Sleep tips

katiezab

My 11 month old is an awful sleeper! I mean terrible!!! My 2.5 year old has always been phenomenal, but 11 month old is very high needs in comparison. I will take any advice you have!

Should I wear him more during the day? He will almost exclusively only go to sleep if he is in motion - car, rock n play, being rocked by me, me wearing him. I have never even once been able to lay him down and have him fall asleep on his own. I love that be needs me, but I hate that he can't even occasionally put himself to sleep. I almost feel like it is a disservice to him - he is exhausted and frustrated too!

I just don't even know where to begin! Thanks in advance for any advice!

Emerald27

Will he go to sleep if you lay with him/nurse him in your bed? What would happen if you were to lay with and snuggle him?

If he is getting the sleep he needs to be a happy kid when awake, I wouldn't worry about doing him a disservice, but having him only be able to fall asleep while moving would be extra hard on you, I imagine, so it's worth making a change.

katiezab

He will only nurse to sleep if I am rocking him in the rocking chair or in the middle of the night I can see that he gets quite frustrated, and he is definitely not getting the quality sleep he needs.

Emerald27

Have you tried some rocking, but not until he's asleep, then some laying with him, to see if he'll go to sleep that way? You could rock some and lay with him some, and if he objects too much, rock some more. ..and slowly tip the balance more toward laying with him and away from rocking until he doesn't need to be rocked at all to fall asleep.

I think a lot of babies at this age have trouble falling asleep, no matter what sleep associations they have. It's a big time for development, teeth, and growth, and everything seems to interfere with going to sleep!

Sleep associations are normal and good (everyone has them), but if the rocking association isn't working for him or you anymore, there's certainly no harm in gently teaching him new ways of falling asleep. This *might* be able to be accomplished by continued rocking, but less and less each time.

ellenrunyon

No advice, I'm in the same boat as my 8 month old. She's exploring everything, and rocking on our creaky old porch swing is often the only thing that works

Mama2be12345

My 10 month old has never fallen asleep on her own, I wear her a lot during the day and at night she won't even let us rock her to sleep sitting down, we have to walk around in circles in a pitch black room until she's totally asleep. I don't have any helpful advice except that you're not doing a disservice, you are providing comfort and love and positive sleep associations. Keep up the good work! ;-)