My child won't sleep unless I am holding her. Naps, nighttime, everything. It was kind of endearing at first, and now it's just exhausting.
This is normal Lissie face:
This is "I have a feeling you're going to leave" face:
This is,"I'm a baby alone in the wilderness" aka I've been set down for a nap face:
Okay, suggestion time.
4 comments:
Oh- I feel your pain....I had the same issue with Nathan and then for a little while with Emma. I'm going to be honest- I finally (after many times of trying and not being able to) got desperate enough to let him cry it out- it took 3 long and painful nights. With Emma it wasn't as extreme- I'd rock her and then put her in the crib still awake- after letting her cry for 5 or ten minutes I'd put back in the binkie and she'd go to sleep (I started with naptimes and then moved to nights with her).
Personally I don't like the cry it outethod until they are a little older. Once you decide to go for it, It helps if the dad can put them down. I had this problem too and believe it came from the fact that I held Eden all the time because I couldn't get enough of her. And despite the problems that may have come from that, I don't think I would do it differently
I agree with Stephanie. It's do-able (and kudos to those who can), but super hard to get them to cry it out until they're a little older.
In the mean time one thing you can do now is to establish a short bedtime or nap ritual to help them understand it's time for sleep. For bed, we'd always brush his tooth (or teeth), read him a book, and then say a prayer with the lights out. Then I'd say love you and put him down.
At first I'd stay close and stroke his hand so that I was there but not holding him, hoping that he'd get used to me putting him down for bed after the routine was over.
Then as he got a little older (abt 9 ish months), we'd do the routine, lay him down, and then leave the room. At first I'd let him go for 5 minutes, then 10, then 15, etc making it longer each time.
Do what works for you. I don't know that all the menaces to society out there can blame their inability to sleep alone as children. On the other hand, I am thinking of flouting the USU housing codes and installing a lock on Owen's door as I think he is finally old enough to cry it out. ;) Love you. I feel your pain.
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