9 month old sleep problems

[LachlansMum]

Hello To All!

I'm new to this forum and so far I have found tonnes of information. You ladies are a helpful bunch.

On another forum that i am a member of, Tracey's books have been highly recommended. I am currently trying to get myself a copy.

I was wondering if in the interim period, could you give me some advice on how i can start getting DS (9mths) to start going to sleep on his own and for longer than 45 minutes at a time.

Since he was born, he has used the boob to put himself to sleep. The only time he has ever put himself to sleep is in the car! At first i didn't mind it because i did whatever i had to do to get by, now it is becoming a bit of a hassle and sometimes i dont want to lay down for 30-40 minutes a time for him to drift off to a deep sleep.

If i put him in his cot whilst he is awake and tired, he just stands back up and starts crying or likes to walk around in his cot. There has only ever been 1 night that he put himself to sleep and with no tears!! and only one night that he has ever slept through.

I did co sleep with him for a while but he will now either sleep in my bed or the cot. Never a full night and still wakes up twice a night.

Well I hope someone can give me some advice. I can't wait to get these books!

Take care and talk to you all soon.[/b]

[GG]

While you are waiting for the books to arrive, I suggest reading Tracy's Sleep Interview.  You will need to do PU/PD (pick up/put down) for your little guy and it's explained very well in this document.  Keep in mind that there is a LOT of information in this interview, but if you look specifically for the information aimed towards your ds's age group and how to do PU/PD, you'll be all set.

Let us know if you have any other specific questions about the process.  Good luck and happy whispering!!   

[chell]

Hi, Welcome to the boards. Sorry you're having a tough time at the moment. Teaching your lo to sleep independently, is going to be completely different to anything he has been used to before, so it will probably take some time, and as always.. patience, persistence and consistence.

You will need to have a bedtime/naptime routine, including wind down time, when you are preparing him for what is to come. Tracy always said that sleep is a journey, not an event. Darken the room and make the enviroment comfortable.

Because your lo is able to stand, it is probably best to just do the put down  part of pu/pd. A lot of babies of this age settle better out of your arms rather than in them ( although, I do still pu my lo sometimes, as for him this works). So you can see what is the best way for you.

45 mins is the average sleep cycle, which is  normal, so you will need to use the same methods to change this too.

I would suggest just working on one or two areas to start with- a couple of naps or just bedtime, as it can feel a bit overwhelming to try to fix it all.

Let me know how it goes.

Cheryl

[LachlansMum]

Hello,

Thanks very much for your replies and for the advice. I will go a hunting for that info. Will let you know how it goes.