"put baby to bed awake but drowsy"

L&J0804 · April 2010

I keep reading that this is the best way to help baby learn how to put himself to sleep. I have tried and tried this with the PNP, swing, bouncy seat, and crib. My 5 week old's eyelids will be droopy, but as soon as he gets put into one of the above, he is wide awake and starts squirming and fussing. If I don't pick him up, after about 5 minutes he's out and out crying. As soon as he's picked up, he's calm again. I know he's way too young to CIO, so what do I do? Keep picking him up and then putting him back down? I'm exhausted!

MamatoJackson · April 2010

Curious to see responses. Sometimes it works for me and other times, the exact thing you described happens.

AmyLovesEddie14 · April 2010

I have this same problem. For my sanity, I've been waiting until she's all the way asleep, then laying her down. I know it's not what I'm "supposed" to do, but I need sleep. DH works 6 days a week from 5:30am until 6:30pm so I don't have much help. She slept for 4 hours last night so I'm in a pretty good mood today! haha

ETA: Sometimes her pacifier helps her fall asleep, but not every time.

wombat 3 · April 2010

I don't have a sure fire answer, but you could try just going in and soothing him while he is still in his desired sleeping area(crib, pnp, etc). Talk to him, pat him a little, or give him a pacifier. Once he seems drowsy again let him try to fall asleep. I have heard it mentioned to put a heating pad on the area where you will put him down and then remove it before you put him down so it isn't a cold startling difference from your warm arms. Or put something that smells like you near him (in a safe way of course). I haven't tried the last two suggestions, but they sound good.

MCC1010 · April 2010

I've been putting him down when he is a little drowsy. If he gets fussy or wakes up I give him a pacifier. So far it works 50% of the time. I hope he will eventually be ok and fall asleep on his own

BabyLove987 · April 2010

I put LO down drowsy (plus she usually wakes up a little when I put her down even if she is asleep). If she cries, I try to comfort her without picking her back up by patting her or giving her a pacifier. Sometimes she cries for a while, but I don't really think it is CIO, because I'm right there. Sometimes it works, sometimes I pick her up and try again later. She is getting better at it, but it still doesn't always work.

emmielou83 · April 2010

We started doing this method with DS when he was 4 weeks old. The first couple of nights were okay, but I had to stand next to the crib and put my hands on his chest/forehead and talk in a soothing voice. At this point we were swaddling him arms out, gave him a paci, played the sleep sheep rain noise and put the glowworm on. The first night that I decided to try swaddling him arms in, he was out very quickly and slept 6 hours. We still did the paci, sleep sheep, glowworm, etc, but the swaddling tightly was the key for us. We have since bought a seahorse, so now our routine is: swaddle, sheep, seahorse on, walk away. He is asleep within 5 minutes usually. He never cries, but sometimes tries to move around against the tightness of the swaddle. However, he always settles down in a couple of minutes. Also, prior to putting him in the crib, we do the same routine every night so he "knows" it's bedtime. Our routine includes bath, massage with lotion, a song, and a bottle of BM. Good luck!

Sophiebelle84 · April 2010

I've found that putting in the pacifier and then holding him vertically against my shoulder while he's swaddled and rocking and shushing makes him magically tired. I don't have to do it for very long, usually, and I lay him down and his eyes are closed.

MCC1010 · April 2010

wombat 3:
I don't have a sure fire answer, but you could try just going in and soothing him while he is still in his desired sleeping area(crib, pnp, etc). Talk to him, pat him a little, or give him a pacifier. Once he seems drowsy again let him try to fall asleep. I have heard it mentioned to put a heating pad on the area where you will put him down and then remove it before you put him down so it isn't a cold startling difference from your warm arms. Or put something that smells like you near him (in a safe way of course). I haven't tried the last two suggestions, but they sound good.

Unrelated - but that is the funniest baby picture! I love it. What a great WTH face.

denahamilton@cox.net · April 2010

There is no way in hell at 5 weeks old I could lay my baby down "drowsy but awake"....that didn't start working until 8 weeks of age. At 5 weeks old I wouldn't stress about creating bad habits. Do the best you can to optimize sleep in the household right now. Then around 2 months or so try to tackle the "drowsy but awake" thing. Because it is really important IMO.

Jolaine83 · April 2010

I'm lucky (in a way) to be able to use pumping as a white noise for DS. I've been trying to ease him into putting himself to sleep. So we've been feeding him at 9:30 by bottle, then rocking him standing next to the crib and putting him down when the crib as soon as his eyelids start to droop. Then, I sit in the recliner next to his crib and start my pumping session.

He does wake up and roll around, fussing a little bit (more trying to escape his swaddle then actually being upset - he does this anytime he's swaddled and awake) and by the time that I'm done pumping both sides (30 min.) he's long since asleep. After watching him while doing this a couple nights in a row, it takes just over 15 minutes for him to completely settle down and go to sleep.

I think it has to do with my presence in the room (he can see me clearly) and the loud white noise. The heartbeat bear never works for him if he's not almost asleep.

FutureMrsBB · April 2010

I feel like this is my only advice but for us swaddling made all the difference. Now I put him down awake but tired and pat his stomach if he's fussy but usually after a few minutes he quiets down and falls asleep on his own. Same goes for if he wakes up after only an hour when napping I will sneak in and turn on his noise machine but I make sure not to let him see me and after a few grunts and kicks he falls back to sleep for another hour or so. Its hard but no matter how long he fusses for I do not pick him up ... if he starts to cry however thats a different story.

As PP said arms in was also key for swaddling.

snicksnack · April 2010

My LO has been going to bed awake since she was a 5 days old. We swaddle her and put on her heatbeat bear and she falls asleep. If she fusses I add the seahorse.

AmandaToo · April 2010

Hasn't worked for us. I'd rather rock her for half an hour, put her down in a deep sleep, and get a reliable night's sleep at this point.

AmandaAllison · April 2010

Our son sometimes does this. We try giving him a pacifier as he is drifting off. It helps soothe him. Sometimes it works. Other times he doesn?t want the pacifier and will drift off on his own. Other times we just have to hold him--sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes the whole time he naps.