Any advice on how to self settle?

[CaptainMummy]

My LO is 4 months, and she is a great sleeper at night. Used to STTN but the last few weeks she wakes for a bottle, which is fine because she goes straight back down.

The only problem is, we need to get her to sleep in our arms, then put her to bed. She is getting very heavy and it is becoming harder! She falls asleep almost instantly in our arms, and when weput her down, she starts moving her head from side to side for a few minutes, then will settle and that will be her down.

I wasjust wondering, does anyone =have any advice on how to get her to fall asleep on her own and not in our arms?

ps could it be that she has no space to move in her moses basket? (we are movin the cot into our room in the next weekor 2)

 

[wiiwidow]

Not sure if this will work, but we've been putting O down slightly awake since he was little and he mostly self settles in fact he usually gets more stressed when we're holding him and he's super tired, he's better off in his cot! It may be the room, so try her in her cot in the day maybe?
As for tricks, put a tshirt or something that smells of you in her cot. Maybe sush her with your hand on her back or back of her head. If that works then gradually reduce the amount of time you stay with her.
What happens when you put her down awake now?

 

[ginny]

Hi we had the same problem, still could have yet but I've found the following helpful, we always use a gro bag after his bath then bottle at night, he seems to want to go to bed as we started this early on. In the dayte I use a slumber bear and his gro bag again in his cot, don't really use a dummy as he doesn't like it! I usually make a fuss of him before I put him down so he's happy and smiley then kiss him on the forehead and shut the door, wait a few minutes and if he hasn't settled go in and stroke him and shush him, keep doing this until he settles himself. I never leave him to cry, wait just before if that makes sense?! We've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and it's got so much better, he goes down really well now. Hope this helps! It was my DH that made me not go back in again after every sigh that he made as he was trying to self settle himself, I do find it helps if he is put down awake, sorry for rambling... Xxx

 

[CaptainMummy]

Not sure if this will work, but we've been putting O down slightly awake since he was little and he mostly self settles in fact he usually gets more stressed when we're holding him and he's super tired, he's better off in his cot! It may be the room, so try her in her cot in the day maybe?
As for tricks, put a tshirt or something that smells of you in her cot. Maybe sush her with your hand on her back or back of her head. If that works then gradually reduce the amount of time you stay with her.
What happens when you put her down awake now?

When we put her down awake, she just keeps wriggling, and doesnt put her legs down. She always brings them up. I havent tried the tshirt thing, so I may do that... but I just wonder why she doesnt lie still! lol

 

[sjminimac]

not a chuffing clue! Was going to post a similar thread as charlie is 9 months old and doesn't know how to go to sleep, just has a complete meltdown unless i settle him. I'm really worried because he starts full time nursery 2 months today, sooner if i get a new job. I will be stalking this thread!

 

[Louppey]

My LO doesn't lie still when I put her down either, there's normally 3-5 mins of her kicking her legs/holding them up in the air etc and her thrashing her head from side to side, but I just put my hand on her chest and gently rub her whilst saying "shhhhhh" and she eventually slows down and drifts off

ETA I swaddle her arms, otherwise she is just too active. It seems the swaddling helps her to relax and self settle too.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Hi we had the same problem, still could have yet but I've found the following helpful, we always use a gro bag after his bath then bottle at night, he seems to want to go to bed as we started this early on. In the dayte I use a slumber bear and his gro bag again in his cot, don't really use a dummy as he doesn't like it! I usually make a fuss of him before I put him down so he's happy and smiley then kiss him on the forehead and shut the door, wait a few minutes and if he hasn't settled go in and stroke him and shush him, keep doing this until he settles himself. I never leave him to cry, wait just before if that makes sense?! We've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and it's got so much better, he goes down really well now. Hope this helps! It was my DH that made me not go back in again after every sigh that he made as he was trying to self settle himself, I do find it helps if he is put down awake, sorry for rambling... Xxx

I definitely need to buy her a new sleeping bag, she always kicks the covers! And her 0-6 month bag is too small! Thanks for the advice, Ill definitely give it a try

 

[ginny]

The only reason I realised it helped as I didn't use it for day time naps and he kept waking up really early then I used it once and he slept for an hour! I def think it's better for him than a blanket as he kicks them off too... Good luck, I know how frustrating it is, I've had tears many times over it but I just kept saying to myself it will get better and it did, could all change though!!! Xx

 

[captainj1]

Not sure if this will work, but we've been putting O down slightly awake since he was little and he mostly self settles in fact he usually gets more stressed when we're holding him and he's super tired, he's better off in his cot! It may be the room, so try her in her cot in the day maybe?
As for tricks, put a tshirt or something that smells of you in her cot. Maybe sush her with your hand on her back or back of her head. If that works then gradually reduce the amount of time you stay with her.
What happens when you put her down awake now?

When we put her down awake, she just keeps wriggling, and doesnt put her legs down. She always brings them up. I havent tried the tshirt thing, so I may do that... but I just wonder why she doesnt lie still! lol

Have you tried tucking her in tightly with a sheet over her bottom half? This worked for us, in Moses baske and now in the cot. And swaddling - we used a woombie until last night when we braved it without as he had shown signs of growing out of the need, and he has sleep thru since 4 months aside from when his teeth came thru.

 

[wiiwidow]

Not sure if this will work, but we've been putting O down slightly awake since he was little and he mostly self settles in fact he usually gets more stressed when we're holding him and he's super tired, he's better off in his cot! It may be the room, so try her in her cot in the day maybe?
As for tricks, put a tshirt or something that smells of you in her cot. Maybe sush her with your hand on her back or back of her head. If that works then gradually reduce the amount of time you stay with her.
What happens when you put her down awake now?

When we put her down awake, she just keeps wriggling, and doesnt put her legs down. She always brings them up. I havent tried the tshirt thing, so I may do that... but I just wonder why she doesnt lie still! lol

Have you tried tucking her in tightly with a sheet over her bottom half? This worked for us, in Moses baske and now in the cot. And swaddling - we used a woombie until last night when we braved it without as he had shown signs of growing out of the need, and he has sleep thru since 4 months aside from when his teeth came thru.

Definitely get a gro bag, or as captain says tuck her in. Also and this is what I learnt recently youve got to give them a chance to self settle, they move, make noises etc just like us (well me anyway). It takes a while for me to settle to sleep, moving and maybe chatting to oh...so youve got to let them have a chance too without rushing in and disturbing them. Seriously I learnt this recently and lo now sttn cos I stopped rushing in to every noise and he just went back to sleep. It's hard but works, unless they're really upset of course which may happen in the beginning if they are not used to self settling. Then just settle with reassurance and then leave again. Worth a try?

 

[a_c]

IMO the only way they learn to self settle is to be put down awake.

 

[leash27]

I am going to try a couple of these things myself as we have the same problem. Max is great once he is asleep and most nights he STTN but we have to hold him until he is really drowsy and then shush pat him when he is in the cot. We are still swaddling for daytime naps too as he just loves waving his hands and shoving them in his mouth lol.

x

 

[MicaRox]

Give your baby a bath before putting him or her to bed at every night. This is what I did for my 6 month old daughter, it took about a week to get her into the habit but now she’s great. This will make your child sleep comfortable.

 

[BubbaG]

I also found the only way my LO would go to sleep unaided was if he was put down awake. He does protest but only for a couple of minutes MAX!

 

[oliviarose]

We first started by staying in his room and shhing him. After a while I decided to just leave him and see how he went on on his own. He had a bit of a grumble but within 5 mins he was asleep.

Like pp has said, we move around before we go to sleep, so pop her in her cot and leave her for 5 and see what she does. Obviously if she is screaming go in before. But if it is just moaning I would leave her.