Getting 9 Month Old to Sleep in Crib

It's hard to have change! I know how you fel about the sleeping in the whole bed thing and everytime there was a change it got harder. So I did thge sleep training but I couldn't handle going in every 5 min. I lengthen the time to 15 min and just laid him down and said mommy loves you good night. Then left the room. Sometimes he went to sleep and sometime he cried for 15 more min but I worked on one set thing first was nap then in a month I did bedtime. While he cried I did things to keep me busy like listen to my mp3 player but still watch the time. I hope things get better. Als a rutine seems to work well too!

Hi M.,

Sorry I don't really have any crib advice as we co-sleep with our little ones and find that everyone sleeps great that way. You might find some helpful info at these websites: www.askdrsears.com, www.mothering.com, www.kellymom.com.

Good luck!
S.

He has become so secure with you that without you he feels lost. Just like you would ween him from anything else, slowly put him back into his crib. Let him play in there while you are in the room. Then slowly begin to step out of the room for something. Be sure to talk him through it. Tell him that you are going to the bathroom say. Tell him that you will be right back. And be sure to come right back so he will trust you. And over time you will get him back to feeling safe there. But until then, enjoy the time spent with him. He's 9mths already! Just think, he will be walking and talking and driving and dating before you know it! LOL! Sometimes we tend to think that the end of the race is the goal when in reality, it's the journey that we should enjoy.
As a single mom, I know that it can't be easy for you. But it's obvious that you are a great mom who loves her little man very much! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MOM!

Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 8 & 2 yrs old and married to my Mr. Wonderful for almost 15yrs. I love to help other moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal!

I have a few ideas... put him in the crib after he's already asleep and as he gets used to sleeping there, put him in there when he's REALLY sleepy and nodding off (maybe after skipping a nap or getting a later nap than usual).

Another suggestion I have is honestly have him cry longer than the 5 minutes you give him, if he still chooses to cry when he's super tired. The thing is that you should not worry about the crying, because you already know WHY he's crying. It's when a baby cries without knowing the cause of crying that you should worry about. He's 9 months, so that's his only way of "protesting".

It's also important to keep a routine when you put him to sleep. It doesn't not have to be long and drawn out, but just to give him little signals that bedtime is approaching. We have a small routine we do, and it's really funny because my 18 month old may not have seemed sleepy beforehand, but she immediately starts acting extra sleepy as soon as we start getting her ready for bed because she's so used to going in her crib right after:)

Going to sleep on one's own (when that is the goal of the parents), get's increasingly important (and harder to start doing) as a baby gets older. Start now. I'm not against co-sleeping when that is okay with the parents. I have friends that are completely ok with their kids being in bed with them, and that's their preference...

Another option: Let him know that you are there for him if you'd like by starting off this change by being in the room or right next to him when he starts sleeping in his crib. He'll probably cry, but he'll know he isn't being "abandoned". Move further away from the crib each night until you are out the door, and he's on his own.

I'll mention again- crying WILL happen. It was SOOOO hard for me to deal with my first one crying (I have four) for that long, too. Now, it's a piece of cake, and my babies hardly EVER cry- they are VERY content.

As long as you put him on his back, if he flips it is okay. That's the first thing. The second thing is that you just have to out him in his crib and go in the other room. we always shut our girls door. It is hard but unless theya re crying non stop for more than 30 minutes (I mean not stopping for a breath or to take a break from crying/etc) theya r efine. It is rlaly hard. The first time my oldest cried for 1 hour and 45 min, the second night it was down to an hour the third ngiht it was 30 min and by night 4 she was fine

Sometimes my 10 month old gets a little anxiety about me leaving her room, so occasionally I will sit in my rocking chair across from her crib and whisper to her that I'm there until she starts to fall asleep. Like Proud Mommy B suggested, you might try staying in his room a night or a few until your son gets comfortable again with the crib. You might even spend the night on his floor - my friend did that when transitioning her son from her room to his own, and it worked well for her. Good luck.

I used to have the same problem and my son had a dr.'s appt one day and my mother in-law had to take him and she asked what we should do. The dr told us that we should make sure he had a full belly because sometimes thats why they cry. He said that we should put him in his crib and let him cry for a bit. I will admit it was very very hard but i would only let him cry for about 15mins then i would go back in there. But after about a week of feeling like my son hated me for making him cry his self to sleep he has been so easy to put down. I also have one of those projectors in his room that has cows and moons and stars going around in circles and that helps too. I take him in his room now and turn the projector on and say goodnight to him and then he is out... Hope this helps!!

I recommend The No-Cry Sleep Solution. It is a book I found highly recommended on-line by other parents and it is very logically put together. It does stress two major things... 1. This is a process. You have to really study your child's sleep patterns and be honest about your part in them. 2. You have to both be ready for it. There are a lot of tricks and tasks for the parents to help the child get ready, but if you are not emotionally ready for the upheaval caused by "retraining" your child, or if you are still enjoying the co-sleeping too much to initiate the change, maybe you're not ready. I wasn't.

Another tip, I put a twin-sized mattress on the floor in my baby's nursery. He likes to play on it, and when I put him there while he is sleeping, he doesn't freak out like he does when I put him in his crib. Good luck.

Our society has built this huge expectation that babies sleep in cribs and it can be convenient. Some babies can adjust to sleeping alone while others do better with Mom nearby. I like the book, "Our babies, ourselves" because it explains how babies and moms have slept together throughout time until recently. No matter how you resolve this issue, it may help to know that your baby is behaving normally. You may be able to teach him something different but wanting mom nearby is normal.

You both will be happier with as much sleep as possible. The fact that crying bothers you is a really good thing - you have a close relationship with your baby and care deeply how he feels. This time when he is little and needs you so much will pass quickly, as he grows up, no matter how you figure out the sleeping now.

Your son is lucky to have you!

Dr. Sears says everyone should sleep where everyone gets the most sleep. So, your son does not have to sleep in the crib. If you really want/need him to you might try letting him fall asleep with you and then moving him to the crib. If he wakes at night you can either bring him to bed with you or lose the sleep at night getting him back to sleep in the crib. You might also consider moving the crib to your room at the foot of the bed. I had a friend do that and it worked great for them. I have six children and I am not a fan of the whole crying it out thing. Find what works for you and your child and don't worry if it is different from what a certain books says or what works for your friends. Sleep is important for a mom esp. when on your own. My husband deploys frequently and I value sleep so it is easier for me to just sleep with the baby. We both sleep better which makes me a happier mommy.

Hello M., try laying somewhere in his room so that he knows that you are there, but not quite sleeping w/ him. It may take some time,maybe a few weeks or so.Just be patient stick to your guns,I know it can be hard especially when they give you a certain look but keep up the good work.

I am in the same boat unfortunately (my son is crying as I type). I have tried so many things but it's still such a struggle. I am moderately opposed to CIO but have found that it works the best. There are nights when he hardly makes a peep and there are nights where he cries for up to an hour with us going in every 10 mins or so. It's really hard but I'm convinced we will find the right compromise soon!