Sleep Problems (long)

Hey Jellisy

DD has always been a good sleeper.  We co-slept till she was 8 weeks and transitioned to the crib (while sleeping) with nary a hitch.  When she would wake up for her morning feeding, I would bring her into bed with me but she spent the whole night until 5:30-6:30 or so in her crib.  Around 6 months we started putting her down drowsy, which she didn?t like as much but within a few days, she was putting herself to sleep. 

 

In December we had the perfect storm of events, the holidays and teething.  Both were so disruptive to her schedule.  She wouldn?t sleep in the pack n play while we were at my parents, so we let her sleep with us.  We got home and within a few days she was cutting her top teeth and had trouble sleeping and again, I took her into my bed.  She went back to her crib for about a week, then we moved, and now she REFUSES to sleep in her bed.  If I put her in her crib asleep, she immediately wakes up, stands up and starts screaming.  Last week I tried letting her CIO (both in her room and out of her room) and after 45 minutes, I caved, held her and brought her to my bed where she promptly calmed down and fell asleep. 

 

I am not sure how to get her back to her crib.  On the weekend we played in her room to get her used to it.  We change her diapers there.  She gets dressed there.  She loves taking thing off her bookcase in her room and she likes story time in the glider but she is terrified (or so it seems to me) of sleeping there.  Her crib has the same blankets and loveys in it.  I really think it is related back to the move, my DH tells me I am giving her too much credit.  She?s adjusted to the new house in all other ways and is her normal happy self during waking hours. 

 

I reread Ferber last night and didn?t find a comparable situation there.  Does anyone have any thoughts or have they confronted the same thing.  When she is in my bed, she is sleeping about 12 hours so the length is not at issue, just the location.  BTW, she is not napping in the crib on weekends either; she has the same aversion then as well.   

 

I want my bed back.  I want someone else to be able to watch her so I can have a date night with DH.  I have no idea how to build confidence back up for her in her own bed.  Any and all advice is appreciated.          

Sofka

can you put her in her crib and stay w/ her, rubbing her back, talking to her, until she falls asleep and gradually do less rubbing/talking and eventually not even touch her, until she is used to it?

what about trying the PnP again and putting that in her room and once she's used to that start transitioning to the crib?

these are just ideas...we had to Ferberize, did it by the book, 5mins, then 10, 15, etc etc etc. DH did it, I did not go in. She is more likely to fall asleep for your H. Can he do bedtime?

so sorry you are dealing with this

tomandcourt

I was reading HSHHC in the lactation room, and here's what Weissbluth said: first, it's a transition that could take weeks or months (! - sorry). He recommends starting out with the crib in your room, up against the bed with the side down - I think this would only work if you had a dropside crib, otherwise maybe use a cosleeper? Then he suggests slowly moving the crib out of your room and into theirs. Hope that helps!

rnin02

I don't really have any good advice except hang in there and keep trying! I wish I knew what worked to get my son to sleep in his crib, we would just try every night and some nap times (most of the time i would nap with him, now i always nap with him, that's our struggle now!) and he would cry and cry and we would give in and let him sleep with us, and then one night it just clicked. i think it helped that he was really tired (it was thanksgiving night and we had been visiting relatives) and he took an evening nap in his crib (first miracle!), and at bedtime we put him in there to try and he ended up sleeping most of the night in there (second miracle!). for a while after that he would finish out the night with us, because he would wake up to breastfeed part way thru the night and i would end up falling asleep while nursing him in the bed....but eventually he stopped needing the early morning feeding and slept thru the night. i guess it was just persistance, because i don't think any of the sleep books i read really sunk in and i certainly didn't follow much of their advice. we don't really have much a routine, and when my DH and I have different routines depending on who is putting him to bed, and he just goes with the flow. I hope you find some relief soon!