Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Everyone keeps telling me that it is best to put my DD down to sleep when she is drowsy but still awake so that she can learn to sleep on her own. I've tried to do that but it always results in her crying and waking up.

I breastfeed her at night and rock her to sleep.

What am I doing wrong?

Any tips or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

See I rock my baby to sleep as well (she is 4.5 months old)...and I don't want to say it's too late for me to have her fall asleep on her own but I feel like she is soo used to my arms that it would be so hard for her at this point to learn on her own...that's how I feel. Every time I put her down when she isn't fully asleep...she cries and cries and I feel bad so I pick her up again!

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

When she was younger though newborn- 6 weeks I would rock her until she is fully asleep.My DD is 3.5 months now and she goes drowsy and sleeps on her own.

I began my shutting all the lights except for one weak night light in her room. I would take her in there, BF her and at that point she was drowsy. I would shush her as I put her in her crib and pop the pacifier in. She would cry and fuss so I would pet her/pat her... I would leave my hand on her until she is getting sleepier. Then leave the room.

In the beginning I would have to go back in the room and pop the pacifier back in, pat her, etc. a COUPLE of times. JUST STICK WITH IT!!

Now its a piece of cake. Its a 3-5 minute project.

HTH

ETA: In my opinion I dont think its too late, give it a try! I dont know if your DD likes the paci but it REALLY helps my DD falls asleep.

Message edited 11/24/2010 3:45:25 PM.

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

its not for everyone but when my DD weighed enough and my ped okayed it (3 months), i let her cry when I put her down drowsy. You have to expect the crying - they are going from your comfy arms to the crib. I was hesitant at first but the ped reassured me that she would be okay. The first nap, I let her cry and surprisingly, she really didnt cry that much. She cried for maybe a minute and then stopped, cried for another minute and stopped. After about 5 minutes of that, she went to sleep on her own. I kid you not, the rest of the day she went down for naps on her own and slept through the night the next night (12 hours. I also think it was easier for her to adjust to the self soothing bc we had implemented sleep routines very early on. She was getting on a good schedule and so instead of rocking her to sleep like i used to, i started putting her down drowsy. I think its much easier for them to cope when they are younger....

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Does your baby play on a playmat? How long do you think she'd play there, if she didn't know you were near? Can she self play?

Teach her to play explore the toys on her own. Take the toys to the crib and play in the crib. Leave her in the crib with the toys, 1 min, 5 min, 10 min ... etc
Let her be comfortable and feel safe in the crib alone.

When you put her down to sleep, hang a favorite toy from the crib, out of reach but in sight. Or give her a lovey if your comfortable with that. But have her play with the lovey at some occasion before.

Before bed, do something physically exhaustive with her, like tummy time, or bath time and encourage lots of kicking, do exercises (you tube baby yoga for gas this is what we did a lot). Babies need to be physically exhausted as well as mentally to fall asleep well (adults do too).

Once you feel she's comfortable in the crib alone, start putting her drowsy but awake, let her whine, the second it gets hysterical, go in there and do everything you can think of to soothe her back to a whine, without picking her up (show her the toy, rub her head, pat bottom, sing, shush, etc).

DS learned this way at 3m. He now clenches his lovey smiles at it closes his eyes and goes to sleep. I've also seen him wake up, cry, then read for lovey suck on its head and put himself back to sleep.

We have teething, and colds, and things like that that, but in general he's an amazing sleeper compared to his mommy.


eta: bedtime routine is critical too, ours lasted an hour at one point. tummy time, read books, bath, lights, massage, baby yoga, bottle, song, sleep

Message edited 11/24/2010 3:51:12 PM.

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Don't listen to "everyone", do what you want to do. I wanted to BF/rock DD to bed every night (and for naps when I was on maternity leave) and that is what I did. Esp being a FTWM I loved every second of that time with her at night. She's an amazing sleeper and around 8/9 months she decided she didn't want to be rocked anymore. She's 15 months and I still try my hardest to rock her every night after her bottle.

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

Message edited 11/24/2010 3:56:35 PM.

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

QUOTE]

Well good for you...I wish I would have done that with DD...I will know better the next time around!

Let me say though...now that I am working full time and I don't see her much...I don't mind rocking her at night..because I miss her sooo much!


I totally get where you are coming from...its a good chance to bond!! I also agree w/camacho..to the OP you dont "have to" do anything lol.
i personally wanted my DD to be able to put herself to sleep, but do what you feel is right!!

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

She is too young for CIO.

Rock her till she is JUST asleep, swaddled her up TIGHT, and put her down in her crib with white noise and a paci (if she takes one). If she stirs and starts to wake, then put your hand on her chest and "shush" her, gently rocking her side to side.

Re: Teaching an almost 4 month old to fall asleep

mine go in their crib awake but sleepy i put the gloworms on (toy that glows and play music) and a projector toy that projects bears onto the ceiling with their pacifiers and they eventually fall asleep. i feel the mobile is just too loud for bedtime so i dont use that.
i do have to go back in their if their pacifiers drop and they are still up. But for the most part they are asleep within 20 minutes. They usually dont cry but sometimes one of them has those nights where they are fussy so it takes them longer to get to sleep. i am working on them being able to pick up pacifier and put back in mouth.
for naps they put themselves to sleep in bouncy chair, car, swing on a walk. they fall asleep anywhere and i get jealous ;)
Good luck.