Is It to Late to Teach My Son to Sleap in His Crib.

Updated on July 22, 2009
M.C. asks from Oak Lawn, IL
4 answers

I got my baby used sleep with me when he was a baby It was easier for me to put him in my bed because I got more sleep. Now he is 13 months and in the evening once he is done with the bottle he I put him in the crib and he wakes up at about 1am crying and does not want to sleep in his crib but as soon as I put him in my bed he falls asleep instantly. Please help I hope its not to late.

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K.

answers from Chicago on

It's not productive to let your kid "cry for hours". However, it is likely that there will be a couple night's worth of crying involved whenever you change a kid's routine. I suggest reading the Ferber book on sleep (Solving your Child's Sleep Problems i think it's called). Basically, he recommends a "graduated" method of sleep training, which helps your kid learn to settle himself. Put your baby in the crib. If he's crying (and doesn't seem to be settling himself) come in after 5 minutes and calm him down. Let him know it's ok and that you're there. Don't pick him up. Then leave. If he's still crying after 10 minutes do the same. Repeat after 15 minutes and continue to repeat every 15 minutes until he falls asleep. This may take a whie the first night. Next night do the same. It will almost certainly be better the second night. I bet by night #3 he will hardly cry at all. We moved my daughter out of our bed around 8 months (though she sleeps with me if we're traveling) and it was the same routine.

Ferber's analogy to the routine change is, imagine you no longer have a pillow in your bed, or worse yet, you wake up in the middle of the night and someone's taken your pillow. This is unsettling and it takes some time to get used to.

ps: if you don't have the stomach to let him cry as long as 10 or 15 minutes, it's fine to keep these intervals shorter. like you could start going in every 2 minutes, then 5, and then 7 and don't go any longer than that. The next night you'd start by giving him 5 min, then 7, and then 10. Also, I find that sometimes it might be counterproductive to go in (ie you can tell he's settling down and seeing you is just going to wind him up again) - in that case just listen and wait out of sight

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A.F.

answers from Chicago on

Diane N- Not every kid cries for hours...my son cried at the longest 27 minutes. Usually it was 5 or less. Depends on the kid so I would not over-generalize. My kiddo is an easy-going sort. And, her kid is over 1 -- if he doesn't get used to sleeping somewhere other than her bed, he may not ever be happy sleeping anywhere else after he wakes. What happens when he is able to get up and just come over and climb in bed with her? I don't know...maybe some people are fine with that but I would like to have 5 kiddos (currently have 2) and I don't think 5 kids, me and my husband would ever comfortably sleep in one bed :) Better to have them learn to sleep alone when younger. Good Luck M..
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Make sure he is not sick first....(my son had an ear infection and started nightwaking all of a sudden) but if he is not sick, I would suggest doing extinction or cry it out. Either do it gradually, letting him cry for a little longer before going in and comforting -- BUT NOT PICKING HIM UP -- each time until he goes to sleep, or total extinction. I would myself at this age just do total extinction -- you let him cry it out till he falls back asleep. Do not enter the room and let him cry until he falls back asleep. It usually takes 3 days to a week of being completely consistent until they stop the nightwaking. The crying may get worse before it gets better. My son is younger than yours but after he got over an illness 2 mos ago, he was nightwaking again after having slept well...we let him cry it out for at least 1 feeding a night then tackled the other one. Now he is back to sleeping 745-545. Good luck! I would suggest you read Dr. Weissbluth's book - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

It was the same for us with my daughter. Easier to bf with her in bed with us, plus we didn't have the crib. I don't agree with cry it out but have attempted it. She will cry for hours. I have also read some of the books I have seen recommended here but have not personally had much luck. I am just going to keep trying. Eventually they will understand that the crib is where to sleep. Keep trying.
I meant that my daughter (currently 15 1/2 months) will cry for hours and she does not cry herself to sleep. And she does not settle down if I go in to calm her unless I take her out of the crib. I know books have worked for some but unfortutely we did not have luck.

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E.C.

answers from Peoria on

There's also a book called The No Cry Sleep Solution for those of us who aren't comfortable with crying it out. There a version for babies and one for toddlers. Good luck!

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