Help! 3.5 Month Old Will Not Sleep in Crib

Don't worry about the swing. Let her be in there for as long as she wants because at this point she needs it. She will outgrow it. My son would not sleep in his crib till be was 5 months old and I was so worried about it. He LOVES his crib now. Everyone needs their rest and everyone will be much happier with a restful nights sleep. Try the crib again in a few weeks for naps. Also, get a Ocean Wonders Aquarium for the crib if you don't already have one. Its a lifesaver!! Good luck and do whatever works.

My son was the same way for a while. He only wanted to nap in the swing or on my boppy pillow. I would try to lay him in his crib for naps and he would scream soo hard! Everyone kept telling me to let him sleep where he wants to. He is now 4 1/2 months old and I tried the crib again for naps and most of the time he will sleep in it. Now sometimes I do have to go in there and give him the pacifier to calm him down. Somestimes it works, if not I get him out and calm him down.

It takes some time but maybe for now let him sleep anywhere and try the crib in a few weeks. She will get there, I always tell myself when I am frustrated about his sleeping habbits, that he will not be doing this when he goes to school haha this too will pass. Good luck

My first slept 14 hours a night from the time she was
3 weeks!!!!!!! My son who was born 11 1/2 months later,
slept in his swing for 6 months. Eventually he slept in
his crib. In those days (32 years ago) we had wind up
swings!!!!!

Hi L.,
A pack and play is not a crib. It doesn't have a great supportive mattress, it makes scratchy noises, and some babies don't sleep really well in there. My son (now age 10) slept much better in the actual crib than he did in the pack n play or his cosleeper.

My daughter was the same way. She only wanted to sleep in an upright position because she had acid reflux and laying down was painful. Sleeping upright was more comfortable for her. Does your daughter show any signs of reflux? Other than that she just might be uncomfortable in the pack-n-play. Neither one of my kids liked it unless it had a bunch of blankets in it and of course that was once they were older. Good luck to you.
Jenn

Pack n' plays are not nearly as comfortable as a swing, so it may be that she's just not comfortable! Try putting more padding underneath the mattress and swaddling her, or just put her in the crib, as it may also be that she just doesn't like being so low to the ground. Crib mattresses are much more comfortable as well.

Hi L.. We had a similar issue with our son- he would sleep the first part of the night in bed then wake up to eat and refuse to go back to sleep in his bed, so we would let him sleep in his swing. I talked to our ped about it- he said just make sure he is strapped in safely and that when he can roll over on his own he needs to be transitiioned back to bed. Then when he did start to roll over I would let him take his naps in the swing because I was always around to keep an eye on him. I feel like I spent so much time worrying about what my son was supposed to do (eg; sleep in his crib) that I really didn't enjoy his infancy. Do yourself a favor and don't stress- she won't be in the swing forever. I think a lot of young babies like the close feeling and the movement. Or if you are really concerned about the swing, look into the different sleep training methods that are out there- there is probably one that is right for you. Good luck!

Is the swing in motion while she is sleeping? If so she isn't getting into a deep enough sleep. When baby's nap in cars, strollers, or swings, it only produces a twilight sleep, and not a deep restful sleep. This is according to a leading sleep expert, Doctor Marc Weissbluth, author of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child."

My advice is also to put her in her crib, as others have said. Pack and plays are not comfortable. It is also best to let a child nap during the daytime, and sleep during the night time in the same place, so they associate a certain place with sleep.

Also, don't be afraid to let her cry for a while. It will wear her out, and while she may not fall asleep on her own crying, probably the minute you decide to pick her up, she will be falling asleep in your arms. By not letting her cry for 10-15 minutes, you are robbing her of a good nights sleep, because you aren't allowing her to learn to fall asleep unassisted, or learn to sleep in a new place i.e. her crib, in a horizontal position. Teaching a child to sleep well is an important life skill, like teaching a child to ride a bike. It might be scary and unfamiliar for both parties at first (yourself and your baby), but trust me, you will be so much happier if you hold strong, and allow her to adjust, even if it means a little bit of crying.

Good luck, I've been there!