Family Bed Transition, Bed to crib?

[victoire2002]

Okay, here's a tough one. How many of you were co-sleeping? We decided co-sleeping was over once Aidan started flailing around the bed at night and my husband started sleepwalking again. Well, our ped told us to use the "cry it out" method with Aidan, and insisted that each night would get better in terms of crying. Well, Aidan cried for 5 nights straight for 2+ hours, then would fall asleep holding onto the railing of his crib. It was so sad!!

Well, we managed to get him into his crib for 3-4 hrs, then he would wake up and I would take him into a mattress on the floor of his room for the rest of the night. Needless to say, he got really used to this and now will not even get into his crib without waking up and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Any suggestions? Anyone else experiencing this? BTW, he's 9 months old!!!!

Thanks in advance

Vicki

[victoire2002]

Oh and now he's starting to NURSE again 2-3 times a night!! He's regressing!!!

[MommyToAshley]

We're having problems with Ashley too. Our Ped said that at this age (9-12 months) that they go through this stage and the best thing to do is to put them back in the bed. Ashley refuses to go back to sleep....she won't lay back down even though she is tired. She even fell asleep sitting up in her crib. If I tried laying her back down in her crib, she would wake up and cry. We don't have the heart to do CIO. I end up nursing her back to sleep or DH rocks her back to sleep. I am not sure what to do either. I am too scared to co-sleep -- she has always slept in her crib. The only time she sleeps in our bed is when she takes her afternoon nap with DH, but I am awake to check on her.

[amynicole21]

As for making the transition, we really haven't tried very hard. Each time we try to put her in her crib she wakes up within 15 minutes. It's just easier to bring her to bed with us. We haven't tried the cry it out method for more than 5 minutes - it breaks my heart - can't do it.

Your case seems different than ours, though, since with us everybody slept better with her in the bed. Since your DH sleepwalks and it seems to be disruptive, it does sound like Aidan needs his own space. This is a tough one! Do you sleep ok on the mattress on the floor? It might make sense just to continue with that. I don't think that co-sleeping is a bad thing unless it is making someone uncomfortable. He will eventually start sleeping better... or so all the experts say.

I wish I had any advice for you, but nothing we've done has worked either. As for him waking up lately, could it be toofies?

This post has been edited by amynicole21 on Jun 10 2003, 10:33 AM

[mckayleesmom]

have you tried maybe just making sure his room is extra babyproofed and putting a baby gate up at the door, then put some blankets around the mattress in case he rolls he won't hurt himself,,lay with him till he falls asleep and return to bed, some kids never get use to the crib thing, and this way he will maybe get use to you not being right next to him all the time.

[booey2]

Well we co-slept with Matthew (our oldest) till he was almost 3 1/2yrs old. A couple of months before Thomas was born he woke us all up in the middle of the morning and DH said enough was enough and he has slept in his bed since then. He never spent a night in a crib. Matthew also said that he had to move to his bed because Thomas was supposed to sleep with us now. That never happened. Thomas either slept in his cradle or his crib and now he is in his big boy bed (mattress on the floor with a gate in his door). He still gets up in the middle of the night, most times I just lay with him till he goes to sleep other times he asks for his bottle. Sorry I couldn't be any help just thought I would share our experience. I could never do the cry it out method, I just don't have the heart for it.

[supermom]

I can't say that I have any suggestions for you, other than to offer my support. I have never been a fan of the CIO method, and could never do it to my kids at all. Anders is now 3 YO and has just started sleeping in his own bed for a better portion of the night. His bed is crosswise at the foot of ours and usually sometime in the early am (4-5 am or so) he'll crawl up between us and want booby.....then he sleeps with us until either we get up for work and have to wake him or the weekends when we usually don't wake up until 10 or so...

My suggestion would be to maybe just let him sleep on the mattress on the floor of his room after you get him to sleep - is it up against the wall on one side (or possible to put it that way)? If he wakes up again, then just go in and see if you can get him back to sleep and then go back to bed??

I am sorry I am not much help - I'm a big wuss when it comes to my kids - giggle -

[Schnoogly]

Supermom I don't think you're a big wuss! I think you do what you think is best for your kids!

And I'm annoyed at your ped--IMO parenting tips are not part of the job description. You should never do something you don't feel is right even if your doc tells you! How awful for you and your baby--you learned that CIO doesn't work the hard way!

I agree about letting him sleep on the mattress on the floor. Who says he needs to sleep in a crib? The main thing is that he is safe, and that the two of you get the best sleep possible. If this means he sleeps on the floor, so be it. He will be ready to move into a "big boy" bed in his own time. Just make sure the room is child proofed so if he rolls out during the night he can't get hurt!

Another idea is moving that mattress back into your room--he could sleep on the floor by your bed--would he be more comfortable sleeping closer to you?

If my DH sleptwalked he would go sleep in the spare bed in my office rather than make Iain sleep on his own when he isn't ready, but that's just our family.

HTH
Steph

[Schnoogly]

QUOTE (victoire2002 @ Jun 10 2003, 10:32 AM)

Oh and now he's starting to NURSE again 2-3 times a night!! He's regressing!!!

The reason he is regressing is that he misses you at night! He is used to sleeping next to you, and when you took that away he wanted it back the only way he knew how--by demanding to nurse. He probably isn't hungry, but wants you to comfort him!

Steph

[supermom]

QUOTE (victoire2002 @ Jun 10 2003, 12:32 PM)

Oh and now he's starting to NURSE again 2-3 times a night!! He's regressing!!!

Nah, he's not regressing, he's probably just either getting back to being with you however he knows how or he's getting ready for a developmental spurt or growth spurt.......

Nurse him, comfort him, and this too shall pass.....

[MommyToAshley]

So Vicki, are things getting any better? They aren't here... we are still waiting for those top two teeth to pop through but I don't think that is the culprit. I think she just doesn't want to sleep. YAWN!

[victoire2002]

Well, we're hanging in there. I have been just sleeping with him on the mattress on the floor. We have a new system where my DH puts him down at night. He spends about 3 hrs alone in the bed, door closed and monitor on. When he starts to fuss, I come into the room with him and spend the rest of the night. He hasn't been nursing as much the past 2 nights, thankfully!! He's now 10 months old as of today, and i am hoping to have him weaned from the breast at 1 yr.

I am getting pretty decent sleep, and overall we're happy. I just wonder why he HATES his crib so much!!!! Just likes to be close to mommy and daddy, I guess. I don't really mind the co-sleeping because it makes him happy, but I just thought he would potentially like to sleep on is own. Guess we'll just surpass the whole crib experience and go straight to a "big boy bed"!



Vicki

Sending you good teething vibes for a more restful night!!!

[supermom]

QUOTE (victoire2002 @ Jun 12 2003, 02:28 PM)

Just likes to be close to mommy and daddy, I guess. I don't really mind the co-sleeping because it makes him happy, but I just thought he would potentially like to sleep on is own.

Probably that's the case - I certainly know that mine did - he's finally just now sleeping on his own some (and maybe about 1/2) the nights - otherwise, depending on how he's feeling, he crawls up in bed with us between 2 am and 5 am. He NEVER slept in his crib. I often wonder if they feel like it's a cage -

[alice&arik]

Arik and I used to co-sleep when I nursed. But then I just got him used to his crib. I would get him to sleep and put him in his crib and then when he woke up I'd bring him in bed. After a while I would put him back in his crib. But I also switched to bottle feeding at almost 5 months. He slept through the night a lot better. Now adays if he wakes up I let him fuss a bit and he will usually go back to sleep. But if it is around 4:00 am I bring him in bed because we get up at 5 anyway.

This is what I did anyway, I don't know if it helps or not.

Alice and Arik