https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:34:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-571950 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:17:23 +0000 mediagirl 571950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Recently the normal routes have been failing us so, we walk stairs. Something about the bouncing of the stairs seems to soothe her. It's great for my thighs and flat post-baby rear-end, too. ;-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-571548 Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:29:43 +0000 travelgirl1 571548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@apis: this is SO our house. Once we'd spent ages getting her to sleep, then she smiled in her sleep as if to say 'ha suckers, I'm not in my crib yet' and DH and I were in silent stitches, then she popped open her eyes and giggled. Way too cute to be mad about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-571391 Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:30:45 +0000 apis 571391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@travelgirl1: @beehive: I have to be careful when shhh-ing J to sleep, because sometimes he will make a little snorting noise or something equally cute that will make me want to laugh, and that wakes him right up again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-571353 Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:33:14 +0000 travelgirl1 571353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Beehive: I totally know what you mean, she can go from wailing to grinning and gurggling if she catches our eye, but I hate her thinking I'm ignoring her so I don't help really. She's asleep on me right now but am about to make the transition to the crib, where it could all go wrong! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-570153 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:17:35 +0000 Beehive 570153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Travelgirl1: I find that when I am soothing J to sleep for his naps, it helps if I don't look him in the eyes (or even really look at his face). It's hard to do, but if I make eye contact, that energizes him and makes him want to play! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-570105 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:33:59 +0000 Mrs. Tricycle 570105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: I was going to suggest bouncing on the yoga ball, too. We swaddle and pacifier and then bounce and sometimes hum. Works like a charm. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-570076 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 12:47:04 +0000 travelgirl1 570076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: Ahhh I will blow ours back up again tonight and try it, thank you!You're right, she'll never remember, I just feel horribly guilty when I let her cry but I have to remind myself she WANTS to go to sleep, she NEEDS to go to sleep, but just can't until she has worn herself out and I am holding her while she cries. Still very sad though.</p> <p>@honeybear: Thank you, so glad to hear it will get better - it's hard to see beyond that night sometimes : ) </p> <p>@Sammyfab: Ha ha, I tried putting her down awake and still being there to soothe her but she just breaks out into a big grin when she sees my face and laughs, bless her. That's what keeps me sane : ) </p> <p>@lemondrop: Yeah I'm starting to dread night time, which is a bummer since it happens every day : ) I'll try the play time in the crib, thank you : ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569933 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 10:06:45 +0000 lemondrop 569933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, we used to have all out wars about going to sleep. All he wants to do is nurse to sleep. We used No Cry Sleep Solution, and started with their suggestion to have some play time in the crib. The other things were a crib entertainer, so he could push the buttons and feel a little in control. The Scout doll has been the best, he cuddles and pushes the buttons and falls asleep that way. It has seriously been a long road, but I don't dread bed time any more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569853 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 08:25:02 +0000 Sammyfab 569853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used to rock him in a pitch black room with white noise and his head flopped back (he loved that position even though it sounds really uncomfortable!). He started to resist the rocking really early on (6-7 weeks; trying to kick his way out of our arms) and bouncing, patting, nursing, etc. didn't work so we started putting him down awake and letting him fuss for a few minutes at a time. We would rub his back and reassure him and it never took more than 10 minutes for him to fall asleep. Since then, he goes down wide awake for all sleep for anyone that puts him down so long as the timing is right, and we are super thankful for that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569815 Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:07:04 +0000 honeybear 569815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to hold LO and slowly sway back and forth. (I never swaddled or put LO down sleepy but awake, because LO did not like it.) Think a ship rolling very gently at sea--really slowly. Also, LO would just stay awake if I made noise, so I kept quiet (there were 747s gaining altitude above us, however, since we lived under the flight path for a major airport at the time...it wasn't totally silent!). It usually worked. LO liked that so much that I was eventually able to do the "sway" sitting down on the edge of the bed. An alternative is the plié move--do shallow squats really slowly. The key for us was for me not to be too anxious about getting LO to sleep and to keep the movements and noise minimal. Some days it just took a lot of time. But now at 2 years, LO sleeps soundly and well. (That's only a partial causation claim; my real point here is to say that it may be rough now, but it will in all likelihood get better soon.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569740 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:58:56 +0000 hummusgirl 569740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you ever try holding her and bouncing on a yoga ball? It was the only thing that worked for my LO for the first 3.5 months or so. And we had to bounce rather forcefully but the doc said it was fine as long as his head and neck were supported. </p> <p>We were lucky that the 5 S's really worked on LO, so we'd basically pull out all the stops at once - swaddle + press close to my stomach + shush + bounce on ball + pacifier + sway him side to side + loud fan + Sleep Sheep + pat on butt or back. Sometimes he'd fall asleep and we could transfer to the crib and other times we'd do just enough to calm him down and then put him down awake. </p> <p>You're not a bitch and should have no guilt (easier said than done I know), some babies are just criers. She'll never remember this anyway! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569726 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:45:35 +0000 travelgirl1 569726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@JessLC: I've tried the butt tap but not the head stroke, I'll try that, thanks!</p> <p>@Beehive: sounds like bedtimes are much more peaceful in your house :)</p> <p>@PurpleUnicorn: sounds like you're having a similar experience to us! She'll often fall asleep nursing but often refuses too and then it's the ergo. I feel so sad when she cries but it's like she needs that cry to sleep. So much mummy guilt, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569719 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:40:26 +0000 travelgirl1 569719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skibobrown: the 5 s don't work with her, they just make her angry. Poor little thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569714 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:38:44 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 569714@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been having more trouble every night to get L to sleep too! He used to just fall asleep on me after nursing while I was watching tv. No can do now. What I've been doing to relax him in the evening before his final nursing session (cuz he will refuse to nurse if he is if too wired up) is massaging him and then lately I've had to put him in Bjorn carrier and walk around till he gets sleepy. Then i nurse and if I'm lucky he falls asleep on pillow. I also have to give a pacifier and rock him if he wakes after falling asleep on pillow (as what happened tonight). </p> <p>I feel your frustration though. It's taking longer and longer to get him to bed. At one point he was sleeping between 9-930pm, now it's more like 10-1030 :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569687 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:13:01 +0000 Beehive 569687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At night I've been trying not to use any "sleep props" to get J to sleep, other than his pacifier, so I'll swaddle him, put him in his crib drowsy but awake (well, more drowsy than awake), and give him a pacifier. Sometimes we need to replace the pacifier a couple times if it falls out before he falls asleep. I used to be able to put him down for bed without a pacifier and he'd fall asleep on his own, but not recently for some reason.</p> <p>For naps though, I have been soothing him to sleep. I'll swaddle, put him in the crib, put in the pacifier, put one hand on his chest or tummy, and gently rock (or wiggle) him with shushing. Sometimes it takes several minutes of rocking, but usually his eyes will slowly start to get heavy and close, then I can leave the room. Eventually I'll need to nap train, but I'm just not up for it yet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569653 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:51:03 +0000 SleepyMonkey 569653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my dad is a pro at getting babies to sleep, and he marches around the house with a slow and steady march, or like, does this side step sort of dance. its the slow and steady rhythm that lulls them to sleep. he also has a nice broad should for babies to rest their head on. </p> <p>when my LO is overtired and needs help falling asleep, i pat her firmly and slowly on the butt while she's upright over my shoulder or i stroke her head with my hand in a forward motion. she goes out like a light. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569599 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:24:08 +0000 skibobrown 569599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she was little we did all of the 5 S's. Also, for naps when I was really desperate I would put her in her carseat and rock her back &amp; forth with my foot. These days she is a lot easier to get down at night. We can just put her in her sleepy sack, lay her in bed, give her a binky, and close the door. She falls asleep on her own in a few minutes. Naps are still a lot harder. I usually just sit in our glider with her, wrap her up in a warm blanket and rock until she falls asleep. Then I transfer her to her crib. I know that 10-month olds should be able to go down for naps on their own, but our baby still can't! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-get-your-lo-to-sleep#post-569528 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:22:31 +0000 travelgirl1 569528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please tell me your tips! I know you will all have a routine but what gets them to actually close their eyes?</p> <p>A will cry if we put her on the crib sleepy but awake so I often nurse her to sleep. But, sometimes, she refuses to nurse and rocking, singing etc won't get her down. Sshing makes her angry, as does swaddling. So I've started putting her in the Ergo and she will pretty much cry herself to sleep in there. I feel like SUCH a bitch doing it but I know she is with me, held close to me, dry, warm and fed (unless she's refusing to nurse) so what else can I do? </p> <p>Any ideas? </p>