Baby falling asleep on own. Help!

daniellarhh

My daughter is 8 months old. She's very alert and aware of her surroundings. When she's asleep, she will sleep like a trooper! Usually from 8pm until 9:30am maybe waking once at 6:30am. The problem I have is getting her to sleep! She will not fall asleep unless she is lying on me. I will try to put her in her cot 3 maybe 4 times, and every time I put her down she will just scream until I pick her up again! I've tried letting her cry, but she will cry for Atleast half an hour before I pick her up again. Anybody else had the same problem? I'm really stuck on what to do!

thumper90

My little guy is 9 months and he does the same thing. I don't know how many times I've tried to do the self soothing and let them cry it out but he never does. He'll do the same thing your little one does. Scream and cry non stop standing up in his crib and the longest I've tried is about 45 minutes then picked him up. He has to be rocked to sleep in the rocking chair we have. He constantly fights me even when I rock him tooo. But he won't go down any other way. I feel like I'm failing at this. He's my first. Other than this sleep thing he's a good baby. I just feel terrible when I see him with tear streaks and red face just wailing like it's the end of the world. I have no idea how to get him to go down without assistance. I've looked online. Talked to his doctor. Done everything I can think of and nothing has worked. You are definitely not alone!

daniellarhh

I completely agree! Breaks my heart when she's red and full of tears. I also feel like I'm failing and don't know what else to try! My daughter is also a very good baby, it's just this one niggling problem which seems to be putting a downer on both myself and my daughter. She is also my first, and I know exactly how you are feeling. I just wish this would be an easy fix but I honestly don't know what else I can do!

murrayce

I was in the same position with my 8 mo son. We attempted cry it out in hopes that he could learn to fall asleep on his own without us. The short story is, it wasn't pleasant, but it worked in a few days. The first night was the worst, and he finally fell asleep after a little over an hour (with us going into his room to calm him down every 10 minutes or so). The second night it took probably 15 minutes before he quieted down and slept, and it took less time the third night. We weren't as strict with the CIO because he got a little cold, but things are still working pretty well and last night was the first night that we put him down completely awake and he fell asleep on his own about 10 minutes later without making a peep. We also made the decision to stop using the pacifier at the same time, and he has clearly learned to self-sooth by sucking his thumb. If you're uncomfortable with traditional CIO, maybe try it but with a quick-pick up/put-down before leaving the room again, and try to make sure when your your LO falls asleep you're not in the room with them?

I'm a first time mom, too, so I don't have much experience with this, but wanted to pass along what worked for us! I dreaded any CIO and that was my last resort, but it has worked pretty well. Good luck, ladies!

daniellarhh

Thank you for your advice! I'm definitely going to try the CIO method, I just find it pretty horrible and baby must too. She won't take a pacifier so she knows full well how to self soothe which is to my advantage I suppose. She will sleep just fine at my mothers house, I think she must know she can get away with it while she's at home! I physically or mentally cannot continue the way things are going so CIO will also be my last resort, and I don't quite know what we're going to do if it doesn't work! She's in a feeding routine, but I've been finding it very difficult to get her into a sleeping routine. Thank you again

daniellarhh

Okay the CIO method is definitely not working! Baby will l get herself so wound up that she makes herself physically sick. Somebody help!

crsanchez87

I am using techniques from the "No Cry Sleep Solution" it was working pretty well but now baby has a cold so i am just trying to help him feel more comfortable. The sleep plans outlined take work though so if you are looking for an overnight solution, it wont work. 

Sorry I am not more helpful. I have been in the same boat and it is so hard! Good luck. 

mrsbrown211

CIO actually "works" for most children but not for the reasons we are told. They do not learn to self soothe alone and what they do learn is to stop signaling so don't get down on yourself or your LO. Night wakings are normal even past a year old! I've got more info if you'd like I can email you. Xox

daniellarhh

Yes please! That would be a massive help. I'm struggling to find something that works x

jodieajk

My 9 mo girl is the same. Has always slept through the night and then she got into the routine of waking for a cuddle during the night which was fine until she started waking every hour or so and wouldn't let me put her down. My partner and I tried cio it was heartbreaking but it worked. The first night it took an hour or so and then less and less each night she very rarely cries at bedtime now and if she does its a couple of minutes at the most. I've found she settled faster if I put her in her cot and left. If I went back in or picked her up it got her quite worked up x

liveeeann

My little guy was the same way and I didn't have the heart to do the CIO. I found a very gradual approach that worked but it takes patience. First, I put a blanket under him (between us) when I rocked him to sleep so that when I transferred him to his bed the cold sheets wouldn't wake him. If he woke up when I put him down I would pick him back up, settle him back to sleep and do it over and over again. Then I stopped rocking him when he was falling asleep. He cried while I held him but eventually he got used to it. When they settle into this pattern, then try putting them in bed while they are half asleep. They will wake up but keep doing it over and over. Then the next step you can put them in bed awake. It took us a few months- with setbacks during teething, etc. It also helps to create a bedtime ritual - we brush teeth, wash up, get in sleep sack, turn down lights, turn in white noise, then read a book. Now he knows that it's time to sleep when we start doing these things. Hope this helps!