Success stories - no more rocking to sleep?

[Becbabe]

hi there,

I would love to hear any success stories with going from rocking your baby to sleep to putting her down awake....

I have used the NCSS book (along with Sleeping like a baby) with quite a bit of success for getting her to stop feeding to sleep & have a regular bedtime.

I feel like this is the next step for us & would love some ideas!

ATM she is rocked to sleep at bedtime & every night waking. Plus she will only go to sleep in our arms for naps.

Thanks!
Bec.

[monkeytoes]

I used to rock my DD to sleep but it was taking longer and longer each time, so we did a bit of controlled crying, also we implemented some rituals like a bedtime story and a special bedtime teddybear. If she wakes in the night and needs some comfort she can cuddle up to her teddy.

Music is also great! Whether you sing yourself or play some music, you could choose one song and sing that song everytime you want to settle her. After a while she will realise that the song is her cue to fall a sleep. I also leave a radio on in my DD's bedroom as background noise. It makes them feel like they are not alone.

Whatever method you choose, consistency is definately the key!!

Good luck!:fingerscrossed:

[Becbabe]

Yeah - but I was looking for some non CC options - hence posting in the "No Cry" sleep solutions forum!

It only takes 25mins to do her entire bedtime routine (shower/book/boob/song/bed) and then she's asleep, so at this point it's not enough of a worry to do CC.

[tahnee11]

[quote=Becbabe;1147176]
ATM she is rocked to sleep at bedtime & every night waking. Plus she will only go to sleep in our arms for naps.quote]

This is exactly what happens with my 6month old son. During the day he sometimes sleeps with one eye slightly open (Probably to make sure i don't go anywhere).

I'm not a big fan of CC because I am a sucker for baby tears. At the moment I am trying to put him in his cot for his naps which can be difficult because as soon as I start to lower him, his eyes open (cheeky boy).

Usually after i have nursed him to sleep, i will turn the music on in his room (his favourite is Micheal Buble at the moment) so it drowns out any outside noise and this will usually keep him asleep in there for about 20mins. Its a start, we are still working on it.:fingerscrossed:

[hubberonholidays]

Hey BecBabe

My little boy was born in October and only in the past week I have finally managed to stop rocking/feeding him to sleep and he now just goes in his cot and goes to sleep!!! It was hard to do but soooo worth it. I feel like I have my life back!
I bought Tracey Hogg's latest baby whisperer book and it worked a treat for us - I'm not really keen on a time based routine but her method for getting babies over four months to sleep was fantastic.
It's called P.U/P.D - Pick Up / Put Down - and the basic principle is as soon as they get upset you pick them back up out of the cot and the instant they stop crying you put them back down. PM me if you'd like more info - this method seriously changed our lives.

Jade

[JumpingBean]

I used to go thru the same thing with DD until she was about 4 months old. She hardly slept during the day unless she was in my arms and had to also be rocked to sleep at night.
I went to see a CHN and she told me just to put her in her cot with a soft toy for comfort or blanky or something small like that to hold onto. It took about 3 days of grizzling, but then worked a treat! It got easier each day too.
So now she's fine to put herself to sleep with her bunny - comforter. I'd recommend getting one.
I hope that it works out for you:thumbsup:

[Becbabe]

Thanks for the help - it's good to know it can be done!

Kell, what's her comforter look like? We have a lovely snuggly bunny that she loves to wrestle during the day but I'm worried it's too big/soft for in her cot? (SIDS risk?) So you just let her grizzle - did you pick her up if she got really upset?

Her night sleeps are so good generally once she's down, I'm worried that I'll lose her trust and she'll get suspicious of her cot!