Author Topic: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?  (Read 1434 times)

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Offline gogo548

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Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« on: January 30, 2006, 21:01:18 pm »
This is probably an odd sleep question.  14 mo old DD practically jumps out of my arms to go to sleep in her crib.  We put her down awake ALL the time.  She's usually asleep w/i 10 minutes.  What's the problem, right?   :)

I just wish I was able to help her relax/soothe her.  We will be traveling overseas this year for a 2-week period and I'm really worried what's going to happen without her crib handy at all times.  Like, when we're in the airport or on a plane.  She won't have her comfy crib.  (Hopefully we can adapt when we're set up in a hotel room, but what about when we're out and about?)

DD naps about 2-3 hours everyday and sleeps 7p.m. - 7+a.m. ish.  She still gets one late night dream bottle around 10:30 p.m.

Isn't this an odd question?  I know a lot of people are trying to break the rocking to sleep habit, etc.  DD resists being in our arms when she is tired.  She just wants us to "leave her alone!" and let her go in her crib.

Thanks for any suggestions.

gogo

Offline imsmum

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Re: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2006, 21:11:22 pm »
I have a friend with a toddler like yours which makes me sooo jealous.  she travels a lot and has never found it to be a problem if you bring as much of the crib stuff that you can.  Her toddler did resist naps for the first 3 days of nursery school but finally gave in and slept his usual.   

Offline elfin

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Re: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2006, 18:46:51 pm »
My ds seems to be the same as he likes to wind down on his own and when it is nap or bedtime he just wants in his crib.  He'll mess around in his crib for awhile but eventually falls asleep.

i wouldn't worry about it!
Carrie

Myles 12/06/03

elfin@thebabywhisperer.com

Offline gogo548

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Re: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2006, 04:15:52 am »
Thanks guys.

I'm mostly worried about when we're at the airport or on the airplane.  She will definitely need to sleep outside of her crib for at least a couple of days (not consedutively). 

I guess I feel like a hopeless mom because I'm afraid I won't be able to calm her wriggly body!   :'(  It's like she just wants me to leave her alone and plop her in the crib.  It doesn't help that she's a tumy sleeper.  What WILL I do?   :(   :-[

I suppose I'm worrying too much over a couple of days.  I'm just worried it'll upset the whole trip if she doesn't get her sleep.

Thanks for the responses.

gogo

Offline Mayu

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Re: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2006, 03:01:57 am »
I'm worrying about the exact same thing as you right now. My 15 mos DD is the same way - I always put her in crib awake, and she has to do her standing/rolling/moving around WITHOUT ME before finally falling asleep, on her tummy all the time. And I'm traveling with her overseas in 2 months.

One hope I have is that she's finally started to sleep in her carseat. Does your DD do that? Mine used to scream in her carseat when she's tired and wanted to sleep, but now she sleeps in there when the car is moving (this happens now once a week, as one class we're going is cutting into her naptime a bit). We recently had a 5-hour road trip peacefully as she slept in her carseat for 1 hour at a time.

So I'm hoping that on airplane she can do the same - I'm getting her own seat and will strap her in and give her bed toys, and try to be out of her sight...we'll see how it goes. But whether she sleeps well or not, she'll be exhausted anyways between the traveling and jet lag, so I'll take it really easy for the first few days. If your trip is before April, please let me know how it went  ;)

Offline gogo548

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Re: Sleep is great - but how can I help DD relax beforehand?
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2006, 20:42:04 pm »
Yes yes yes!  OMG  LOL  So sorry for your troubles, but so glad to know I知 not alone in this one.  I知 so envious of others who can just hold their babies and they fall asleep ON them.  My DD wants nothing to do with us when she gets tired. 

AND Yes!  She does NOT sleep in her car seat.  I literally cannot remember the last time she fell asleep in the car.  It has been MONTHS!  Occasionally we go window shopping at the mall which is about 20 min away.  I知 always hoping she値l crash out on the way home, but NOPE.  And yes, she cries too!  I think if she痴 absolutely thoroughly exhausted, she will sleep (fingers-crossed).  It really wears on me.

We are also getting DD her own seat.  We were planning on bringing her car seat on the plane.  Is that what you池e doing?  How can you get out of her sight on the plane?  One thing that is on our side is that there値l be a total of 5 adults travelling with her.  So, probably a lot of passing around.  (Ha!  It値l probably be like her b-day party and she値l want to be in MY arms the WHOLE time.)

We池e planning our trip for the latter part of July, so I think you値l be ahead of us. 

I知 actually thinking about packing her crib bumper!

gogo