My baby genuinely cries before every sleep time

[kgalgirl]

Hi,

My son is almost 5 months old and I just started E.A.S.Y.  I was spinning out of control when my hair stylist recommened The Baby Whisperer book to me.  After the first week it dramatically changed my life.  We seem to be on track and I feel that I am back in control of my life. However my son starts to fuss early on during the 4-S wind down sleep ritual, takes it up a notch while I'm swaddling him, and all out bawls, screams, shrieks, and wails for 3 to 4 minutes while I sit holding him.  Once he settles on my shoulder I lay him down and he will usually go to sleep without further incident (having some trouble breaking the end of the sleep cycle barrier for uninterupted naps though).  I realize 3-4 minutes of crying is not a lot but it still makes me feel like I am hurting his heart somehow.  Am I doing something wrong?  Will he ever calmly go down for sleep times?

Kelly

[sophiems]

Can you think of anything different that might have happened before this pattern started?  Did any one else put him to sleep and maybe do it differently?  It could be anything, but those are questions I would have.  I would say just keep doing what you are doing.  Maybe it's just his way of saying, "hey Mom, this isn't the way you used to do it!" 

[kgalgirl]

Thank you for the encouragement!!

Kelly

[franchick]

((((Hugs))) You are doing so well. It is SOOOO hard to listen to our LO's cry. It doesn't matter how old they are, it is still hard.

Yes, your LO will eventually get to grips with the changes and will stop crying at sleep times - it might take a while, but any small reduction in time (say from 3 - 4 mins to 2 - 3 mins) is a massive step forward.

Don't give up - just keep doing what you are doing - mayebe try starting your wind down 5 mins earlier to see if that helps at all.

HTH

[SallyDom]

As a rule I think if babies really cry before they go to sleep it is a sign that they are overtired. As Franchick said maybe try the wind down a bit earlier to see if you can catch him before he gets past himself.
Good luck though, it sounds as if you are doing really well. I know what you mean about BW changing your life, it did mine too, don't know where I'd be if I hadn't read the book and then found this site
Sal
x

[waffler]

Stacy, question about kaleb's mantra cry.

It seems my DD just cant stop crying in bed. We are trying to encourage independant sleep, so after the whole routine, swaddle in cot, lights out, walk out. I've let her cry softly, it escalates then i walk in. This normally is less than 10mins. I am really unsure of how long to leave it. I just dont know if she needs to cry to let off steam or mantra etc - she just seems genuinely upset.

Also, when I go back in, try to reassure in cot, she just wont have it. She just gets so upset. End up having to pick up every time to sing lullaby. I'm just wondering..... did kaleb cry the whole time, did you reassure him in his cot, did you just let him cry ( with you there of course) until he slept? my DD just seems that she just WONT stop crying if you know what i mean! I'm hoping that there is some magic cure to all this

(To OP, sorry for barging in like this!)

[leticia]

Hi, I'm no expert here but my expirience with Isabella (8 mths) is that she has always cryied when she is tired and goes to sleep, it is like she knows she can't fight it anymore but still resists, I have very much in mind Tracy's words on her book when she said "he is not mad at you, and yo are not doing any harm it is just his way of settling down" and that has helped me a lot because I feel awful everytime she cryies, So don't take it so hard on you.
                  Leticia

[kgalgirl]

Thank you so much for all the support.

The longer I do this the easier it gets each sleep time.  I'm also starting to understand my LOs cries and I think everyone is right he is just protesting because he is a little baby who does not want to take a nap.  It is getting better though, more of a mantra and less shrieking.

Kelly

[swiper]

My dd has a cry before she goes to sleep, I always listen incase she gets to upset IYKWIM