https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 24 May 2026 23:19:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923372 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:44:32 +0000 Mae 1923372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Once upon a time (starting at about 2 months until 3.5 months), we would put our LO down in the crib swaddled, pop her paci in, and walk out. For both bed and nap. She would almost immediately fall asleep, or sometimes kick around for like 2-3 min then fall asleep. </p> <p>Then I ruined it and then she needed to be rocked to sleep and ugh. </p> <p>Now at 5.5 months we have gotten back to putting her to bed awake, but not for naps yet. For bed we put her down (after bath, bottle, story, into her merlin suit/lights out, i sing her a song, rock her for 2-3 min until she looks really sleepy but is still awake) with a paci in and walk out. Then watch the monitor obsessively. This is still really new so she isn't consistent yet. Most nights she spits the paci out and kicks around almost immediately. We wait 5 min to let her wear herself out a little, then go in and put the paci back in and rub her forehead for a second and leave. After that we just run up and put the paci in every time she spits it out. Usually she is asleep in about 10-15 min. Sometimes it takes up to half an hour. If she cries we shush her and put the paci back in. If she cries again I just rock her to sleep because I am not down with CIO at the moment. I feel like she's starting to get the idea of going down on her own though. The first week or so we were doing this, as soon as I set her down in the crib she got SUPER HYPER and kicked around like crazy and we had to replace her paci like 10 times before she fell asleep. Now when I put her down she looks like she is trying to sleep, but sometimes she still has a little trouble. For her I think leaving is important because if she can see us she just wants to smile and coo at us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923347 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 20:22:32 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1923347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From the time she was 3 weeks old, she has used a pacifier to put herself to sleep. Now at 11 months, I nurse her (or don't,<br /> it depends on if she's hungry or not), put in crib on belly with 5-6 pacifiers surrounding her, and boom. Lights out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923287 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:14:36 +0000 Tanjowen 1923287@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our routine since he was 8 weeks old:</p> <p>-Bathtime<br /> -Lotion, diaper, sleepsack on<br /> - Feed bottle/nurse in glider and then read story<br /> -Turn over shoulder, pat back and sing<br /> -Place in crib (our LO is a belly sleeper, so he rolls over), pat his butt, say goodnight and walk out<br /> -He always has his lovely in his crib and a white noise machine going.</p> <p>When we went through a period of separation anxiety around 8 months, he would start crying when we left. I would give it a minute, come back in, pat his back and make shushing noises until he calmed down, and then leave. Sometimes it took 3-4 times before he went to sleep. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923263 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:01:32 +0000 Little Misters Mom 1923263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is 20 weeks old. Around 5:40 we start a bath, nursing, story, snuggles routine in our room. Then by 6 or 6:15 we put him in his Merlin suit (he usually protests a little), give kisses, and walk down the hall to his room (stopping to say goodnight to the baby in the mirror). Then we place him in the crib, turn on the mobile (it has a 20 minute timer) and white noise machine. We say our goodnights as we walk out of the room. Sometimes he cries for a minute or two, but then he stares at his mobile and sort of looks around and plays. This is post sleep training. Within 15-20 minutes he shuts his eyes and goes to sleep. I watch him on the video monitor so I know what he is up to.</p> <p>ETA nap routine is getting into his sleep sack, sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, then down in his crib, squeeze his Soothe and Glow Seahorse, mobile and white noise on, and I say "have a good nap." It takes him a bit longer to settle down and fall asleep at naps, even though we have black out shades. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923231 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:14:10 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1923231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son stopped wanting to be rocked to sleep when he had a wicked case of jetlag, so that helped to break a lot of bad habits we had developped (this was at about 5.5 months). Now the routine at night is: bath, diaper, PJS, rough-house with dad a bit, sleep sack, 1 book (The Going to Bed Book - miracle!!), kisses and snuggles with dad, lights out, nurse (but not to sleep), and straight into the crib with his lovey. I whisper "Good Night sweet love" (don't actually know where that came from, I never call him that!!) and walk out. He hasn't cried at all at bedtime in about 2 months. Sometimes he plays with his lovey for a bit but usually he rolls over and goes to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923101 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:22:30 +0000 Vegmama 1923101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@anandam: at that age, we put her in bed and shhhhed her and patted until she was calm. Then we would lay next to her (her bed was in our room)(sitting in a chair would have worked too), and either played on my phone or read to myself. We did give her a pacifier. It took about a week before she stopped crying, but I felt ok since I was there to soothe her. We'd leave the room after she was asleep. Now, at 10 months, she can stand up, so we just have to put her in and leave the room. That foundation of learning to self soothe allows her to fall asleep super fast, on her own. We are very much struggling with night wakings though. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923085 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:11:43 +0000 Mamasig 1923085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With DS1, it never happened. I would put him in the crib totally asleep. Eventually that stopped working and that is why he sleeps with me! :shocked: </p> <p>DS2 is a different story. Some nights he doesn't want me to rock him. I'll try but he squirms so I put him down in his crib and tell him I'll be back. As long as he doesn't cry, I'll go wash my face or do dishes or something. I usually check him out on the monitor. He'll squirm for about five minutes or less and then fall asleep. </p> <p>Our night routine is bath, lotion, pjs, bottle in the den with the family, go to nursery, put white noise on, read books if he isn't exhausted, and rock to sleep. He also sometimes falls asleep while drinking his bottle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923075 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 16:05:06 +0000 My Only Sunshine 1923075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pretty much have to be out of the room for my daughter to fall asleep. I like to think it's because I'm fascinating...</p> <p>She's 13 months but we've been doing it this way since she was 5 months - after her last sippy (used to be a nursing session) we rock for a couple minutes, then I put her down awake but sleepy. Some nights she's super sleepy, some nights she's pretty awake. </p> <p>If she's just sort of fussing and getting comfy, I let her go until she falls asleep. If she cries, we used to do the Ferber method. She rarely cries now but if she does, I give her 15 minutes or so and then go in and rock some more.</p> <p>She sleeps on her belly with her little behind up in the air. Two things that really helped us be able to put her down awake are Aden and Anais security blankets and these cozy sheets: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Easy-Velour-Fitted-Sheet/dp/B001CWSVWO" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Easy-Velour-Fitted-Sheet/dp/B001CWSVWO</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923046 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:51:44 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1923046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok, I'm sorry, but that made me laugh. </p> <p>Normally, I would walk out of the room, but if your baby is still getting used to it, I would just sit in the glider where you can still see each other (if necessary), and wait until they fall asleep. Do you have a mobile or something that he can look at to help take the focus off you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1923035 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 15:48:59 +0000 sailgrl18 1923035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It used to be the same as @catomd00 but he was waking up multiple times a night despite MOTN sleep training so now we nurse, play and read books for 20ish minutes, sleep sack, give him his lovie, sing to him, turn on white noise, put him in his crib and say goodnight. First night he cried for 10 minutes, next night 5 minutes, last night 2 minutes of whining and rolling around before falling asleep.</p> <p>ETA he's 9 months </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1922713 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:19:50 +0000 catomd00 1922713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends if it's a good night or a not-so-good night (or nap)! My DD is 8 months...(The whole waking up when we put her down started around 4-5 months and it sucks at first, but you figure out what works over time and they get better at it!)</p> <p>Good night: Nurse until she pops herself off (she's usually asleep but will wake up the second I put her down). Plop her down in crib and pray she doesn't wake up (she does!) She rolls over on belly, goes to sleep and I walk away. If she cries, I attempt to give her a paci, pat her back (she tummy sleeps) walk away and she goes to sleep</p> <p>Not-so-good night: Same process as above, but it takes longer! Sometimes I need to pick her up and rock her for a little longer (I guess she wants extra snuggles?!) If it's getting to a ridiculous level (e.g., closing in on 20+ minutes) I will go in when she cries (we don't do any form of CIO in our house) and lay her back down (she's usually sitting/standing), give her a pat and walk away. Usually it only takes 2-3 times of me laying her back down before she understands she should just give up and go to sleep! </p> <p>Either way, she's out within 5-20 minutes, 30 on a really bad night!</p> <p>And we do follow the same routine pre-bed every night.</p> <p>-Nighttime diaper/PJs on<br /> -Give vitamin D drops<br /> -Turn lights off<br /> -Turn on white noise<br /> -nurse/rock</p> <p>Oh and while we nurse/rock, I put her lovey in between us and she rubs it between her fingers. The lovey goes into the crib with her when I put her down - was hopeful my scent being around her, and the warmth of the blanket would help! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1922712 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:19:30 +0000 lilyann 1922712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS#2 turns 5 months in a few days and I try to put him down verrrry drowsy but still awake. </p> <p>6:30pm Bath, lotion, jammies<br /> 6:45pm Breastfeed in his room, white noise on, lights off<br /> 7:00pm He is starting to drift off and not really eat, so I put him on his side in his crib while patting his butt softly. He typically rolls over onto his tummy and tries to find his hands. </p> <p>Every day is different but sometimes he will just babble, chew on his hands, etc and fall asleep. Either way, I have to leave him in his crib and bathe DS#1 (solo parent most nights) so if he cries, the most I will let him cry is 15 minutes or so. Hope this helps! DS #2 is just now getting out of the 4 month sleep regression so we are starting a mild form of CIO. Some nights he wakes 3-4 times! :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1922710 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:18:35 +0000 Mamaof2 1922710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS starting going down drowsy but awake at 5 months - I would rock and sing then put him in the crib and give him his pacifier and walk out. He would fall asleep within a few minutes.</p> <p>Yes to a noise machine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1922705 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:17:08 +0000 illumina 1922705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She is 13 months, but we have been doing the same routine since 3 months; nappy change, put her in her sleep sack, used to be nurse, but now we offer milk, we now brush her teeth, then walk to her room, sing the same song (takes about half a minute), say "good night, love you", put her in her crib, straighten out the sleepsack, then leave. She doesn't have any white noise, but if she did I would probably turn that on right after entering the room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-does-your-lo-fall-asleep-in-the-crib#post-1922694 Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:13:05 +0000 anandam 1922694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, this topic has been beaten to oblivion, I know, but I'm looking for some real specifics here, like step-by-step details. Both nap and night advice welcome.</p> <p>Once LO is in the crib, at that perfect drowsy ready-for-sleep moment, what do you do next? Give a pacifier and wait, pat his/her back and shhh, turn on the white noise and just walk out? Do stories/songs/prayers/whatever happen before or after getting in the crib? And how long till sleep happens?</p> <p>My guy falls asleep in milliseconds in my arms with a paci, but I can't always put him down, so am trying to revise this method. In the crib he just stares up at me like "WTF am I doing here" and I stare back like, "I'm not sure," and then he cries, so that's not really working. He's 5 months old. </p>