When Did Ur 'Newborn' Start Sleeping. in Their Own Nbed

Updated on July 08, 2011
S.L. asks from Moab, UT
26 answers

My lil one likes to be moving- all the time. And when she isn't moving she likes to be tightly swaddled. To help her sleep- she has slept many of the 6 weeks she's been here - in her carseat in her crib or in her swing

I know we will have to make the switch soon so please no crazy lectures or anything, but I'm just curious how long we should do this. She really won't sleep without being bundled and really goes to sleep better if she's moving. Our oldest has slept through the night 9-5am @ least since he was 6 weeks and went down awake too. When did urs start to get better w/ this??

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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3 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Leave her in her carseat in her crib as long as she's sleeping well that way. Both of my grandchildren slept in their carseat in their crib until they outgrew the car seat. This helps with reflux too.

There is no set time to change the way one is doing something. Change when what's happening isn't working. "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

3 moms found this helpful

M.M.

answers from Tampa on

My firstborn slept in my bed since birth until now... she'll be 6 in Sept and she needs to transition to her own bed because baby #2 is coming in a week or two and will be sleeping with me.

At 31 y/o I still don't sleep thru the night without waking at least twice - bathroom and a drink or quick snack... so I don't expect my children to sleep thru the night either.

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V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Both our kids came home from the hospital and went directly into their crib in their own room. Never had a problem with it.

You can continue to swaddle her, even in a crib. It's all in the way you wrap the blanket. :)

4 moms found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Redding on

Our son slept in the crib in his own room right from the first day home. When we had our daughter we did the same thing. I had never thought it was necessary to put them in my room and we never used a monitor. I could hear them fine from the other room. I had a great swing back then and used it the first days too until they were way big for it. There were times they fell asleep in the swing so I would leave them and just pull it forward and put a padded chair under them so they were laying back a bit and let them sleep. But never in the night. With the new carseats now, its really easy to get home and if they are asleep you just unlatch the seat and carry them in and let them stay asleep in the car seat. We had to take them out of carseats and carry them in and hope they stayed asleep when we laid them down. They still managed to grow up.. too soon..

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R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

No crazy lectures ; )

Mine all slept in their own bed from the night we came home from the hospital.

My oldest son took about 6 weeks to sleep through the night, he'd always wake up at 2 am before that, and the other two began sleeping through the night at 2 weeks.

2 moms found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter started sleeping in her crib at 2 weeks and my son was about 8 weeks. Neither one of them were too keen on the swaddle but if yours likes it, I'd keep it up. They both slept in the bassinet although it wasn't really comfortable for either of them and I don't know why I kept my youngest there so long! (actually I do, but I probably should have moved him sooner!;) I didn't put them in their crib to nap until about 4-5 months though. Until then I let them sleep wherever for naps and put them to bed at night in the crib.

2 moms found this helpful

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

My daughter slept in her swing until about 5 1/2 months. We have transitioned to the crib and are doing quite well. If she is sleeping well in the swing there is no reason to take her out. However, you can also swaddle and then lay her in her crib.
You do what works and you ignore the naysayers.
L.
(side note....my daughter is 6 months and is NOT sleeping through the night yet though. She wakes once, at about 2am to eat.)

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Grin... this is why cradles were used for so many thousands of years (the kind on rockers). Of course, now the don't sell them, because yah... anything that rocks can be tipped over. Sigh. Of course, swings are technically more dangerous than cradles, but cest la vie. What works, works. And I'm not particularly sold on the idea that they're more dangerous with a still, sleeping child, than with an awake bouncing one.

I'd be more inclined to the carseat in the crib, so you can wean off the constant motion needed for sleep / the room and smells and placement are familiar. Honestly... since the pendulum swings back and forth between stomach and back every generation (co2 poisioning on stomach, aspiration pneumonia or suffocation from lying flat)... I wouldn't be surprised if a "carseat like" device is what our GRANDKIDS sleep in. So they don't "gas" themselves to death on their stomachs, or suffocate on their vomit on their backs.

My own son was in his crib after a few weeks. Accidentally. And the opposite of your baby. He HATED being confined. Swaddling was the kiss of death, and the bassinet was utterly despised. Don't get me started on cosleeping. Wanted to, and he was. not. having. it. Didn't realize any of that until in a moment where I needed my arms I set him in his crib for "just a moment" and he conked right out. Arms over his head, legs splayed out, and snoring. Little bugger. Over the next few days I figured out if he could touch ANYTHING with his arms or legs (like the side of the bassinet) he was just unhappy/ ticked off about it, unless he was in my arms. And even then, he wanted to be all stretched out. Okay kiddo. Crib it is.

He's 9yo now, and STILL sleeps like an octopus. When we transitioned to a real bed, we got a double/queen for him. (Added benefit, meant I could snuggle up with him, make blanket tents, lay down and read with him, etc.)

2 moms found this helpful

M..

answers from St. Louis on

Hey whatever works for you. My baby is 7 weeks today. She sleeps in the pack n play in my room. My son slept in my room until he was 8 months, just because I wanted him to. Its really up to you.
I think you only run into problems when the child is actually sleeping in your bed, then they learn to depend on that. My nephew is 4 and still sleeps with his parents. Um, no. I like to have sex sometimes. :)
My baby is pretty picky too, she will sleep in the pack n play until about 5am, then I have to move to the living room with her and put her in the swing to get her back to sleep for a few hours. With a newborn, you do what you gotta do to get some sleep.
My kids usually started sleeping through the night without a lot of fuss around 3 months. I hope this one does too! Im tired!

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E.H.

answers from Raleigh on

You've gotten a lot of responses, but I thought I'd weigh in a little with my own experience.

I am still working on getting my 5.5-mo-old to sleep in her crib. Not that she won't, but she is still not sleeping through the night and I find it much easier to have her in the bassinet beside me when she wakes rather than having to get up, go into her room, etc. at 3 or 4 a.m. I started off doing that, but it took me so long to fall back to sleep. It just works better for me this way - I can get back to sleep faster because I don't have to wake up quite so fully for middle of the night feedings. As soon as she starts sleeping through on a consistent basis, in the crib she will go! :)

You just have to do what's right for you and Baby. Your rest is just as important! It's hard to be a good mommy when mommy is so sleep deprived! Take the pressure off of yourself by thinking it has to be the same as the first, or like other people's babies. This is my first and I've definitely learned: no two babies are alike. Let Baby lead you, to a large degree. You will know when the time is right. Good luck!

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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

Al three of my children have been in the crib since the day we brought them home from the hospital. If you want her in the crib, swaddle your baby and put her in the crib. It might be a tough transition for a few nights, but if she likes to be tightly swaddled, she might be fine. They do make sleep sacks that swaddle now. Try one of those.

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C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I think if you maybe try to put her down earlier (6pm or so), you *may* be able to put her down swaddled but awake. At least for my kids, 6pm was the magic time to put them down for the night (and no, they didn't wake up super early in the morning!). My girls both slept in the bassinet from day 1, but my older one had a bassinet that had a switch where it would vibrate. (A vibrating bed... so Vegas! LOL) Do you have any friends with this type of bassinet, and maybe you could borrow it? Maybe that would be a good way to transition to being in a bed. I hope you find something that works!

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L.P.

answers from Pittsfield on

Oh, she's still little. Don't worry, you'll just know when it's time. I did the same thing as you because my babies had reflux and were more comfortable like that. They just get to a point where they don't like it anymore because they can't stretch out or move around as much as they would like to.
Congratulations!!! =o)

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter has always slept in her own crib (for awhile in our room, then at about 3 months, in her own room). She occasionally slept in the swing but never loved it. She was swaddled until about 5 months, at which point she started breaking out of it so we stopped using it. She takes most of her naps in her crib too. For the first 5 months or so, she rarely slept in her car seat or stroller - she just screamed whenever she was in them. Now she will fall asleep in them if she's tired (she is 8 months old now).

My son used to always start the night in his own crib, but once he woke up for a feeding, I couldn't get him back to sleep unless it was in the swing. That lasted about 2-3 months, I think. He napped in the swing (or car, or stroller) until he was 9 months old. At 9 months, he finally started napping in his crib, though he would still fall asleep in the car/stroller. Now he's 4 years old and still falls asleep in the car if it's anywhere close to naptime or on a long drive.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter was swaddled until she was 9 months. She was sleeping in her own bassinet at 3 days, her own bed at 1 1/2 months. The key was swaddling. If she wasnt swaddled when she started, she would sleep only 15 minutes or less on her own.

1 mom found this helpful

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

Mama! There is no rule on this...if anyone gives you a lecture (only read a few responses) ignore them! :)
You have to do what works for you and your baby so that you all get a good nights rest.
Relax it will all be ok.
We have a beautiful crib I bought when pregnant w/ #1...no one has ever slept in it. Gasp! ;)
...Because it doesn't work for us.
Remember to always just do what works for your family. :)

1 mom found this helpful

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

Every baby is different. You will have to adapt to her for the next few months. She won't sleep as long as your first her body is different and so are her rhythms. Around 4 1/2 months of age they usually give up the bunting. Do you give her formula? Breast fed babies wake more often to be fed. But they are healthier overall. Almost never sick until weaned.
Do you have a infant to toddler development book. They are well worth the investment.

1 mom found this helpful

L.F.

answers from Dallas on

My DD slept part of the night in her crib (when DH was on night duty) and part of the night in the bassinet (when I was on night duty). Once she started sleeping through the night around 4 months she slept in her crib all night. We swaddled her until about 6 months then switched to a sleep sack. Now's she outgrown that at 11 months so she just sleeps in her PJs.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.L.

answers from Boston on

All three of my children slept in our bed with us until they were somewhere between 18 and 30 months, depending on the child. And they all transitioned perfectly well when the time came. My third slept much better swaddled until he was just over a year old. There is no reason to stop swaddling them to sleep until they no longer like it. Generally though, swaddling for at least the first 3 months is recommended. A full term baby is actually a bit premature, and the first 3 months can sort of be looked at as the "4th trimester." Often, they don't have very good control over their limbs, and will flail and wake themselves up. Swaddling them well prevents this, and gives them the secure, confined feeling that they were used to in the womb. Check out Dr. Karp's website (happiestbaby.com) and book, The Happiest Baby on the Block for more info on this.

Do be careful with the carseat as she gets older and bigger -- My son managed to flip it over once, though he was probably about 16-18 pounds and rather mobile by that time.

Congratulations!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Austin on

Ha ha - my first was in bed with me until a few months before her sister was born... over two years old. For those that say it's harder to get them out of the bed at a later age - I think it depends on the individual as it wasn't hard at all. For my second, she's so independent even at birth. I actually love it when she will let me bring her to bed!

She started sleeping 5 - 9 hours at 7 weeks! She's 7 months now and I'm lucky if she will sleep 5 hours straight - but you know what? I know that it's just a stage. With my first she never slept more than 4 hours at a time up until she was about 1. It was exhausting but again, it was just a stage and every child has their own timeline =)

I miss sleeping with my oldest. I loved getting those extra snuggles even though I was tired all the time. But as I've mentioned before, how many years do you have to be able to cuddle them compare to how many years you won't? Just a tiny fraction in the grand scheme of things. So probably, unlike most mothers I would say don't worry about it. If it works for you then great, if not then do what does. My first always slept much better in bed with me than on her own for the first year and my second is the opposite - go figure. Grats on your baby =)

1 mom found this helpful
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T.V.

answers from San Francisco on

When you bring them home.....basinette by your bed first six weeks, their own room/crib there after. You can swaddle her no matter where she is ready to sleep.

It works....Blessings.

1 mom found this helpful

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

My children went from the Hospital to their own bassinette in their own rooms. Neither liked to be swaddled. Both were tummy sleepers. Both ate cereal very early. Both slept through the night once they were eating their cereal.
You need to do what is best for your baby.
LBC

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P.S.

answers from Houston on

My kid slepted swaddled and alone the day he was born. he was also a mover but thankfully the first few months he'd wake up every few hours to eat so I could always repackage him.

M.M.

answers from Tucson on

My 8 week old sleeps in my room on a changing pad inside his bassinet, i think he likes that its contoured. He wouldnt just sleep flat. And only sleeps for about 4 hours in it. He sleeps on my chest or next to me in my bed the rest of the night. Durring the day he sleeps in his swing, floor, or bassinet.

C.A.

answers from New York on

According to my Pedi they should be in a crib from day one. Since my husband is pig headed and thought she was too young, she slept in the bassinet part of her pack n play for the first 6 months. Once I finally got my husband to put her crib up I had a hard time getting her to sleep there. She would sleep for maybe an hour or two and then wake up crying. She would not stay there. I am currently 27 weeks with our second and I AM NOT going through that again. She never was a real good sleeper so it is rare that she sleeps through the night. She is now 3 and potty training and she now wakes in the middle of the night to go potty. Which is great, but mommy is exhausted. She was and is a big time mover when she sleeps. I put her down one way and when she wakes she is the other way. I ended up movong her to a big girl bed when she was 1 1/2 per the advice of her pedi. It did make things better but she would still wake in the middle of the night. When I put her in daycare her sleeping pattern got alot better. She was one that used to go to sleep no later then 11:30 and no earlier then 10:30. Now she is asleep by 9 and I have to wake her at 6am for school. The daycare really did wonders for her sleeping patterns.

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