Shhh pat question

[SDMama]

I had a question on shh pat method for my 10 week old.  When I put my ds down for naps I have been putting him down and starting with the shh pat straight away before he starts crying. If I just lay him in the crib he will coo and look around the room for a long time and doesn't appear to start to settle/ get sleepy and then I feel like I miss his window and he gets too tired. Is it wrong to start right away? Should I be waiting for him to cry even if it takes 20 minutes?  Or is he still so young that he need help and I should start right away even if not crying?  Typically if I do that he will start to cry and do that for 10 minutes and then settles and zones out and falls asleep.

Thanks for the help!

[~Sara~]

So, does he cry both with and without shh/pat?

I would say that if he *can* fall asleep without it and doesn't end up OT, then it's okay to let him fall asleep on his own.  But, if not, he is completely within the average age range (ooo, a rhyme!) of needing some help to get to sleep still.