Getting Little Ones To Fall Asleep

[jojosmommy]

I have a new baby that started daycare today. 12 weeks old. I also have my own due in a few weeks. Our regs say we can allow babies to fall asleep in swings/bouncers but we must promptly remove them and place them on their back to sleep in a crib or pnp.

I purchased a camera for the dc baby room and tried it out today.

My question is: do you work to get babies to fall asleep independently on their back in a pnp from day 1 or do you try other methods until you get a good feel for their needs or until they are a certain age and then do the fall asleep on your own in your own bed thing? What has worked best for this? I don't feel like I have a great solution for this if I do indeed try this.

In the past I have always allowed them to fall asleep in the manner which was most comfortable to them and then worked to move them to the pnp but I am thinking it might be wise to "train" this one and my own early on since I will have two at once.

[cheerfuldom]

Do you know what she is doing at home? When I have a tiny one, I do whatever they want for at least the first week or two till I get to know them and figure out their routine, preferences, etc. That will give you a better foundation to work off. To be honest, it could be quite a challenge because by the time you get this little one in any sort of routine, you will be having your own baby and on maternity leave and most likely have to start over after that. Don't be too hard on yourself or expect too much.

[wdmmom]

From day 1, all children age 2 & under go into a pack and play on their backs to go to sleep.

It usually takes 2-4 weeks to get where they won't cry and get used to their surroundings.

[jojosmommy]

wdmmom: so what do you usually do put them in and let them CIO for 10 min at a time when you notice they are getting sleepy? Then if/when they don't fall asleep take them out and try again in a few min?

[harperluu]

I have a co-sleeper (a smallish pnp) that I use when a new infant starts that I keep in the area where we eat/play. I will work to get the infant on an eat/play/sleep schedule and watch for cues that the infant is sleepy, whether it be in the swing or bouncy or baby bjorn. When I see the signs, I will lay the baby on its back in the co-sleeper and typically they will drift off. Especially since a new baby is typically ovestimulated in the hustle and bustle of our active environment the first few weeks here, this is a great way for them to become accustomed to falling asleep on their own. Together with the eat/play/sleep schedule, this has been a good effective method for me. While not all babies fall easily into this routine (I've had a few that need more rocking/bouncing/swinging to induce sleep) for the most part I've done the same thing all along and with my own kids.

Gradually the co-sleeper moves further and further away from us (upstairs) until the infant is located in its own room for sleeping. I also like this from a SIDS standpoint because with the activity in the room, I know deep sleep is not likely until the afternoon naptime when things quiet down considerably and the baby is always within sight so I can intervene if I observe distress. I do realize there isn't always distress with SIDS, but all the same I am able to observe the baby when it is in the same room.