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7 month old and sleep training

springy22springy22 member
in Babies: 6 - 9 Months
help! My son has been sleeping through the night since 4 months old thanks to discovering his thumb. He is now 7 months old and still sleeps through the night... Once we can actually get him to fall asleep. Unfortunately, he will not go to sleep without being snuggled on our chest, which is our own fault I suppose because we enjoyed those snuggles so much. And if he wakes up while we are putting him in his crib, and try to just leave the room, he will just scream and scream. My problem is, he knows how to self soothe because I watch him do it throughout the night (thumb sucking) but to get him to actually fall asleep on his own we can't get him to do it. We try the crying it out, he just wails louder and more. The first few times it was for five minutes, I would Go in his room to reassure him and rub his back then leave, that makes it worse and he won't stop screaming. I've then tried not going in at all, I've lasted 15 minutes with him screaming with what seemed to be no end in sight of the screams so picked him up. Minute you pick him up and put him on you're chest he passes out in minutes. Help! I don't know what to do to teach him how to dose off on his own!  and I know it will just get worse as he gets older. Any suggestions are welcomed! Please! I'm afraid I have a very stubborn boy on my hands and I don't know how to help him! 
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Re: 7 month old and sleep training

  • ABombard12ABombard12 member
    I don't have any advice, as I am in the EXACT same situation :( Love the extra snuggles but it is getting harder and harder..not sure where it came from as he was also sleeping through the night. I'm hoping its the teething and separation anxiety kicking in for the time being... but I will watch this thread in hopes someone has some tricks!
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  • SmrBrd2012SmrBrd2012 member
    It sounds like you need to be a little more consistent with your sleep training because he doesn't know how to fall asleep on his own. Of course this only applies if you are comfortable with it! The only routine he knows is falling asleep on mom and dad. I only have experience with the Ferber method which involved checks at certain increments. So the first night I would check in and soothe at 3 min, 5 min, 10 min intervals (did not exceed 10 min for each subsequent interval and would only stay in the room for 2 min tops). The next night you are supposed to increase the intervals, so start at 5 min, then 10, then 15, then subsequent checks are every 15 min. It's normal for the checks to make them cry worse because they expect you to pick them up when they see you. Does he know how to flip over and sleep on his tummy? Once we ST and our LO learned that, he's been sleeping great.
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  • Mack2342Mack2342 member
    I have the opposite problem. Son has soothed himself to sleep since 3 months but doesn't do well soothing himself throughout the night.  I have a bedtime routine which takes just a few minutes.  It took a few days for him to get used to going to bed awake and there were struggles along the way but it didn't take long.  Our routine starts with nursing, changing diaper putting on pjs then story time and snuggles from mom and dad.  Then we turn on white noise give kisses and put him to bed and give him pacifier.   We are very consistent with routine so he knows what's coming.  I have a shorter but similar routine for naps.  I used the Sleep Easy Solution which is a least cry method to try and get him to sleep through night. He wanted to snack all night.  We have followed the sleep easy for two weeks and he now wakes only once to nurse instead of every two hours.  
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  • springy22springy22 member
    Oooo yea my son has been flipping over onto his belly to sleep since about 5 months... He does that immediately when you put him on his back... He's just a tummy sleeper. He typically rolls over them finds his thumb and is good, and will continue to periodically find his thumb throughout the night because he scooches all over the place he's constantly waking himself up but again he finds his thumb and goes to sleep no problem, so I know he knows how to self soothe himself. It's just getting him too initially fall asleep on his own. I know it's our own fault for allowing him to fall asleep on us for so long but now it seems like he's never going to let us break that habit. I'm ok with the cry it out method but after about 15/20 minutes straight of him wailing I usually go in. I'm not sure how long you can let them scream that hard? I guess that's what I struggle with I feel like he's going to hyperventilate himself (if that's possible from crying so long/hard?)
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  • TwizBeansTwizBeans member
    springy22 said:
    Oooo yea my son has been flipping over onto his belly to sleep since about 5 months... He does that immediately when you put him on his back... He's just a tummy sleeper. He typically rolls over them finds his thumb and is good, and will continue to periodically find his thumb throughout the night because he scooches all over the place he's constantly waking himself up but again he finds his thumb and goes to sleep no problem, so I know he knows how to self soothe himself. It's just getting him too initially fall asleep on his own. I know it's our own fault for allowing him to fall asleep on us for so long but now it seems like he's never going to let us break that habit. I'm ok with the cry it out method but after about 15/20 minutes straight of him wailing I usually go in. I'm not sure how long you can let them scream that hard? I guess that's what I struggle with I feel like he's going to hyperventilate himself (if that's possible from crying so long/hard?)


    First off don't feel bad for letting him fall asleep on you. I still rock my 17 month old every single night and I have since she was born. This behavior is totally normal for the age and it's not your fault. You didn't create a bad habit.

    I agree with PP above. You need to be consistent. I've never had to leave my kids crying/fussing for longer than about 15 minutes. Keep doing the intervals and stick it out night after night, only going in to comfort for a few seconds then leave again. Don't pick your LO up.

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  • missliz53missliz53 member
    Have you tried putting him down in his crib drowsy and then soothing him without picking him up? I would start with that and when you are successful, then move to sleep training. You could also try warming up the mattress before laying him down and make sure you have a bedtime routine and are consistent. 

    I've almost always soothed my lo without picking her up at naps and nighttime using a pacifier, patting and shushing. Very rarely, I have to pick her up to calm her down, but I always try first without picking her up. I do controlled fussing for naps and let her fuss for a maximum of 2 minutes before going back in. And when I do have to go in to soothe, I don't talk to her, just shush, pacifier, and a pat and leave as soon as she's calm. At night we don't need to do any fuss it out.  I don't do cry it out because she's too high strung and I think she would cry herself sick. Most of the time she kicks and talks for a few minutes before falling asleep. 

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  • Knottie1442268460Knottie1442268460 member
    15 min seems way too long to leave a baby crying. 3 max at this age. 
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  • TwizBeansTwizBeans member
    Knottie1442268460 said:
    15 min seems way too long to leave a baby crying. 3 max at this age. 

    3 minutes max at 7 months old?! I don't agree.

    Totally your choice how you want to handle sleep but OP would not be doing anything harmful if she let her LO cry for 15 minutes. I'm a firm believer that sleep training under a year old has zero negative effects on a child later in life. If anything it only benefits everyone involved because you have a well rested baby and happy well rested parents.

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