Year old baby wont sleep in his cot

Sully

My sisters year old baby wont sleep in his cot. He just starts crying loudly when you put him down. Although he is extremely tired and his eyes are closing he wont lie down. She has to lift him up in her arms, allowing him fall asleep in her chest and then put him into the cot to sleep. She has tried leaving him cry but he continues crying for over two hours and she is not happy to let him cry any longer. Also, during the night he wakes up two or three times and the whole ritual has to begin again!

We have read online and it all seems to be just patience, leave him cry out etc. but as you can see this does not seem to be working for her!

Also, how many hours a day should a one year old sleep per day?

Any ideas? Thanks

glynngo

Hate to sound harsh, but having 3 kids who were all the same, I found that cold turkey is the best way..
Its hard but it works..
I followed the Baby Whisperers method, and had the support of my hubby..
Repeat with each child as necessery lol..
http://www.babywhisperer.com/babywhisperer.html

Sully

glynngo wrote: »

Hate to sound harsh, but having 3 kids who were all the same, I found that cold turkey is the best way..
Its hard but it works..
I followed the Baby Whisperers method, and had the support of my hubby..
Repeat with each child as necessery lol..
http://www.babywhisperer.com/babywhisperer.html

What is the babywhisperer method? It just seems to go to an online forum?

Wantobe

The baby whisperer method is sort of - put the baby down in the cot, pat their back and go 'shush, shush' for a bit. You are supposed to have nap times etc. Can't remember the exact rules but that's the general idea.

Had the same thing with my first child. I tried lots of things- Gina, Baby whisperer etc but could never bring myself to let them cry. Some child 'experts' don't agree with letting children cry ( including David Coleman), some do.

Honestly, and with the benefit of hindsight, and god knows this is not what your sister wants to hear, it is too late now without all kinds of hardship. Babies need to be put down awake in their cots from very early on so that they learn to go to sleep on their own. By now your nephew associates going to sleep with being in your sisters arms, he does not know how to put himself to sleep without being in her arms. This is just my opinion and I am no expert. I am mother of two- the first I never put to sleep on her own early enough and ended up keeping her in my arms until she was maybe 1 and a half or so- until she was old enough to be put to bed by reading her a book and so on. The second I put down awake from birth to allow her to go to sleep on her own, and never had to hold her to get her to sleep and even to this day loves her bed and will happily go off to bed for naps, bedtime etc.

If I could give any piece of advice to ANYONE having a baby it is to put them down to sleep on their own from birth. It's hard, because when baby is born first they are so tiny and you love having them up in your arms and seeing them drift off, but habits form early!

Dades

Sully wrote: »

Although he is extremely tired and his eyes are closing he wont lie down.

I assume he isn't any better if he's got to bed before he's too tired? A combo of getting him to bed at the first signs of sleepiness and maybe just sitting with them in the room - so they know you're there - while they attempt to sleep might help. It might be some kind of separation anxiety phase he's going through.

delly

When my daughther was around the 10 month mark, she started standing up in the cot and wouldn't go asleep. To fix this I had to hold her until she slept. This lasted 10 months, but as she is so heavy now, I put her on our bed and let her fall asleep there, then transfer her to her cot.

Yes, it sucks, yes I have myself to blame, but first time parents etc. etc.

TargetWidow

This might sound like a silly question but is there any chance the little one doesnt quite know how to lower himself down to lie down after his little standing up session? My DD has always been put into her cot awake but she only figured out how to pull herself up in the cot recently (it had just never occurred to her till 12 months!! :rolleyes: ) and I had to show her how to lower herself down using her hands on the bars a few times before she got the hang of it. Then a quick exit from the room before she rolls over and stands up again! If she does I wouldnt let her cry more than 10 mins without going in and comforting her and helping her back down. Good luck!

IsThatSo?

I hate "crying it out", but I guess that is what we are doing at the moment with our 18 month old. I should say my husband was doing it, I can't

We put him down and say "goodnight, its time to sleep now" and leave the room. After a few mins we go back in, lie him down and say "goodnight" and rub his head. After that when we go in we just lie him down and rub his head, just one rub, not standing over him for a while.

The first night it took about 8 trips in. The following night (and for daytime naps) it took just one trip and last night (our third night) we didn't have to go in at all.

We are watching him carefully though to see when he is tired enough to go to bed, last night that was quite late. I don't see the point in putting him to bed if he is not tired as I don't agree with letting children cry it out.

I find it hard to explain why I dislike "crying it out" so much, I suppose its just a mother thing of not wanting children to be upset. Rationally though I know it will do him no harm and he is just cross (he gives out rather than crying really) that he can't be up.

I feel very guilty though

kaa

Sully wrote: »

My sisters year old baby wont sleep in his cot. He just starts crying loudly when you put him down. Although he is extremely tired and his eyes are closing he wont lie down. She has to lift him up in her arms, allowing him fall asleep in her chest and then put him into the cot to sleep. She has tried leaving him cry but he continues crying for over two hours and she is not happy to let him cry any longer. Also, during the night he wakes up two or three times and the whole ritual has to begin again!

We have read online and it all seems to be just patience, leave him cry out etc. but as you can see this does not seem to be working for her!

Also, how many hours a day should a one year old sleep per day?

Any ideas? Thanks

hey

i have a old year old girl but i put her in2 her own room at 5months.

but she did go threw a phase of roarin wen i put her in the cot. i left her cry herself 2 sleep which worked sum times. then other times brought her into our bed so she would fall asleep and then move her. maybe he is teething, give him some capol if he is.

but she has this thing that hangs at the side of cot and it plays music and shows pictures of teddy bears and for christmas my mother got her this teddy. his face lights up and plays music, it like the glow worm. i swear it is the best thing that someone bought her. goes to bed no bother now.

twomaddogs

Sully - just wanted to say is there no chance at all he has reflux or anything like that? My daughter has bad reflux and is exactly the same - but it's because she gets the pain when lying down (in a horizontal position the acid comes back up and burns the oesophagus).

Two hours crying without calming at all just seems a bit long, and also the fact that he's waking in the night and crying would make me just want to rule out that there's nothing causing him pain in the night...our daughter can be fast asleep and completely wrecked but after being horizontal for a while will wake up crying with reflux pains...she's nearly 10 months BTW, not all babies grow out of it at 6 months...

Banrion

Have you read Elizabeth Pantleys book? Havent time now to describe but could log in later and describe her tactics. Basically you change behaviours and it could take anything up to a month before you notice small changes. But she guarantees no crying and sleeping 5 hours thru night