry until the sun comes up the first night, just know that even with a gradual move he's not going to be too happy. whatever you decide, it's going to be a tough mommy moment, and you have to in the end decide what's right for you and your family-- and only you really know how to handle your son in tough situations! good luck and let us know!

I know it is difficult seeing your little one crying. If you are sure he isnt hurt and everything else if fine (diaper clean, fed, etc) let him cry a bit. Try starting him out in the crib for nap times and let him cry a bit and when he adjusts to that then try night time. Is he is his own room? If so, try putting a blanket with your smell on it in his crib. That may smooth him. Good luck. My 10 month old has been in her crib since birth and her crib is in my room. The problem for me is that when she sees me.... it is a battle. I am working on it. Best to you and your little guy