My LO is 15 weeks old, and we're now on a really great 4 hour EASY schedule. He's sleeping thru the night, and his naps are now really consistent. Now that everything is going really well, I'm doubting myself of course, LOL!
He's always been a really fast sleeper. He goes down really really fast. Because of that, I swaddle him last, in the crib, because as soon as he's swaddled he's out like a light. Our wind down routine is that I get him sleepy, to the point where he's sort of having his eyes rolling around, then I carry him to the crib, swaddle him, tell him nighty night and leave. Sometimes he falls asleep during the swaddle. Sometimes he falls asleep after the swaddle, so that he self soothes and puts himself to sleep. I guess what I'm asking is if I'm cheating? Should I be putting him in the crib sooner? I'm worried that I'm going to be paying down the road with a baby that doesn't know how to self soothe and the swaddle is a prop. Once we don't swaddle any more, he'll be stuck not being able to go to sleep. I feel like he is able to self soothe because he's really good about putting himself back to sleep when he wakes up during naps or during the night. I usually only have to give him a paci about once a night now, about 4 am. And now that's not every night anymore. And I almost never have to replace the paci during naps. If he jolts during a nap he usually can just put himself back to sleep.
So, should I be putting him down in his crib LESS sleepy so that he learns to self soothe better? I really want to teach him these skills as early as possible! I'm sure I'll have to re-teach many times, but I don't know if I've taught them to begin with!
