Hellobee Boards

A swing? I can't beleive you did 15 hours on the ball. Go you!

Eta: or what if you slowed down the bouncing? Holdings him a lying down position. So that eventually you barely bounce. Then eventually just sit there. And eventually can put him down in his crib alone? Gah. Good luck.

I thought we did a lot of bouncing in the early days but no where close to 15 hours. We switched to wearing LO and walking to get her to sleep at some point. We ended up in a routine where we walked two hours every night to get LO to sleep. Like you said, one bad habit for another but much less physically demanding. Then we sleep trained at 4 month to break the motion habit.

Don't stress about drowsy but awake. That's a nice to have sleep skill but you're still in survival mode.

ETA: Just remembered, at that age we used the "arm drop test" when she wasn't swaddled. You test to see if they are really asleep by lifting baby's arm and watching for it to drop straight down with no resistance. You don't put LO down until the arm drops. Total opposite of drowsy but awake but it helped minimize failed attempts at putting LO down.

This was us until one week ago!!! our baby is 13 weeks now and we were spending SO much time on the ball too!!! until I found this method - it's a complete miracle and worked the very first time we tried it!! it's nothing to do with the baby whisperer so I'm not sure why they call it that lol!

http://theycallmemummy.com/2012/09/10/sleep-training/

So happy to be able the share this because it's worked so well for us!! hope it works for you too.. it's such a positive way to put him to sleep and to see him laying in his bed without crying is truly amazing

I was actually going to post about it - will do tomorrow! let me know how you find it or if you have any questions about how we did it

Well, we still struggle big time with sleep, but we were you guys with the bouncing. We bounced for hours and hours until she would fall asleep, working up a sweat, back breaking, etc. you know! But, like you, I simply couldn't take it anymore. I refused to bounce one more day on that ball. So....what I started doing is swaddling her, and then we walk around the room (sometimes at a pretty rapid pace) meanwhile, patting her bum (kind of vigorously) and shushing. She didn't fall for my tricks at first, and there were many tears, but I couldn't take the bouncing anymore. She's now 17 weeks old and the yoga ball has been retired. Now, it doesn't work every time! Especially lately (4 month sleep regression anyone....), and I still have to put her in the swing for some naps. But, its better than the bouncing. I think that drowsy but awake thing is a joke at this point. We put her drowsy but awake, she wakes 45 minutes later. We put her after nursing to sleep, still wakes 45 minutes later. So, while this isn't especially helpful to you, just wanted to know we have been there and it did SUCK, but it was just a couple of bad days of the no bouncing. Anyways, we were starting to get some good sleep habits into place and now that the 4 month sleep regression has arrived in our house, those have all gone out the window.

@Grace: What is this modified CIO you speak about? Sorry to threadjack!

@Little Misters Mom: Yay so happy you are going to try it! I did like the article said and went bursting in there as soon as his crying would just start to wane a little bit or when he'd take a breath, so in the first minute really!

Then my partner and I take turns and we pretty much go in and out in a constant stream because we just go as soon as he stops for even a second just to take a breath! I really try and get his attention when I first put him down too and make sure he looks at me while I smile and say 'good boy you're going to have a great sleep' blah blah!

I know the whole method sounds totally crazy but we were completely blown away by how effective it is! and also how nice it is to say all these positive things to him and have him actually go to sleep himself?! He takes an average of about 5 mins to go to sleep now, while we come in and out saying 'wow what a lovely boy', 'look how amazing you are' etc... so it's a pretty nice experience for all.

He was waking up every 3 hours during the night and every 20 minutes at nap time after us spending sometimes an hour or two on the ball getting him to sleep and now he sleeps 5 hour stretches at night and minimum 45 minute naps! it's changed our lives!

Let me know how it goes! can't wait to hear

@Tundra Daisy: holy shit did that really work?! I am so intrigued! Did he always sleep in his crib in his room or was this while you were moving him in from your room? My girl is almost 6 months and I'm dying to get her to sleep on her own and in her room.

@Little Misters Mom: I am being a human pacifier as I write this, I feel you!!

@Little Misters Mom: No problem!

@Little Misters Mom: K was addicted to bouncing! I think we bounced her to sleep until 3-4 months. It eventually stopped working, and we nursed to sleep instead. When we sleep trained at 6 months, we started putting her down awake, so she did eventually get over the bouncing addiction!