Bedtime-do you put LO down when they are still awake???

chocolatechippy · November 2010

Do you put LO down when they are still awake, sleepy or actually asleep?? I am trying to start a bedtime routine, but when she falls asleep is about a 2 hour range ( between 9 and 11)

Sweets2005 · November 2010

We put the twins down awake since about 6 months old. They need to learn to put themselves to sleep but at 2 months old, they might not be able to, so I would focus on putting them down when sleepy for now.

kjuliet91 · November 2010

I put DD down awake. She has her last bottle for the night, gets a bath, I rock her and sing her a song and then put her down and turn her mobile on. She will still be completely awake, but she puts herself to sleep in about 5 minutes. Sometimes I'll have to go in and give her a paci, but rarely.

ETA: I started by putting her down almost completely asleep and gradually put her down a little less sleepy.

MaMaC15 · November 2010

I put LO down asleep since he pretty much falls asleep in my arms at the very end of a feeding or immediately after burping he is passed out. I will start putting him down when he is still awake once he is a bit older.

kg_08 · November 2010

I put her down at bedtime whether she's asleep or awake. I just swaddle, give her a paci, and if she starts to fuss I just shush her and put the paci back in. Usually I don't have to go in more than 2 times, if any.

azsheena · November 2010

Every time I try, he screams and screams. Right now he is only taking one nap a day and not going to bed until 11-12, so I am always way too tired to keep trying the whole going down awake thing.

veebug22 · November 2010

I used to put her down when she was sleeping hard and then pick her up and put her back to sleep every time she woke up. Now that she has a more regular sleep schedule and I want to get a few hours by myself before bed, I swaddle, nurse, put her down asleep, but she always wakes up a few times within the first 30 mins before actually falling asleep for the night. On rough nights it can be more like an hour of restlessness before she really falls asleep. I don't pick her up again; when she fusses, I give her the pacifier, and rub her head/face/tummy, and sing to her. When her eyes start to close again, I leave. I hear her making noises over the monitor sometimes but I don't go in unless they are regular and she sounds fussy/distressed or they are starting to escalate. She definitely uses the pacifier to put herself to sleep, but once she's deeply asleep it falls out of her mouth and she doesn't need it to go back to sleep during her nighttime feeds. So I feel like I'm still helping her to fall asleep, but she's starting to learn how to fall asleep on her own. I didn't feel like she was ready to do that until the last few days though.

BabyRN2009 · November 2010

Our bedtime routine is bath, lotion, jammies, BF one side, swaddle, BF second side, swing. She is still awake at the end, but getting drowsy. I put her in the swing still awake, but she's asleep within 10 minutes max. Rarely she'll fuss and I'll pick her up and BF her for a few more minutes and that does the trick.

We've used the swing since she came home, so I'm not sure how this routine would work in the PNP or crib. We plan to try transitioning to the crib once she hits 2 months...

Ananke · November 2010

DS is almost always in a deep sleep when I put him down. Only once or twice have I put him down drowsy. I usually nurse him to sleep. He'll either fall asleep nursing (only at night), or he'll fall asleep on my chest while I burp him. This keeps both of us happy, and we both get more sleep than if I had to fight him to go to sleep.

Our routine is: starting around 8, a short BF session to tide him over, long bath (he loves it!),massage, put on diaper and swaddle, then BF while I read to him. I read until his eyes start drooping and he stops looking at me (usually about 10 - 15 minutes), then I sing to him for another 10-15, and he's usually asleep by then. If not, I lay him against my chest and pat him on the back until he falls asleep. He's been sleeping 4-6 hours for his first stretch, then 2-3 hours after that until we finally crawl out of bed around 10 (or later).

vlestep · November 2010

You might try putting your LO to bed a little earlier. We started that about a month ago and it worked wonders! It would take 2-3 hours to get DD to finally go to sleep when we started her routine about 8. Now that we start it about 6, she's asleep within 10 minutes, usually. I used to put her down asleep, but now I put her down drowsy and pat/rub her belly until she falls asleep. That way she'll sleep for 5+ hours, otherwise she's up around 10.

CinemaGoddess · November 2010

I put them down awake, usually because I have to feed/change/rock the other one. Usually they're out within minutes when I put them down.

carmel4u · November 2010

I put my daughter down awake, sometimes she will fall asleep in my arms so fast after feeding her. Being that I learned the hard way with my second son.

SparkleK · November 2010

I usually put LO down asleep. She sleeps for a 10+ hour stretch, so I don't have much of a desire to try to change things. I nurse and rock her to sleep. Sometimes when I put her down in her crib, she'll open her eyes for a moment, but then she drifts back off to sleep when I start her sea horse.

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Bedtime-do you put LO down when they are still awake???

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