sleep problem

[amy densley]

i was wondering if anyone else has to rock and pat their baby to sleep in their arms my little boy is 3mths old and im worried il be doing this till he is alot older does anyone have any solutoins do they grow out of it or will i have to train him to go to sleep on his own :confused:

[JanetF]

Hi :)
That's not a sleep problem, that's a normal baby. You're doing exactly what your baby needs to learn to settle himself when he's old enough. Babies all learn to selfsettle at some point but it needs to be in their own time. You're doing a beautiful job supporting your child in an age appropriate way! *hugs* Feel free to PM if you want to chat :)

http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070200.asp

NIGHTTIME PARENTING LESSON #1: Babies need to be parented to sleep, not just put to sleep. Some babies can be put down while drowsy yet still awake and drift off to sleep by themselves, others need parental help by being rocked or nursed to sleep.

The reason is that while adults can usually go directly into the state of deep sleep, infants in the early months enter sleep through an initial period of light sleep. After twenty minutes or more they gradually enter deep sleep, from which they are not so easily aroused. As you probably know from experience, if you try to rush your baby to bed while she is still in the initial light sleep period, she will usually awaken. Many parents tell me: "My baby has to be fully asleep before I can put her down." In later months, some babies can enter deep sleep more quickly, bypassing the lengthy light sleep stage. Learn to recognize your baby's sleep stages. Wait until your baby is in a deep sleep stage before transitioning her from one sleeping place to another, such as from your bed to a crib or from carseat to bed or crib.

http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070700.asp

http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T071100.asp

[draught]

Amy
I used to rock my daughter to sleep in my arms - until she got really heavy and my arms developed RSI and I had to find alternatives. Then it was a case of teaching her to go to sleep with rocking and patting in the bed. That took her a couple of nights to get used to but she coped. Later on I have started to teach her to sleep without my assistance using controlled crying - but she is nearly 1 and your bubba is only 3 months, so we are talking about a completely different stage in life. For now, as long as you are happy patting and rocking - keep doing it. When it is a problem for you or your baby then it is time to explore different options.

[amy densley]

thanks guys ,sometimes when you are constantly on your own and you have a overtired baby ,you think your the only one going through it ,it's nice to hear that im normal and there are other mums who have done the same thing ,some people make you feel guilty for rocking them to sleep but when it;s my sanity at stake it seems the right thing to do ,because he doesn't like to sleep at the best of times . :) :D