Soothing methods

[Deleted User] · January 2013

Hi all,

DS usually nurses to sleep, but lately he has not wanted to because of a stuffy head or upset tummy. It makes for some rough bedtimes because he wants to fall asleep but can't. We try rocking, bouncing, swaying, singing, shushing, white noise, dark room, patting his back and his bum. Eventually something works, or maybe he just gets too exhausted to stay awake any longer.

Anyway, I feel like such a dummy sometimes when it comes to soothing him. I guess I haven't spent enough time around babies, or at least not trying to get them to sleep. For example, when my MIL mentioned she patted his bum to get him to fall back asleep during a nap, I had never thought of that before. So what are some of your favorite ways to soothe your LO?

Thanks!

Wipz · January 2013

Classical music, hispanic hell even ACDC at times.. works to relax him while he gets rocked and butt patted in an upright position, as he gets relaxed I move him to a horizontal position then it's not such a shock when he is laid in his crib or bed.. if you go from upright to crib the sudden flip tends to wake him up.

This kid will not sleep if you just put him in his crib and leave him to it .. the only time he falls asleep on his own is in our bed after a bottle or boob and he rolls over and he is out. I rememer the days when this kid would just fall asleep on the spot.. regardless of where he was .. specially on his play mat lol.

When he is extremely anti sleep I throw him in the carrier and just walk around patting his tush and that knocks his lil butt out. It really depends on his mood as to what works best for him. Sometimes a bottle will knock him out before he gets half way through so I will sit on our bed propped up with him on my knee laid against my chest and watch tv and he will fall asleep that way.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

Thanks Wipz. We have tried sleep training several times and it just has not worked for us. I wish I could just lay him in the crib and he'd fall asleep, I'd even tolerate a little crying, but no.
I know what you mean about him falling asleep anywhere. I was looking at newborn pics of DS and I swear he is asleep in 90 percent of them! Oh the good old days, and I didn't even realize it at the time.

mcgeeva · January 2013

Honestly I can not sooht my son if it is the middle of the night. If I go in my son's room he freaks out.I have to send my husband in instead and he will fall right back asleep. I don't know what I will do when he travels. Just pray he doesn't wake up!

eyenigh · January 2013

At night in his crib, rubbing my son's head helps if he's already sleepy but just restless. For naps at home, he pretty much takes all of them in the stroller because he will keep himself awake in the crib for hours until he's a mess. I have a big Baby Jogger City Elite, I get him all reclined and give him his wubby and a blanket and, no exaggeration, it takes 2 minutes of pushing to put him down. The stroller has a 75 pound weight limit so I'll do this as long as it takes!

gui's gal · January 2013

As ridiculous as it might sound, I literally pull out the stroller every night before bedtime, after his bath, and stroll him around the house. I turn the lights down lower, put the dogs to bed, turn down the tv, turn off the phone ringer, etc. He usually goes to sleep within 15-20 minutes, if I do this. And when we move him to his crib upstairs, he doesn't wake up.

We have been using this method since he was 2-3 months.

MariJ1008 · January 2013

Wipz:
Classical music, hispanic hell even ACDC at times.. works to relax him while he gets rocked and butt patted in an upright position, as he gets relaxed I move him to a horizontal position then it's not such a shock when he is laid in his crib or bed.. if you go from upright to crib the sudden flip tends to wake him up.

This kid will not sleep if you just put him in his crib and leave him to it .. the only time he falls asleep on his own is in our bed after a bottle or boob and he rolls over and he is out. I rememer the days when this kid would just fall asleep on the spot.. regardless of where he was .. specially on his play mat lol.

When he is extremely anti sleep I throw him in the carrier and just walk around patting his tush and that knocks his lil butt out. It really depends on his mood as to what works best for him. Sometimes a bottle will knock him out before he gets half way through so I will sit on our bed propped up with him on my knee laid against my chest and watch tv and he will fall asleep that way.

this is similar to us. DS will not fall asleep in crib on his own. But for whatever reason he will fall asleep after a bottle in my bed no problem.

We rock him, sing to him. I have one of those night lights that bean stars onto ceiling, he likes to stare at that while we rock him. Noise maker with music to put on to kind of calm him down. Sometimes he fusses when I lay him the crib, so patting on the back, shhhhing sound. he suddenly picked up this habit, where he likes to chew his blanket..he doesn't take a pacifier at all. We definitely put him in stroller walk around house as well. Let him fall asleep on us and then put him in crib.

[Deleted User] · January 2013

Thanks for the replies everyone! The stroller thing is how they used to get him to sleep at daycare. He used to fall asleep in it for me too but not for awhile. I think he is becoming more aware of his routine and our moods, so you are probably right about being consistent and just telling him it's ok and encouraging him to relax.
Excited, thanks for your kind words of support. I needed to hear that today. :]

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