9 Month Old Sleeping in Crib

I co- slept with my dd quite a bit when she was that age.. She was breast fed, and it was a lot easier on me to have her in my bed.

When she slowed down on the night nursing around a year old, I would just put her in her crib after she fell asleep. If she woke up and cried, I just took her back to my bed. It didn't take too long until she realized that she wasn't going to be trapped and ignored in her crib, and she started soothing herself back to sleep in it.

She moved into her own bed full time when she fully weaned herself at 15 months... It took about 2 weeks of gradual transition, (putting her down asleep, then trying to comfort her to sleep while still in bed before picking her back up... Then just putting her down more and more awake.) then never had any issues. (That is putting her in it awake, and she fell asleep on her own and stayed all night.)

If co-sleeping is easier and works for you, just keep with it. :) especially since your kiddo is currently experiencing changes in his little body that would make doing a transition now more difficult for everyone involved.

Honestly, I am not a fan of CIO (I know it works for some families, bit I don't like it.). I did try it once around 9 months because a lot of people told me I needed to "sleep train" her... I felt so bad after 3 nights of sticking to my guns (using the Ferber method) and seeing her so upset that I decided to do it the way MY mommy instincts told me I should... And it worked out great. :) since then, I have done quite a bit of reading on the subject and have found that being left to cry releases stress hormones and can raise the baby's blood pressure. :(

I know I feel horrible after crying. My head hurts, I feel lonely, my nose is running... I hate the idea of those feelings being what my daughter is experiencing during her last waking hours of the day. Cuddles and giggles, and the security and comfort of her Mommy's arms is much preferable. :)

If you don't mind him sleeping in your bed, then let him continue to do it. Because, if you don't stop it now it is going to be extremely hard to stop this habit later. He really does need to learn to calm himself and get himself to sleep.

There is no easy or quick answer to this. I can only tell you that my son did not sleep well, and was very fussy as an infant. Around 9 months we were able to establish a better schedule and then we all slept better. The book that helped me the most : "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." You can find used copies cheap on half.com or check your library because it's been around for years. It helps you identify the temperment of your child, then gives a plan of action based on how your child responds. Also gives lots of real life examples of how Dr. Marc Weissbluth helped other people. All I can say is that a schedule worked best for our family and helped my child get to sleep on his own. Co-sleeping may be what works best for you, but if you and your child are not getting enough rest, then you might want to try something different.

I'd put him down drowsy after his last feeding make sure his bed is warm he has a fresh diaper on and lay him down. Almost asleep but not all the way there and leave the room. Warming his bed will help because he won't get shocked from the coldness of it. It'll be hard the first few nights but after a week it should be easier. You have to do it for naps and bed.

We used Ferber. It worked for us. Even Ferber counsels against doing sleep training when there is a major life change or illness afoot. Do what works best for you to see him through the cold, then do Ferber.

Ferber isn't for the weak of heart. It takes patience, consistency, and a tolerance for tears. If done correctly, your child will be sleep trained in 4-7 nights.

Best,
F. B.

Put his baby bed beside yours. Put him in the crib then put your hand through the rails. Hold his hand, his foot, his leg, something where he can feel you touching him.

Then as he gets used to sleeping in the crib you can pull your hand out when he falls asleep. Then eventually he'll go to sleep without the touch. Then you can put his crib back in his room and sit by him with your hand through the rails again but this time it won't last long.

IF you'd rather you could do it the other way and put up a twin size/full size or larger bed in his room. Then do it from that room and eventually he'll move into that bed in a few months and the crib will come down.