Baby sleeping - in crib or with parents??

headspin · May 28, 2010

Hi,

im having a question regarding the best/right place for the baby to sleep.

DS is 6 months and 2 weeks old. we have a separate crib for him, which is kept right next to me. we bought this as our bed is small and DH was scared of rolling onto him. so, he has been sleeping there since he was 15 days old. dint find any problems with him and us and the arrangement worked great for all of us.

now, from last 1 month, im noticing that DS is not sleeping very well there. he wakes up every 1 hr and sleeps only if i put him on my lap. as this tires me, out of no choice, i put him next to me to sleep. he is fine there and i too find it easy/convenient to put him back to sleep.

but my question here is - is it a good habit to cultivate for a child to cleep next to the parents? i know its essential in the begining, but now that DS is turning 7 months and more aware... i feel giving him this habit is not a good idea. but im too tired every night to wake up every hour to pacify him...

pls suggest ways to avoid this situation. also, am i correct in my thinking??
pls help.....

loonypooh · May 28, 2010

headspin, been there done that. so we had a crib for DD, she stopped sleeping in it after her 1st month. we thought maybe she needs a more "cozy" bed. so we got a cradle...she stopped sleeping in that from her 3rd month )

so at nearing 8 months mama and daughter sleep together, i rather have to hold her hand sometimes and sleep and assure her mama is nxt to u.
separation anxiety? dont know. but i just want by baby to get some good sleep.and have stopped bothering about her sleep habits long back!u will reach there soon, dont worry, lol!

mridusudha · May 29, 2010

Did you try moving the crib out of your room and see if he sleeps there? As LO's grow older they will be bothered about every sound you make...May be now he is getting aware of your presence in your room and waking up for every sound!!!

My DS has been a very light sleeper since birth...He just needs only fan noise in the background...Any slight noise, he will wake up...So he is been sleeping in his crib and in his room since he was 3 months old...Sleeps much better this way..

jhalli27 · May 30, 2010

poonam.. ur daughter looks so damn cute

ilite · May 31, 2010

Hi Headspin,

If he has been sleeping well for 6 months and has started waking up recently, could be he is hungry. When babies get growth spurts, their food need changes. I guess you must have started him on solids by now. Make sure you feed him solids for dinner followed by BM/formula.

I don't recommend the idea of making them sleep next to me(fear of rolling over and falling down, my first one did it at 4 months).

Try with the increased feeding first, and if it still doesn't work, you may have to let him sleep on the bed, but make sure you have some kind of barriers so that he doesn't fall.

All the Best!

jollyshilpy · Jun 1, 2010

Headspin

Co-sleeping or not is a very personal decision. My LO was in our room in her Cot till 3months. But I was breastfeeding so she used to be in our bed. I was/am like your DH - scared of rolling over her. So I tried hard to make her sleep in her cot. Its true that the older they get the harder it is to move them to their bed/crib. Now your baby knows he can sleep with mummy if he wakes up at night so he does that.

My LO sleeps in her own room now. But that room is pretty much an extension of our room. It helps to block out our noises at night - e.g. she sleeps around 8 but we sleep by 10 - so when we come to our bed, she does not wake up because of that. If DH & I are talking at night, she does not wake up - same for snoring/shuffling etc. She wakes up 2-3 times between 8PM-5AM - but we feed her in her room. We have out a mattress on the floor there. On nights when she wont settle at all, one of us sleeps on that mattress and pats her/rocks her to sleep. I will be going to India when she is a yr old. When we come back, settling her back in her cot will be a task

I also think that it could be a growth spurt. He will feed lots and then in few days he will be back to his own self. Only you can tell if its a growth spurt/teething or not. Have you checked if his nappy is not too wet or if he is feeling too warm/cold?

Hope this helps