Self-settling

[AnneD]

Does it just happen? Or do you have to, erm, work on it, and how?

 

[baby287]

Stalking.

 

[Wishing_well]

I think most babies need some encouragement.

 

[1stTimeOct.12]

Eli needed some encouragement....he's still not the best with this at 7 months. But he's getting better as the months go by

 

[Bun87]

Stalking!

 

[mommyB]

I'm just transitioning my youngest into his crib and he literally just did it on his own. He might cry for a minute, I monitor his cry. If he starts to get really upset I go in talk to him but don't pick him up. Then I leave again and he usually will end up going to sleep on his own. So for us it just kinda happened.

 

[mammy2oaklen]

My first ds did it on his own but nit till he was 13 months he just decided one day he didnt want cuddles on sofa to sleep so i took him up put him in cot left room he went straight to sleep hes been great ever since

 

[Shadowy Lady]

it does happen to all eventually...some do it from day one and some won't until 3 years old. I didn't wanna wait around and find out when so I sleep trained.

 

[Noelle610]

I think it depends on the baby! Some do it from birth, others need more help learning.

 

[iwantabub]

I can put my lil man down in his basket awake and he will go to sleep on his own ... He may grizzle for two minutes (not cry just whinge a bit) then he goes to sleep

 

[Zephram]

I can put my lil man down in his basket awake and he will go to sleep on his own ... He may grizzle for two minutes (not cry just whinge a bit) then he goes to sleep

Mine never did this. He only now self settles sometimes. I think it's definitely a personality trait whether they can do it on their own or need help to learn how.

 

[AnneD]

Those of you who mentioned "encouragement" or "help", could you elaborate a bit, please? Baby is 7 months old and self-settling is a complete mystery around here. She needs to be fed to sleep every time, including naps, wakes up if I so much as try to move away from her. If she wakes up and I'm not right there, she works herself up so much she chokes. I guess I'll have to wait it out, but I'd just have to know a bit more about it. I am beginning to worry about going back to work, although I still have some time.

 

[Lady_Venom]

My LO used to need to be fed to sleep every time up until 3 and a half months. Then all of a sudden it just happened one day. I put her down, hooked the monitor up and tried leaving her to settle and with a little encouragement, it just happened. By encouragement I mean I would put her down after feeding her, instead of waiting for her to fall asleep at the breast and rolling away. She laid there and fidgeted a while, lightly crying. I would leave the room and listen to her through the monitor. When her crying would get louder I would come back and encourage by rubbing her back and singing or talking to her, letting her know I am still around. She stopped crying and I popped a soother in her mouth. This calmed her instantly so I left the room. It was minutes before she was fast asleep on her own. I now do this every time and she has been self settling ever since. On a side note, we have co-slept since birth and at 4 months she is still self settling and now crib confident!

 

[lomelly]

He just kinda started doing it on his own... sometimes he will whine for a few minutes or do his fake cry for a few, but then usually passes out. I think it really depends on the baby. I noticed ever since I got rid of his soother he doesn't have any sleep associations to hold him back from self settling. Those were a rough few days breaking him away from the soother...

 

[Seity]

My first couldn't self settle until he was 15 months old. I encouraged him by putting him down awake once he no longer fed to sleep. I stayed by his side giving him comfort so he wouldn't cry. I slowly over the course of a month made my way farther from his crib until I was finally able to put him down and walk out the door.
My second could self settle from birth and I've never needed to do anything.

 

[lch28]

Jonathan self settles at night , he just did it on his own. Over night basically he went from needing to be rocked to sleep to self settling

 

[seaweed eater]

I didn't wait (well, longer than 8 months) for mine to learn on his own. We tried PUPD previously and LO cried for hours and threw up a few times. Gentle removal was completely useless for us. This past week I have been putting him down awake and then sitting by his bed and occasionally shhhing or saying reassuring words if he's crying. We've had one really horrible night and two moderately stressful nights with about 30 mins of crying, but most nights have been great and it has improved his sleep enormously. I do it at naps too and he's taking longer naps more consistently too. So that's the "encouragement" that has worked best for us so far. There are a ton of ways to do it; you just have to find what works best for you and your LO.

 

[youngy]

I can put my lil man down in his basket awake and he will go to sleep on his own ... He may grizzle for two minutes (not cry just whinge a bit) then he goes to sleep

Yes same here but is it a newborn thing? As in will it change as he gets a bit older? He seems so content at the minute I think he is tricking me into thinking its easy lol xx

 

[Wishing_well]

My LO has only just started self settling at bedtime at 14 months. Before that she was fed to sleep every time.

I think they all do it when they're ready.

 

[AnneD]

Thanks, girls!