How do we avoid having to go through the cry-it-out method to get our 3 month old to sleep

Question

I feel as though there is a gap in the information out there on how to set up good sleep habits for our 3 month old. All the things we read say, when it comes to sleep, do whatever it takes the first couple of months. Then it says when they're 5 or 6 months, if they're not putting themselves to sleep/not sleeping well, you'll have to do the "cry-it-out' method. I'd like to know what we can do NOW so that we don't have to get to that point. It seems like there should be some things we could be doing now, that will help us to avoid having to go through that. Since he was first born he has never taken to the bassinet we have in our room for him to sleep, so we've taken the necessary safety measures, and he mainly sleeps with us at night. However, he will now go into his bassinet now and again...and he's even taken naps in his crib in his room. yahoo! We want to start helping him to get used to sleeping in his own bed and hopefully begin putting himself to sleep. What do we need to be doing now, and when can we expect him to do this by himself? Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

no you do not have to let your baby cry it out you can do the gradual withdrawell method (it does involve some crying but at least you will be there with him/her and they wont feel abandoned) where you put him in the crib and put your hand on his stomach firmley but gentley and just shhh very quietley or hum very queitley, and stay there til they are very sleepy then leave the room if he cries go back in and do the same thing and do that every nigh and after about 1/2 weeks he/she will be going to sleep on her/his own, oh and another thing think of introducing a dummy and a bedtime routine like bath, bottle, bed  

Answer 2

There's a reason that they say to use the cry it out method and that's because it works and it's the only option for them to learn to sleep on their own. You can't let them sleep with you forever because they will expect that from here on out.

Answer 3

You don't have to do CIO if you don't want to.

I never did it with my eldest twin, and I only did it a little with my youngest twin because she wouldn't allow me to soothe her and she was exhausted.  It was around 10 months old, though.

Anyhow...

What I did was attach their cribs to our bed on either side so they could get used to sleeping in the crib but still be at arm's reach.  After doing that, moving out bed out of their room and putting the front rail back on the crib was an easy transition.

Good luck!

Answer 4

"How do we avoid having to go through the cry-it-out method to get our 3 month old to sleep"  Don't put him in bed with you.  None of my three ever slept with my late husband and myself and they slept straight through the night by their second month.  We never had to deal with the cry it out method because they were used to their own sleeping place in their own bedroom.  I have never dealt with a child coming into my bedroom in the middle of the night wanting to craw into bed with me.  My kids, since their preschool days would go willingly into their own bedrooms after baths and tooth brushings, they didn't protest my leaving their rooms after story was read.  We started them out in their own beds and I have never regretted that choice.  

Answer 5

i never believed in the cry it out method  because i dont think you should have your baby cry when he wants comforting. what i did was when i put my baby down (shes 6 months now) in her bassinet which i had right next to me, and she started to cry, i would comfort her but not pick her up. i would sing to her and kind of pass my hand over her face so she had to close her eyes and that would make her sleepy and she would fall asleep. now at 6 months she doesnt even cry when i put her down to sleep at night. she does complain but doesnt cry so i know she just wants to be picked up to play. if she does start crying i sit next to the bassinet and comfort her, but dont pick her up. in the morning when she wakes up to eat, i feed her and put her down awake and she puts herself to sleep within minutes!! i love it, just at night is a little harder but shes getting better. so try that and hopefully it works for you and your little one.  do make sure that his diaper is dry, he has no gas, or is not hungry at all!!! good luck!! be patient you will be succesful :)

Answer 6

My son is 3 months old (a preemie so adjusted age 1 month). I just recently got him on a schedule. He has slept in his bassinet since day 1. He wakes up at 8am and I feed him and he stays up about an hour or 2 then takes a nap til noon. Then another bottle and stays up til about2 or 3 then naps til 4 for another bottle. Then I let him nap until about 6 or 7. I make a bottle at around 7:30 and keep him up all the way til bedtime. At 9pm I start a bath put him in, he's out and in pjs by about 9:20, then I warm another bottle and he eats then goes straight to sleep by 10pm. He sleeps usually til about 4am and wakes for a night feeding then goes right back to bed til 8am. Good luck, this schedule has helped me tremendously.