3 Mth Old Only Sleeps in Swing

Oh they all go through little phases like that. Mine did the same thing and now at 19 months he sleeps in his crib just fine, and has been since he was 6 or 7 months. :)

My daughter did the same thing. Doc said not to worry about it. She grew out of it. I put the swing in the room with me and hubby right next to the bed.

My daughter had reflux very badly as an infant, and was very uncomfortable sleeping lying down. Also, ear infections can cause pain lying down as well. You may want to weed those two things out first...

Hope everything works out!

Hi!
I had a swing napper too. Now Nicholas sleeps in his crib for naps at at night (he's 5 months). We started out having him take naps in his crib, or just lay there and enjoy his mobile (he loves the mobile, it was a good investment). He co slept for a while, and then gradually spent more and more time in his crib. He actually started sleeping better once he took more naps during the day, and co slept.

After a while, I think we were waking him up when we shifted in bed. We all sleep better now that he's in his crib full time.

So, I guess my advice would be to get a crib mobile if you don't have one, and start having your baby spend some time in the crib. It might also be helpful if you are there with your baby at first, so the crib doesn't seem like an unfamiliar, scary place.

Good luck! ::)

Maybe put the swing in the babies room so he can get used to the surroundings before trying to get used to the new bed. My son took his naps in his swing until about 6 months, and then transitioned, it did not cause him any problems.

Hi J.

Maybe you son might have a mild case of Acid reflux and he is comfortable sitting up? I wouldn't worry about him being in there to much. My daughter is 4.5 months old and we just got her switched over to her crib. And my son never even made it to his crib, he loved his car seat (because of heart burn). Relax, every baby is different.

Good Luck
L.

My second son had acid reflux and always slept better on my chest (sitting up) or in his bouncy seat my peditrican recommend a wedge which worked but you can also roll up a towel or blanket and place it under the crib mattress. my son is now 4 and he still sleeps better with his mattress raised. I wasn't very good at letting my kids cry themselves to sleep, it broke my heart. now they both go to sleep fine and sleep all night. if you are fine with it, don't worry about what every one else tells you. i have never known an adult that needs a swing to go to sleep. it is a phase that he will outgrow. like my grandma (who had 8 kids) says as long as they have love, the rest doesn't matter.
goodluck, you will survive this and look back with fond memories and longing for a stage they have outgrown. and there will be many more phases to come!

Hi,
Saw your post and just had to chime in. I don't feel that you should let a baby "cry" it out until they are a minimum of nine months old. Others may disagree, But I just never felt my girls were ready to be left alone to scream it out. After nine months though. . . they almost need it. Anyway, as far as the swing is concerned don't sweat it. My youngest lived in ours for about 5 months. We had one of the old wind up swings, HORRIBLE!! My ex and I couldn't even be intimate without stopping to wind up the swing. Both my girls are now well adjusted bed sleepers. Some of the best advice I could have given myself when I was a new mother was not to stress so much. As long as they are eating, sleeping and pooping all is well.

My baby is almost 4 months old and he sleeps better when he is slightly upright...either his swing or his bouncy chair, but that is an awful habit to break so I just recently purchased a wedge for his crib (I got it Babies R Us, less than $15!) Before the wedge, he was up every 2 hours all night long! Now, he has been sleeping 4 1/2 hour long stretches! Your baby may be a bit gassy or have reflux and being flat on his back may aggravate that....try a wedge in his crib, it will elevate him similar to his swing, but he will learn to sleep in his crib. I'm a first time mom too, so I am learning just like you, but I think that our babies are too young to let them cry for more than 10 mins or so...try the wedge, (they carry them at Target and Walmart too.) Hopefully that will work for you guys! Good luck!

my last son, he is 10 months now. he only would sleep in his car seat for the first SIX months!! no bassinet no crib nothing. i worried but my doctor said he will figure it out eventually, she said babies are used to being cramped and upright, i tried daily until he was 6 months and then one day he slept 3 hpurs in his crib and that was it for the car seat sleeping, except for the car of course!

Hi,
I had the same "problem" with my baby girl, Emma. The 3 and 4 month she slept them in the swing, swinging all night. I talked to my pediatrician and she told me that there isn't any problem, but what i am going to do later.So I start to worry. I run a foster care home for elderly, so i am home all day.During the daytime I was putting Emma to sleep in her stroller that becomes a little bassinet so i can move her around with me and what i noticed is that she was sleeping just fine in it. Then i was trying to put her down in a crib she would wake up immediately. What I think is that they like the enclosure of something, they probably feel themselves protected and don't feel "lost" in a crib. Emma used to get up screaming, with her arms wide open, not touching anything.So i figure out that need something close to her. I bought a co-sleeper from BabiesRUs , is called Supreme Snuggle Nest with Incline and i placed it in the crib or in bed with us and i put her down to sleep in it (without the little foam). She's still sleeping there and is working great though is becoming kind of a small, her being 5 1/2 months. I was worried about her spine also when she slept in the swing even the pediatrician told not to. I wouldn't let him cry it out,because at this age i think he's to small for it.He just need you to comfort him and to know that he can count on you. i wish you good luck.
Dora

maybe he feels insecure in the crib because of all the space have you tried a bassenet or something that isn't as roomy

I actually just got my son past that. He's 4 months now and would only sleep in his crib at night. Naps he would only do in the swing. I started putting my son in his swing for one of his daily naps and then for the next one in his crib and after a week just started putting him in the crib for all his naps. Usually he would only sleep for about a half hour but evntually he got use to it. You just have to keep trying and if he still needs another nap later on put him in the crib. Hopefully this will help you.

As long as everyone sleeps, I think you should do what works. As long as he can't get himself tangled in the straps I think it is just fine.

One of mine would not sleep at all except with me, the other would sleep great on a blanket on a floor (and when she was a toddler, on a beanbag chair) but would absolutely not sleep in a crib. They both sleep in a bed just fine now, at almost 4 and six. We never cried it out with either of them. (At least, not successfully. Our eldest taught us that her will is stronger than any parenting book.) When they got old enough to be reasoned with a little, it was no big deal to get them to go to sleep with a regular bedtime routine. I wish I could jump in a time machine and tell myself not to worry about it so much.

I would watch out for any advice that implies that if you don't take care of it now, a baby's behavior will never change. They change so much at this age that that's just kind of silly, in my opinion.

My advice - let him sleep in the swing.
I lived in an apartment when my son was born, and faced a similar dilemma - my son would only sleep in his CAR SEAT, if you can believe that! I think it must be because that, like the swing, provides a more cozy environment than a wide open crib. If the swing is small enough, put it inside the crib. If not, just make sure he's strapped in.
Another thing you might try is swaddling (something I discovered far too late!). Take a large blanket or even a towel, and wrap him up tightly like a mummy, so that he can't move his arms and legs. You will be amazed by how well it works. Babies, apparently, need to feel "cozy". I suppose it simulates the environment of the womb.
But don't feel bad about letting him sleep in the swing! Take it from a fellow student/mom.
Also, I would never, EVER have let my son "cry it out". Nor would any of my contemporary mom friends, though my own mother advised this. Don't take this advice - the only thing your baby will learn from being allowed to cry is that no one is going to come, so he might as well give up. (And the neighbors wouldn't appreciate it, either...)

I/we let our second son sleep in his swing until he was 6 months old and finally had to switch him to his crib because he could flip himself out of his swing. It allowed us and him to sleep for longer stretches of time. We did the cry it out thing with our first son and I would NEVER again do that in my life, it was torture. With this second one I read The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp and then I was getting ready to get him into his crib I read The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Both books are short and easy to read. My son can now go to sleep on his own in his crib although he still wakes up about 2-3 times a night to eat but he never cries for long periods.

If you get more sleep with the baby in the swing let him sleep there. I would recommend getting The Happiest Baby on the Block book and reading it for a better understanding of how and why infants sleep the way they do.
Good Luck!

Have you tried swaddling him before you put him down in the crib? My daughter (now one) had a pretty strong startle reflex, especially when laying flat on her back. We swaddled her until she was about 5 months old.

Hi J....I wouldn't worry about it too much! My son slept in his swing at first, and started sleeping though the night at 5 1/2 weeks in his swing, so I was hesitant to move him! Finally at 13 weeks I transitioned him to a Pack & Play portable crib with a built-in bassinet. He didn't actually start sleeping in a crib until he was 8 months old, when we moved to our new house (we'd known since he was about a month old that we'd be moving, just didn't know when, and didn't want to go to the trouble of assembling his crib, only to have to take it apart again and move it!) The moral of the story, if there is one, is that your baby will eventually learn to sleep in a crib. As long as he is sleeping, and everyone is happy, I wouldn't worry about the swing-sleeping too much. Swings are taboo by the time they can get out of them on their own (about 8-9 months for most babies) but I'm sure he'll be sleeping in his crib (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) long before then. By the way, it's very thoughtful of you to be concerned about your neighbors - don't you wish everyone in the apartment building was as considerate as you, and spared you their loud fights and crying babies...? (I have vivid memories of years of apartment living!) ;) Good luck...and don't worry too much!

When I read this, I had to respond! Both of my kids (now 3 1/2 yrs and 1 year) slept in swings for a long time! They always woke up if we put them in their bed. I think they liked the cozy position that the swing put them in. We actually had to swaddle them and then place them in the swing. Anyways, around 5 months of age they both transitioned smoothly into their cribs. By 7 months of age, both of my children slept 11 hours a night without waking and went to sleep easily in their cribs. I think that people get freaked out thinking they will have a five year old that wants to sleep in a swing. That never seems to happen, so hang in there. Occasionally there will be times (starting around 8 or 9 months) that you will need to let them cry a little and just go in and pat them a bit or rub their back. I always feel like each month my kids get older, they sleep better and better. Good luck!

Hello J.. I love those swings but hate them too! My son did the same thing until he was around 4 months old. I couldn't lay him down asleep or awake. He would wake up crying the second his back touched the mattress! I started giving him more floor time to get him used to being on his back. I've read that you shouldn't let them cry it out until about 6 months old. My son is 7 months and when he was 6 months I let him whine it out for over an hour. He finally fell asleep. Now he knows that when I lay him down in his crib, it's time to go to sleep. This isn't the best advice, but I hope it helped some. Good luck! Hang in there! Keep us posted. By the way, my son HATES his swing now! Maybe your son will be the same way once he becomes more active.

R.

My granddaughter slept in her car seat for several months. We fastened her in and then set the seat in her crib. I think that they may feel more secure because they are surrounded. Sort of like swaddling only that didn't do it for my granddaughter. Another possible reason that this works is that they are in a more upright position with their head elevated.

If you want to wean him off the swing I suggest putting the swing in his bedroom close to the crib so that he can get used to being in that room.

Definitely let him scream so he learns to soothe himself to sleep. Your neighbors will have a shorter time to live with it if you do it now vs. 6 months from now. It might also be the angle he is at when he is in the swing - some babies have reflux if they lay flat.

J.,

I had some issues with my son also during that age (he's currently 7 1/2 months). It is a good idea to let him cry it out. Before putting him to bed try feeding him, make sure he in a dry diaper, and in a sleepy state, not asleep. My husband and I discovered that when our son was asleep before we laid him down he always woke up and it took him longer to fall asleep. Try letting him cry for 20 minutes at first, no longer than 30 minutes. You will notice that he may just fuss but even if he is crying you may notice that he stops for a few minutes then start again. Wait this out. If you continue to do this at nap and bedtime you'll notice that the crying will get to be less and even stop all together. Our son just talks himself to sleep now. If after the 20 minutes he is still absolutely screaming (not just passively crying) you can check to see if he has a burp, is still hungry, or possibly teething /sick. Be aware that anytime you change one desired/undesired behavior to another it will ALWAYS get worse before it gets better. This is because he (we as people) is testing boundaries. He may do okay at first then cry for the full 20 minutes, but just listen for the breaks (you'll notice them) If you are hearing them then you are on the right track. It is really hard to hear, I had an extremely hard time with it. I recommend taking a bath or shower during that time. Showers are good because is you take about 20 minutes and he is still crying, then its time to check on him. Or do dishes, find something to distract yourself. Trust me, you are doing a good thing. This will get him on track to sooth himself to sleep in the middle of the night also.

As for your neighbors, you can put your child's development on hold them, but my belief is that as long as you aren't letting him cry excessively (hours on end) without consoling him, it is not your problem. It is part of living in an apartment.

If you have any questions feel free to message me.

He probably likes being in a more upright position. Have you ever heard of the Amby hammock? We have a 4 1/2 month old with acid reflux, and it is the only other place he will sleep besides the swing. It's kind of expensive (about $250) but we think it was worth every penny. You might give it a try before you let him cry it out (we tried the crying it out at 3 months and my son got so upset that he threw up one himself). You can also maybe find the amby used on craigslist.com or ebay. Let me know if you can't find the website and you're interested, I'll email you it.

I had a swing sleeper too! When he was around 3 months I started to feel guilty and moved him to his crib. I would suggest starting with naps first. They key is teaching him how to put himself to sleep. So you might need to let him fuss a bit. Rock or swing him until he's almost asleep and then put him down. If he seems uncomfortable in the crib maybe it's because it still seems so large and overwhelming. Maybe try one of those sleep positioners. We got one for my son and placed it closer to one of corners of the crib to try to help with the big empty space feeling. What ever you try make sure you are persistant. Eventually things will work out. :)

hello both my sons were both the same way....actualy the pedatrition said it helps them sleep better when they sit up in a swing or a car seat so thats the way i am with all of my kids and when they get tired of it they will let you know....usualy by not sleeping in it no more..then try it in the crib...dotn worry its just better on them...i plan to keep my kids in the swing or car seat..where ever they get the best sleep...hope that helps...oh yea dont let them cry it out until they are at least close to a year old....its just plain mean until then...eventualy they will be so pick there will be nothing you can do for them...so them you can let them cry it out for 15 min or so...but not until they are lose to a year...hope this helps...bye