Need Sleep Advice for My 7 Month Old!

My daughter slept through the night for the first time on her first birthday. She was 1 year old. Everyone told me to just let her cry. I wouldn't do it. Finally I had had enough, I needed some sleep. I let her cry and she has been sleeping perfectly ever since.

L.- Just remember that you are doing great! Some babies just don't sleep as well as oothers. If she is sleeping well through the night she may just not need two naps (sorry to say) I don't believe in the "cry out" solution. You may want to work on the association of Breastfeeding and sleep. I would HIGHLY recomend you read "the no cry sleep solution" It is wonderful and Patience is the key. My one year old is a not very good on naps and just started sleeping through the night but would sleep solid other times. I still breastfeed her and don't breastfeed her in her room (we have a specific chair in my room) and I have just recently worked on not doing right before bed. Stay on a schedule that is the key and it is okay if it is off on some days.Please get that book....you'll love it and it does take time!!!!!

I am another who does not believe in the CIO method. (I think the "Babywise" book is especially bad.) Let me put in another vote for "The No Cry Sleep Solution." It takes time and patience, but I believe it is the better way to go. Don't let "everyone" make you feel like you're a bad mom because you don't let your baby cry to sleep. Listen to your mommy voice and do what you feel is best for your baby. You are the one who knows her best. Nursing to sleep at this age is not a terrible thing. In the next few years your baby will go through many changes that will change her "schedule." Let her know that you will respond to her needs when she cries because right now that is the way she communicates with you. Enjoy your baby while she is still a baby. :)

HI there, My oldest had that happen when she was your daughters age. I wanted her to take a nap so that I could get some sleep. my mom told me just to put her in her crib with some safe toys and let her play and take myself to bed. you might get a schedule with her one week and then she will want to stay up with no naps for a month. she will sleep when she wants to just keep up with putting her in the crib after feeding time and even if she wakes up you leave the room and maybe she will get board and fall asleep. the worst that could happen is she cries herself to sleep and the best is that she will get to know herself and when she grows up she will be comfortable playing by herself and let you do your mommy things. good luck. pat

Hi L.,
I don't know if this will work for your daughter, but it completely changed napping in my house!! My son hates napping in his crib. I bought him one of those large overstuffed animal pillows (overstock.com) and life is good. Sometimes he'll just lay on it to relax, but he also uses it at nap time. I have it in my family room, which is pretty quiet during the day for him. When it isn't a pillow, it can be folded up and velcro'd together to look like a stuffed animal. Good luck!

I would let her scream it out. She is at the age where she can handle it. Just time out the intervals. The first time let her cry for 5 minutes, then go calm her down. Then let her cry for 10 minutes then calm her down and so on. Let this go for about an hour and she will probably be napping within the week. It work for me.

Hello L.,

It could be that your daughter is finally old enough to not need to sleep as soundly at the beginning of her nap as she used to and now she is "catching" you trying to leave her alone in her crib. Since she is used to falling asleep nursing at night, you could try nursing her to sleep on the floor for her nap. I used to put a sheet down and a pillow for myself and rest, visualize, meditate or even fall asleep during my daughters' naps. Sometimes, she released my nipple in her sleep and I got up and read or worked on the computer near her until she woke.

Babies are really smart and instictively know they are safest in our arms or near our bodies, especially when they are relaxing into sleep. Babies are soothed by our presence and when they ask for us to be with them and we don't come, they will eventually give up and stop asking. They will learn to be comforted by "things," rather than by people. They also may not ask for the help they need in relationships, because they learned long ago that it was useless to ask. This is a deep wound.

My childrens' "schedules" change frequently as they grow to meet their changing needs. I am most successful by following their lead. If your daughter seems comfortable with one nap a day, then I would focus on supporting her in that direction. She also may sleep more soundly having one nap a day, rather than two.

You might also be interested in reading, "The No Cry Sleep Solution," by Elizabeth Pantley.

Enjoy your journey. ~T.

Hi L.,

Try putting her down awake without nursing her to sleep. The goal is to have her learn to fall asleep on her own. She probably associates sleeping with feeding and that maybe the reason for her waking up when you try to put her down. You can let her cry for as little as 3 min. and go check on her and then extend the waiting time to 5 and 10 min. It said that babies learn new habits in 3 days. Good luck.

My best advice is to let her cry it out. I only say this because I have a 2 year old son who still has problems getting to sleep on his own. He was nursed until 14 months and that is how he went to sleep even for naps. So I would nurse him to sleep and it was the same way if you held your breath just right and laid him down as gently as possible you might be able to sneak away and he might get a good nap in. I never thought I wanted him to cry it out because all his infancy I would respond to his needs when he cried for diaper change, feedings whatever and in my mind it wasn't fair to leave him to cry alone. Big mistake. It has taken me so long to get to the point we are now, which he still isn't able to lay in bed by himself and fall asleep, and I would say the sooner the better. It will be less painful for them when they can't remember you leaving them there unlike at one and two when they can watch you walk away. The best way is to start with a small amount of time like 5 minutes and them move it every 2 days to 5 more minutes until they do it. Good luck it is painful but mostly for the Mommy. I really do think you will be better off by doing this providing more time for yourself and your husband and giving her the gift of being able to put herself to sleep instead of being dependent on you.

I also have a 7 and a half month old. He's slept through the night (most of the time) since about 6 weeks. He is VERY active during the day and it doesn't seem that he needs more than an hour for a nap during the day. He has gone through what I think are growth spurts where he will nap longer, but generally, the boy just doesn't need the naps. I do let him cry it out when it is nap time so we can stick to the same time daily and found it difficult in the beginning. Now, however, he carries on for between 5 and 10 minutes and then goes to sleep. I've read a number of books on this and like Babywise the best. I tried for quite a while to get him to have more naps (like the books say). However, as my pediatrician says, it's important to recogize that the books are guides and each child is so different, even within a family. I felt like I had to really deduce what the real reason was for putting him down to nap and finally decided that it had more to do with trying to adhere to what the book said. I'm finally okay with the fact that my son really does okay with very little in the nap department. He's thriving and it works for us.

Hi L., my daughter is almost one and it is pretty normal for them to switch it up. I think the times she changes it up for a few days are associated with teething or something else going on. So after a few days of very short cat-naps, I try and either hold her during a nap or plan a long car ride (normally she HATES the car)that she can pass out during, that way we both get a rest. Babies change all the time and it might be a couple years before you get her on a true schedule. Also, I am personally very against letting babies cry it out. When they cry it is because they need something (even if it is just comfort) and when they stop crying it is because they have given up- which I think is very sad. With that said, there is a difference, at this age especially, of leaving your baby to cry and letting them fuss a little making sure they are good and tired before putting them down. Good luck!

Don't let her fall asleep nursing. She doesn't need to soothe herself because your breast does it for her. Keep her awake but put her down drousy. If you need to stay with her for a minute and sing a song or something else she likes, that might be helpful. Also, it helped me to think "does she need me or want me?" when crying. If you know she has a clean diaper, is fed and safe, then it is protest crying and let her do it. It doesn't hurt babies to cry and she'll love you all the more for letting her learn how to put herself to sleep. Good luck!

If she is falling asleep while nursing is she eating as much as she should for that feeding? I used to have to keep my little boy up because he would fall asleep on the breast and them cry when I put him down for a nap. I would suggest, if she is eating enough, to wrap her in her favorite blanket while she is nursing then when she falls asleep it wont be to much of a transition from your arms to the crib, also if you usually nurse while watching tv (which I was guilty of often) maybe try turning on a toy that plays music to help the transition a little more. Other than that the whole "let her cry it out" theory sometimes is the only way left to go, my boy found comfort with a teddy bear he still hugs it in bed now and he is 2 1/2! good luck

My kids are the same way. I have a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The six month old falls asleep while nursing and then wakes up as soon as I put him down in his crib. Me 2 year old did the same thing at that age. My life saver was a mobile above the crib that played music and turned around in circles. They DO wake up when you put them in the crib, but not for long. The mobile gets their attention so they don't cry, and then watching that go around for a while makes them fall back asleep because they really ARE tired and it really IS nap time. I have also tried the cry to sleep thing and it's super hard. What I had to do was set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and make myself wait till the timer went off to go pick them back up. I would say 9 times out of 10 they fell asleep before the timer went off. If they did cry through the whole 10 minutes there was usually something else wrong (too cold, still hungry, had a bubble in their tummy, etc.) At least that way I could determine whether they were crying because they were just tired (if so they fell asleep) or if there was something else wrong that needed to be fixed before they could fall asleep. Good Luck!

I've been lucky with my two -- they both learned to self soothe early on with no pacifier. A couple of things I think helped. I read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. He helps you understand a child's natural biorhythms which dictates approximate times a child at a certain age is most likely to be ready for naps and bedtime. If you put your child down before they get overtired and have adreniline kick in, they are more likely to lay happily in the crib til they drift off. He's good about going through lots of typical questions parents have, too. He doesn't push the CIO method, but does reassure you a small bit of crying can help your child in the long run. Another big help for us has been sweet, silky-soft baby blankets. Both my kids have never used pacifiers, but they are both bigtime blanket babies. My 8-month-old son sucks on the corner of his purple blanket every time he goes down. It's so cute. Safety wise, you don't want a fluffy blanket around a babies' face before they have head control and ability to roll. Even then, I still move my son's blanket aside once he has fallen asleep. Good luck!

The best thing you can do for her right now is not nurse her to sleep, she will continue to use you for a human pacifier. Lay her down while awake and teach her to fall asleep by herself. Nurse her, then change her diaper or something else so she isn't asleep when you lay her down. Maybe she isn't needing a morning nap and try a later one, also a lot of stimulation with play, books and so on can tire a baby out so make sure she has a lot of activity. Even having her stretch her legs in a play saucer. She needs to find a way to soothe herself and if you can just keep her from nursing to sleep or giving her a pacifier at this late in the game you will be saving yourself a lot of stress later. Give her a music box and put it on, maybe even a noise machine. My kids for some reason need the sound of a fan on while going to sleep. Make sure her room in dark when napping. Letting her cry for up to 8 minutes is fine, however if she gets really upset, go in, rub her back and tell her it is sleepy time and reassure her then keep trying. Hang in there!!!!

(1) She needs a routine. Read a book and rock her. Listen to soothing music or sing to her. (2) She needs a lovey. Get a blanket or a stuffed animal. To help her bond with it, YOU should sleep with it for awhile so that it smells like you. You can also put one of your dirty shirts in he crib with her. Your smell will be comforting. Also, put a picture of you near the crib where she can see it. She can look at it an be reassured. (3) Let her cry. Let her cry for 5 minutes. Then go into her room to reassure her. Don't pick her up or make a sound. Then leave and let her cry for 10 minutes. Then return to her room. Repeat at 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, and if neccessary 30 minutes. It's hard. And it won't work after one time. You'll have to do this for as little as 2-3 days or as long as 2 weeks. If she's still crying at 30 minutes, pick her up. She's too upset to sleep. (4) Make sure the ambience is conducive to sleeping. Dark & cool & quiet room. No toys that tempt her to play.

Sounds like my Bella, who is also 7 months old. She won't nap in her crib at all since at least a few months ago. The trick is to put her in the car seat! It works for Bella and then drape a blanket over the car seat to make it darker. Bella naps as long as two hours in the car seat where as in the crib, she'd cry a ton as soon as I put her down and would not nap. I think it's too bright in her nursery. Anyway, try it out and see if it works!

-P.

First, have you heard of a book called baby wise. It teaches you how to put your baby on a schedule by making sure that they eat, play, then sleep. So in this case she would never fall asleep eating on you and she would have to teach herself to sleep on her own. Next, I would also start at night by waking her up after she eats on you, then put her in her crib to sleep. I would start at night because that's when she is most tired and more likely to be tired enough to fall back asleep on her own. She may cry for a few nights but eventually will fall asleep. Then once she can put herself to sleep naps will be easier. Try fans, music, mobiles to help her sleep in her room. I have a 5 year old and now a 8 month old. Be consistent and a little crying doesn't hurt, but you can also go in after a few minutes and with out talking comfort and put back down. Good Luck

The most important thing I have learned as a first time parent is that every child is different and everything they do is a "phase." When my son was your daughter's age, he was a terrible napper, but I really focused on reading his daily cues and creating a nap routine (sleep music, story, nurse to sleep or walk to sleep and talk to him in a monotone soothing voice until he let go). My son also did not want to sleep in his crib for a while. I made him a little next on the floor with a quilt and nursed him to sleep there and then got up and let him sleep. That only lasted for a couple of months and then he was feeling more secure about his naptimes and was able to move to his crib. He is now a GREAT napper, although he only gets 1.5 hours per day as a 14-month old (he's not real big on sleeping - there is too much else to do)!. His nap schedule also seems to shift every couple of months (as far as what time of day he is ready for his nap). It is up to me to notice his cues and adjust accordingly.

My son had a lot of issues with waking up at night, and I did a lot of reading. What I learned from that is that no book can really tell you how to parent your child. You can take suggestions out of books, but the most important thing is to follow your intuition and pay attention to your child's cues. I personally felt the cry-it-out method to be cruel and something that might irreparably damage my son's confidence in his mom and dad. I felt that it was worth the extra awake time to foster good, positive sleep associations. He nursed to sleep until he was 1 year old and still does occasionally, but he has mostly outgrown it on his own. He will nurse and then want to be put in his crib to go to sleep. This happened spontaneously without me ever forcing the issue! He feels safe and comfortable in his crib, and he knows that if he ever needs me, I will be there for him.
Listen to what your child is telling you, and trust your own intution. Try letting your daughter sleep in a different place for a while (you might even try co-napping for a few days to help her build her confidence in naptime). Make sure you are being consistent every day in your naptime routine (where and how she falls asleep), and she might start to settle into a schedule that is comfortable for both of you.

If your baby doesn't need sleep why force it? She is not grumpy when she goes without a nap, so I see no need for putting her down for a nap. Often as parents we want them to have the nap so we can have some time to ourselves (doing dishes, cleaning or whatever), which is putting our needs first and not the child's, so even though I needed my kids to have a nap I never pushed it if they didn't need one.

If you don't want to forego the nap then I suggest to put her down in her bed and if she cries (not a loud earpiercing cry, but rather a tired whining cry), let her stay there no longer than 5 minutes. After 5 minutes go back in to the room and without picking up the baby soothe her (One thing that worked on my children, was to give them a light back rub to help them relax and start feeling that after all they are tired. When getting angry my kids still enjoy getting a light back rub to help them calm down.) and talk calmly to her and make her comfortable again, then leave for another 5 minutes if you have to. Repeat this as many times as needed until she falls asleep. This is not cruel to them at all, but it will help her understand that you are the parent and she is the child, and it will be beneficial to you in the long run.
Children wants rules and it is important to start when they are born and not wait until they make their first mistake/offence before making the rules.