Need Help!

[MommyMuffin]

I have a 5 month old who refuses to sleep in a crib. She will fall asleep in a boppy or chair and so of course I move her directly to a crib and she screams bloody murder. She seriously has not slept all day.

I know there are lots of threads about infants sleeping. Could someone help me find them?

[laundrymom]

I lay them down awake and let them fall asleep on their backs only. I would inform mom of SIDS prevention and risk factors. Encourage her to rid the bad sleep habits

[cheerfuldom]

Have you had her for very long? The safest place is in the crib or pack n play so you may end up doing CIO before getting her to transition.

[Blackcat31]

Here are a few threads I found. I would also PM cathereder, she seems to be the expert at infant sleep issues and ways to help them get the sleep they need. Good luck! and (((hugs))) while your are dealing with this.

http://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29793
http://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29040
http://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28654

[TSDaycare]

Talk with her parents, tell them the babies are not allowed to sleep in anything but pack & plays, and that you need to work on this together. Then lay her down awake, you may even try swaddling her, and let her cry herself to sleep. It won't even take a week for her to learn how to soothe herself to sleep, you will be surprised how quickly they get used to it, but in the meantime it is okay for them to cry a little as long as all their needs are met. And as with all of us providers, the children are with us the most-so keep on this schedule and she should be good in no time! I have found that most babies just don't like the open-ness of cribs, they like to feel like the are being held and cuddled hence this is why they like small things like swings and bouncy chairs.Give it a week and you should be good to go! Good Luck!

[jojosmommy]

I would do CIO now before they get too old and into a really bad habit. That is if your not the kind of provider who rocks them to sleep every nap time until they are two. (I'm not)

[Cat Herder]

I don't know about expert I just know my daycare can almost run itself . Consistency and routine are the best way to get them to relax and sleep. If I get a couple minutes behind, the kids let me know it.

I darken the room a bit (not so dark as to not see baby at all times during sleep, mandated by law here), turn on a box fan for white noise, turn on an ocean sounds CD (or sleep sheep clipped to side of crib depending on age), spray a little berry/cinnamon scented air freshener to set the mood and then do menial work around the room like wiping toys.

The law here is that infants (under 12 months) are to be placed on their back in their crib as soon as they begin to look sleepy. Not on a schedule until 12 months. After 20 minutes, if they have not fallen asleep, they are to be placed back down on their play mats, in a protected area with good quality toys.

Swings, chairs, boppys, saucers, etc. are not recommended and are never allowed to be used for more than 20 minutes at a time. I don't even own them. Waste of resources, IMHO. (I do use a johnny jump up on the playground for safety in 20 minute cycles to line bigger kids up.)

The more they are contained the less energy they actually exert. This effects their sleep, growth, development and nutritional needs. Humans were not meant to be confined for 8-10 hours a day. Add in the time in shopping carts, high chairs and car seats at home if you want alarming numbers .

As they get older they naturally get on the same routine as the others (my current 5 month old has been on it for almost two months with an occasional early wake).

I do not pick them up if they cry (except at the 20 minute awake mark), I do not talk and I do not make eye contact. If they get up, I lay them down. At 12 months, they all move to a mat for safety and are down for the entirety of nap.

IMHO, when you add routine, consistency, healthy diet, physical exercise and clean, comfortable spaces to sleep it just works itself out.

I don't have nap time issues, have not for many years. I do wish you good luck, nothing is quite so frustrating.

Before any unregistered comes in and says it....obviously you would check to see why the baby is crying. With professional providers that would be a given and that is whom my post was directed at... I can tell a real cry from a "I am not getting my way" cry.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Catherder

I don't know about expert I just know my daycare can almost run itself . Consistency and routine are the best way to get them to relax and sleep. If I get a couple minutes behind, the kids let me know it.

I darken the room a bit (not so dark as to not see baby at all times during sleep, mandated by law here), turn on a box fan for white noise, turn on an ocean sounds CD (or sleep sheep clipped to side of crib depending on age), spray a little berry/cinnamon scented air freshener to set the mood and then do menial work around the room like wiping toys.

The law here is that infants (under 12 months) are to be placed on their back in their crib as soon as they begin to look sleepy. Not on a schedule until 12 months. After 20 minutes, if they have not fallen asleep, they are to be placed back down on their play mats, in a protected area with good quality toys.

Swings, chairs, boppys, saucers, etc. are not recommended and are never allowed to be used for more than 20 minutes at a time. I don't even own them. Waste of resources, IMHO. (I do use a johnny jump up on the playground for safety in 20 minute cycles to line bigger kids up.)

The more they are contained the less energy they actually exert. This effects their sleep, growth, development and nutritional needs. Humans were not meant to be confined for 8-10 hours a day. Add in the time in shopping carts, high chairs and car seats at home if you want alarming numbers .

As they get older they naturally get on the same routine as the others (my current 5 month old has been on it for almost two months with an occasional early wake).

I do not pick them up if they cry (except at the 20 minute awake mark), I do not talk and I do not make eye contact. If they get up, I lay them down. At 12 months, they all move to a mat for safety and are down for the entirety of nap.

IMHO, when you add routine, consistency, healthy diet, physical exercise and clean, comfortable spaces to sleep it just works itself out.

I don't have nap time issues, have not for many years. I do wish you good luck, nothing is quite so frustrating.

Before any unregistered comes in and says it....obviously you would check to see why the baby is crying. With professional providers that would be a given and that is whom my post was directed at... I can tell a real cry from a "I am not getting my way" cry.

See Cat, THAT ^^^^^ is what makes you an expert! You gave more valuable and useful information in 20+ sentences than I could even come up with in 20 years of experience because I do not normally have infants in care.

You have figured out what works for you (and the babies ) and the responses and answers you give show the years of wisdom and education that you have earned from those experiences.

So in my book, you ARE the infant sleep specialist.

[Cat Herder]

Well, Thank You, Blackcat....

I do love me some babies...

[MommyMuffin]

" I can tell a real cry from a "I am not getting my way" cry. "

Lol, this part made me laugh.

Awesome advice thanks Catherder. I think you might be the sleep expert.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by MommyMuffin

" I can tell a real cry from a "I am not getting my way" cry. "

Lol, this part made me laugh.

Awesome advice thanks Catherder. I think you might be the sleep expert.

You are welcome.

I wish there was an easy answer that would work 100% of the time... Maybe there is and I just have not found it, yet...

[Mom_of_two]

Interesting that some of you must not do a schedule til 12 months! I start at 4-5 months with scheduled naps and CIO. It is the only thing that works for me! (With both of my own, too.)

Nothing in the crib etc, flat on back in crib, and lay down awake. In a couple weeks mine all sleep. That first week or two you can't deviate!

It is not safe to sleep anywhere but the crib(imo) hopefully the parents will agree safety and routine with some crying at first is better than not being safe, and teaching baby bad sleep habits! Good luck.