dd relies on me to go to sleep

[teezee]

ok i have a HUGE problem and can't seem to get it straightened out.  my lo is almost 6 months old and WILL NOT go to sleep for anyone else but me.  dh and my mother have both tried but she will just scream and cry and make herself sick until i intervene and do it myself.  i am going to be starting night school in the next couple of months and have to get this situation under control before then.  i have had them both sneak in the room before sleep time and watch what i do (routine, etc) before putting her down but still it doesn't work for them.  dh got her to sleep during nap time once this week but she woke up almost 20 min later and wouldn't go back to sleep for him until i went in - what do i do now? naps isn't quite as bad as nighttime - at least she sleeps for at least a little while during the day, but nighttime is a nightmare unless i am there, and seeing is i will be in night school this is proving to be a HUGE problem.  any suggestions would be appreciated!
thanks

[CaedensMama]

I wouls love any imput here too....my son is the same age exactly! And we have the same problem. My 11 year sister can get him to sleep walking or something but no one else can.
I would love to be able to leave him for a nap or bedtime sometime but I am afraid DH would go nuts.
He seems to know my touch or smell or something and he knows if it is not me. My other sister tried to calm him once in the carseat - I had my hand resting on his face and we swapped - he had been alseep and he woke up and would not stop crying till I put my hand back!

[teezee]

does anyone have any insight into this problem??  sorry i feel like i am nagging for an answer but i need to start trying to somehow solve this problem before i'm not here to 'save' dd and she makes herself sick!

[Jaime]

IMHO.... i think you are making it worse by going in and "rescuing" her when she screams.  you may be teaching her that if she cries loud/long enough, mommy will come.

when ds first started daycare at 6 months, his naps were horrible, cause he was used to mommy or daddy putting him to sleep.  it lead to a very cranky baby when i picked him up. 

however, since i couldn't exactly stop working, he had to adapt.  my sitter is very good with him and could mostly do what i asked (a little pat/shh and never CIO).  he was mostly sorted out after a week, and he sleeps like a champ for her now.

HTH 

[teezee]

thanks for replying - it's just soo hard to hear dd cry.  i would love to let dh or my mom put her to sleep but they are way worse than me.  if she won't go down immediately they just bring her into the living room to play or rock her to sleep, which she awakens from within an hour. they say she's not ready to go to sleep but i think they just don't have the patience and won't consistantly do pu/pd.  i can imagine dd is confused with this inconsistancy.  i started pu/pd today, i have done this with naps with no problem at all, but at night dd sleeps with me and tonight she started sleeping in her crib.  it took over 2 hrs, with the stupid phone that wouldn't stop ringing, but she did it!  nighttime sleep has been a nightmare but hopefully this will solve some of my problems.  oh and have you ever heard of a lo who likes to be swaddled for naps but not for bedtime??  i let one arm out of her swaddle and gave her a soft teddy bear to rub on her face and that's how she finally fell asleep!

[Jaime]

good for you for staying consistent!  it does help when you can get other caregivers (or even dh  :wink: ) on board with you.  maybe couch it in a statement like "this is what works best for dd.  she may do _____ but she really is tired so i need you to do ______."

and yes, some babies like swaddling at different times.  if she doesn't seem to mind, i'd go with it.

good luck 

[teezee]

i actually started pu/pd CONSISTANTLY (with no wavering - not even a pat on the bum) yesterday altho no one was home to see the hell :evil:  i went through.  it was prob better that way.  but my mom was here today, and asked how i got dd to sleep so quickly, i started explaining and she started asking questions which is great b/c now she might think i have some idea about how to raise my own child! lol, but really i think she's on board when it comes to putting dd to sleep which is a great stress off my back - now i just have to get dh to comply...his excuse is...she knows she doesn't have to go to sleep for me, she can get away with that stuff with me but not with you...he's a work in progress to say the least!