Q for those with kids sleeping in cribs....

Hillbilly Housewife wrote: Before, I used to sit/lie on the couch with Zach and watch tv with him and he'd fall asleep. But for the last few weeks, I've been making him lie in his crib, and i pat his butt/back/hand until he falls asleep. The first night, it took me 45 minutes until he fell asleep.

Last night, I was SOOO surprised.... I hadn't been doing that for the last week or so, because DH would put him to bed, and I'd soak in the tub...(ahh, relaxation!) so last night, DH wasn't home, so I put him to bed. I started out by laying him on the couch with the big pillow like we used to do, but he did NOT want to lay there and kept going for the stairs, so I'd get frustrated. Finally, I let him climb the stairs, and he went right to his room, and was holidng on to one of the bars, waiting for me to catch up to him.

I picked him up, put him in his crib, where he then lied down on his own. I put his blankets on him, and sat down on the floor (I do that so I can rub/pat him until he falls asleep) and started to rub his back. Then he stuck his hand out in between the bars, wanting me to hold his hand, so I did. Then he just stared at me for like 5 mintues.... and I heard the front door open and close softly, so I knew my mom had stoppoed over to sneak a cigarette (she comes over to smoke, her parents - my grandparents - don't know she started up again... lol) and so I had to go downstairs to tell her where I had put them. (she keeps them at my house... lol)

So I get up, and Zach whined a little, and when I got downstairs, K could hear him over the monitor (which I had just switched on) start to cry a little. By the time I took out my mom's pack of cigs from their "hiding space", Zach had stoppoed whining...I went up to check on him, and he was sleeping!!

I hope this is a repeating pattern....

Anyhoo - all that to ask - do your kids fall asleep on their own in the crib? or do you have to stay there until they're asleep?

Kirstenmumof3 replied: We just lie Claudia in her crib and she falls right to sleep! She fusses for a few seconds but as soon as her blanket covers her and we put on her music she is usually fine!

mummy2girls replied: Congrats.... Im glad he is able to sleep on his own like that. Its a big releif to know they can sleep on thier own. I had a celebration with myself when jenna started to go to bed on her own. Baked a cake, blew up some balloons...LOL just kidding. But i was happy!

I am sending you sleep vibes for tonight again~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaitlin'smom replied: well I used to nurse her to sleep then it was rocking to sleep but now when she is done she will stop and sometime just lay her head down on me and kida do this snore sound or will crawl off me and lay on the couch, so thats when I know she is ready for bed and I put her down usually awake and she goes to sleep on her own now. I am happy and sad about it the same time, I am glad she can go to sleep on her own but I miss rocking her to sleep.

maliksmommy replied: Malik used to go to sleep on his own in his crib, but since he was sick last week he falls asleep in our bed and then we take him to his crib. That is so good that Zach is doing that. We are trying to get Malik back into that routine

coasterqueen replied: Lucky you! Kylie sleeps in a toddler bed (crib transitioned into bed), but we have to stay there til she falls asleep, unfortunately.

Here's our bedtime routine:

7:15 put pj's on, brush teeth
7:30 to 8 go to her room, we lay down on mattress on floor, I nurse her while daddy reads us a few stories

If she is not asleep by 8 I stay with her for 15 minutes, nursing her, lying down with her. If she falls asleep in that 15 minutes I transfer her quietly to her bed and leave the room.

If she is not asleep in that 15 minutes, Dh comes in and takes over. She is usually asleep by 8:30 at the latest. Then he will transfer her to her bed.

Since we both took 15 mins at a time, she seems to fall asleep faster. Weird!

aspenblue1 replied: When we put Isabella up in her crib. I turn on her CD and she goes to sleep. I don't stay in there she tends to get fussy if I am in there.

MommyToAshley replied: WTG Zach! What a big boy!

I hold Ashley's hand until she goes to sleep. It only takes her a few seconds and she is out. And, I kind of like those few moments when I get to watch her fall asleep while holding my hand. However, if she wakes up at night, she goes back to sleep on her own.

Shooter replied: Jeremy still gets a bottle right before bedtime...a habit I'm sure we'll have to break in the not too distant future...and I take him up to his room. I put him in his crib and pull up his light comforter (which is one of his favorite things in the world) and turn on his aquarium. I rub his head a couple of times and say goodnight and head out of the room. Typically, he falls asleep fairly quickly, but on the nights that he isn't quite ready yet, he'll get up and quietly mess with his aquarium or a couple of other crib-side things he has up there, but then he'll go to sleep on his own after a short while. One thing with him, he almost always wakes up again at either the half hour or hour mark after being put to bed and fusses. I immediately go up there, pick him up, turn on his aquarium, and I seldom hold him for more than a minute and he's ready to get back into bed again from which he then normally sleeps at least 10 hours straight.

btw...my wife and I both work on separate shifts and I have the evening baby shift, so that's how I get the goodnight routine.

5littleladies replied: Brianna falls asleep in her crib almost right after we lay her down. She's always been very cooperative at bedtime.

jem0622 replied: Gabe (14 mos) falls asleep on his own in his crib. I learned b/c with Nathan (3.5) he was nursed to sleep. UGH! So I would just put Gabe down when he was sleepy and he would not fight it. Every once in a while he will fight it if something is disturbing him (developmental milestones, where is big brother, etc.)

Julie

ediep replied: Jason still gets a bottle right before bedtime. Sometimes he will fall asleep in my arms while drinking it, then I lay him down in his crib. Sometimes, he will still be awake when he's finished his bottle so i will just put him in his crib, he plays with his cribside toys (aquarium, sparkling symphony mirror) the he lays down and goes to sleep.

CantWait replied: Wow That's awesome. WTG Zach!!!!!

I have to bf Anthony to sleep or rock him if he's just eaten. If I put him in his crib while he's still awake, there's no way I'm getting outta there.