Does your LO put him/herself to sleep?

JELM2004 · September 2013

My LO is 6 weeks old. I have really been working to put him down drowsy but awake but it is just not working at all. He needs to be held to go to sleep and since we hit the dreaded growth spurt on Friday, he refuses to stay asleep longer than 10 mins, unless being held. Naps are a nightmare lately. I don't mind holding him at all but I have a 5 year old and 3 year old that aren't exactly creating an environment conducive to sleep! Lol

My other two kids I was evdntually able to put down drowsy but I can't remember when. I know he's way too young to self soothe but just wondering if anyone else is able to get their LO's down drowsy or if you're having to hold/rock them, like me? I want to create good sleep associations but there's not much I can do at this age if he doesn't want to fall asleep on his own.... Plus I don't think a growth spurt is the time to tackle any sleep issues.

What do you all do?

emandia · September 2013

No, I wish! I can barely get him to sleep these days. Uggg.

summerandmatt · September 2013

I agree, I would not try to put LO down drowsy but awake during the growth spurt. It's such a tough time, introducing something new like that would wreak havoc on both of our sleep lol DD2 is 9 weeks and she varies. Some nights (like last night) she'll fall asleep feeding but wake up when I put her in the crib. I just turned on the white noise machine and she fell asleep in a couple minutes (I watched from the monitor) without crying. Other nights she needs to be rocked to sleep. I think if we try frequently enough, it'll eventually become a habit.

Stina2012 · September 2013

I've read it's 4 months when the drowsy but awake works.

Erinm278 · September 2013

It really depends for El. Sometimes I will put her down and she will fall asleep on her own, but most of the time it doesn't work. I usually "snuggle" her to sleep. I lay next to her until she falls asleep then transfer her to the PNP. She doesn't really want me to touch her, she just wants to know I'm there.

[Deleted User] · September 2013

My LO will put himself to sleep if I'm holding him...so does that count?

he still needs to be comforted to sleep.

JELM2004 · September 2013

robynloureed said:
DD usually will put herself to sleep if I put her down drowsy or awake. The only time I have to rock her is after her 7:30pm feeding. If I don't she'll fuss and then get over tired and then it's a fight to get her put down.

Do you have a wrap/sling/carrier you could put him in? Maybe it would help him get some shut eye while you're taking care of your other two kids. There are a few ladies on here that wear their LO's all day and they seem to really like it.

I do have the Ergo but lately, he has been fighting even that! I think the problem is, he's just so overtired, he's fighting any form of sleep! Lol

Thanks for all the comments, ladies!

stephyfaith · September 2013

My LO will only go to sleep drowsy but awake if she's swaddled otherwise she wakes herself up pretty quickly. She's 8 weeks.

EagleWife · September 2013

She sure doesn't. The last time that happened was before week 3 and we're approaching the week 9 mark. I have to swaddle and rock her with a pacifier to get her to nap. I just spent the last 20 minutes rocking her before she settled down. (Read: she was crying at the top of her lungs.)

She's finally sleeping on me. Here's hoping for a nap longer than 40 minutes!

Mommy1stTimer · September 2013

Butternut87 said:
Mine will not go to sleep on her own. She has to be in the deepest sleep possible before I can put her down. If she isn't in that really deep sleep, eyes pop open immediately.

This...exactly...oh the joys of motherhood

jeng100 · September 2013

No, I personally think it's too early for them to do so. If you read the happiest baby on the block he explains the 4th trimester.

mdlorenz · September 2013

Butternut87 said:
Mine will not go to sleep on her own. She has to be in the deepest sleep possible before I can put her down. If she isn't in that really deep sleep, eyes pop open immediately.

Me too! I just keep reminding myself that E won't be this little forever and to enjoy her.

Can't get much done other than helping this LO grow!

jennipalmer · September 2013

During is 6 week growth spurt he would only nap in my arms but at night would sleep 2-3 hours in rnp.
Today he is 8 weeks he takes 2 longer naps and little cat naps after nursing. At night he falls asleep nursing then really zonks out while I burp and rock him. Then 6 hours later he wakes I change and feed him, we makes faces, talk and stare at ceiling fan. I set him down while he stares at ceiling fan he farts a few times and dozes off. Whole process takes about an hour

tmstengrim · September 2013

We usually rock him until he is asleep when we first put him down. However, when he wakes up in the middle of the night I let him be and he either puts himself back to sleep or will eventually give a hungry cry and I then feed him.

mittensonkittens · September 2013

This baby will often fall asleep on her own if I swaddle her and put her in the crib when she's sleepy. My older kids didn't fall asleep this easy. I remember worrying about it with them, but I read that good sleep habits aren't that important until 4 months. I started to get serious about trying to put them down drowsy but awake at 3-4 months.

valstulas · September 2013

LO will occasionally be able to put himself to sleep, but mostly I need to hold, rock, or nurse him to sleep.

opheliainwaders · September 2013

Lyra will do it sometimes, but really only at night. I'll feed her swaddled, and sometimes she finishes eating before she falls asleep - that's when I can put her down drowsy but awake. During the day it doesn't work (though she does sometimes put herself back to sleep during a nap).

Lelo2006 · September 2013

At night it works but never during the day. It's frustrating. He's 10 weeks. I've heard by 12 weeks it get easier?

JELM2004 · September 2013

Sounds like most are in the same boat. He will put himself to sleep if its the MOTN but during the day.... Forget it.

CarlaAndJames · September 2013

No, and for now i'm happy to rock him. I promise you'll miss it!

SMac85 · September 2013

My LO just started to put himself to sleep last week. He will be 12 weeks on Wednesday. Before that I was having to rock him until he was out cold. Now for naps and bedtime I rock him for a couple minutes just to settle him down and then he goes into his crib. His eyes are usually wide open but he doesn't fuss and is asleep shortly after. The swaddle and white noise really help.

flkong · September 2013

This is actually the one part in her sleep pattern that I'm impressed with. I lay her down drowsy and 1/2 of the time she puts herself to sleep. I started doing it because I layed her down briefly to pee or something and came back to a sleeping baby.

aehamilton13 · September 2013

Hunter puts himself down most of the time. He almost seems to prefer it. He likes to sprawl out in his sleep, so I think he finds being held restrictive. He does nap on me or DH at least once a day, though.

JTA2426 · September 2013

We have put them down drowsy and awake since the day they came home from the NICU. We swaddle them and give them their pacis. Mostly they just lie there quietly until they drift off to sleep. Naps are a little harder, but nights are fine.

babyk1228 · September 2013

DS has put himself to sleep several times, even from wide awake, always at the 5am ish feeding though. How I figured out he would do it was when I would change, feed, and rock/snuggle/etc him and he would stay wide awake and I would lay him down just to see what he'd do (because I was out of sleep inducing ideas otherwise) and within 15 minutes or so of looking around but no crying he'd fall asleep, thankfully.

He has put himself to sleep for naps a few times but I usually nurse him to sleep for naps, not intentionally though like on a schedule, if he falls asleep nursing I lay him down and whether he stays asleep or not is up to him. I've never felt the need to make naps happen, so far he gets in what naps he needs to stay happy on his own(;

sdtchica13 · September 2013

Gavin does this at night...he is swaddled before his last bottle and then is generally half asleep when we put him in the crib after said bottle, no rocking needed. Naps are another story, however, he will sometimes put himself to sleep in his swing or on his play mat, which is nice. Corri was easier, she literally would wake up, eat, and go back to sleep on her own, but I think I just got really lucky there, lol!

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