9 Month Old Can't/wont Lie Down

I had the same thing, my kids loved, loved the new perspective they were getting, its a phase, just keep lying them in their crib and if they have the muscles to sit up they can lay down on their own.

Just wait until she learns to stand! (then raise the sides of the crib) It's new, she's just enjoying her new talent. She will lay back down eventually, but it might take some crying now that you've been going in to her to help her down.

She could still have fluid in her ears that could be bothering her. Did you have her checked after the treatment?

My daughter wouldn't be off the antibiotics and have the all clear for two weeks before she started having problems again.

I had the same problem with my now almost 13 yr old when he learned how to walk. He got too busy and was afraid he would miss out on something. He stopped taking naps unless he happened to fall asleep in the car. I tried everything from laying down with him to rocking him and gave up. He ended up being a well rounded smart young man, so I don't think it hurt him too much. I am figuring if your little angel decides she is sleepy enough, she will take a nap. Good luck.

As babies learn new things, they want to do them all the time, especially if they get your attention. If she is in a safe bed, then just leave her. She will lie down when she is tired and ready to sleep.

Also, if she's not crying or tugging at her ear or displaying whatever symptoms she has with an ear infection, then it's probably not that.

She just doesn't want to. I would always lay them down and then tell them to lay down. As soon as they would lift their head, I would say NO, LAY DOWN. And then gently push their head down. Keep doing this consistently even when they resist you and cry. Eventually, they will lay down on command. You can't make her fall asleep, but you can tell her to lay down and expect her to obey.

Both of my girls were great sleepers from the beginning, but around 9 months, they both went through phases of being awful sleepers. They were difficult to get down, and they would wake up numerous times during the night. Our pediatrician said it was often common for even good sleepers to start having some trouble about this age because they are able to move around more and want to keep trying out what they have figured out how to do. With my youngest, it seems like that phase lasted a couple of months even, though it was exacerbated by numerous ear infections (she finally had tubes put it in at 13 months). There were many nights when she just wouldn't lie down without screaming, and since my girls share a room, I couldn't let her cry herself to sleep, so she usually fell asleep on my chest and then I would put her in her crib. It was a difficult few months, but now she is 15 months old and goes to sleep by herself with no problem again (and sleeps through the night again). Rest assured that this, too, is a phase, and it will pass!

I agree with Amanda. She should be checked again for the ear infection.
If it's not that, then just give it a little more time.

I took my strong minded 1yr old to the disney store and she picked out a soft/fuzzy Tinkerbell pillow. (it has to stay in the bed) We turn it over to the side with nothing on it at night and she loves to lay her head on it...18 months and she still likes it!

You will find when they learn a new trick it will effect them in some way most times sleep.Warning it will happen with every new thing they do.

Go in a few times and help her down it will show her how to do it.And after that she will learn to do it her self.This will take time but they will learn by themselves..
I know no one wants their baby to cry in the bed but you really need to let he figure it out on her own.It toke my kiddos maybe a week to figure it out when they learned something new.

Good Luck

Assuming the ear problem is gone, I would try lying down with her to get her to calm down and go to sleep. Or, wait until she is very tired in your arms before you lye her down. Every time she learns a new skill she will want to practice it when she should be sleeping, so hopefully the behavior will subside within a couple of weeks.

Once they learn how to do something new, that's all they want to do. I'm not sure if you are running in there to lay her down or not, but give her a while, and you'll be surprised. They do the same thing with standing up. My little girl would stand up all the time, but eventually would sit back down and go to sleep. Just as she learned to sit up, she'll learn how to lay back down. I bet she already knows.

Hello C.,

It sounds like your daughter's stress response may be a little over active and that is why she refuses to lie down. As an energy practitioner I offer this bit of advice. To calm what is known in Chinese medicine as Triple Warmer (a.k.a. the stress response), try "Smoothing Behind the Ears". Simply gently trace using your fingers on her head, starting at the side of the eye near the temple, around the tops of the ears, around the back of the ears down to the neck. Make sure that you always start at the temples and end at the neck. Going the opposite direction increases Triple Warmer. You may need to continue this for a little while, but eventually this should prove to be beneficial in calming your daughter.

An alternative to this would be to gently hold her forehead and the back of her head.

Let me know how you make out. For more ideas, please feel free to contact me ###-###-####. A. Mincsak Bordelon

My daughter went through the same thing. It's a developmental stage. A friend helped me to understand that they are practacing their new movement. Unlike us it takes a long time for infants to get bored of something new. And she's strengthing her brain every time she sits up and lies down on her own. I would put my daughter in her crib and eventually she would lie down and go to sleep.

Hope this helps.
A.

Hi C., I think she CAN lie down. She doesn't want to. If she gets tired enough all she has to do is fall over. I'm not suggesting you let her cry until she falls over, just that it can happen without trying. Perhaps if you try telling her that she is a sleepy girl and it is time to lie down. Then lie her down. Explain that when you are sleepy, you can rest better if you lie down, that is what Mommy does. Repeat up to 10,000times. LOL. HTH

I have a 9 month old as well and he does the same thing. Plus he stands up and just cries. He has always slept well. The only thing that I do is everytime is sits up or stands I lay him back down. When that does not work I will leave him for a few minutes and let him tire himself out then I go back in there to lay him down and most of the time he falls asleep.

She may have started teething! Does she have alot of saliva? If so that could be the problem...
B. J

I think she has learned something new and might like the result she gets out of you when she does it. :) If you let her sit long enough, she will get tires and lay down on her own. Hope this helps.

When children learn a new skill they are often more interested in trying the new skill out than sleeping. Giver her time and she will settle into her bed and go to sleep.

ALSO__My children have had numerous ear infections, a lot of times the infection is gone but the fluid remains. If they have not checked for that at the pediatrician I would ask them to.

I agree with several of these ladies, put her down to sleep and if she sits up leave her there unless of course she is crying...she should eventually lay down when she gets really tired..you don't have to do it for her...she'll figure it out. I don't believe in lying down with them because they get used to it and then you start a whole other problem. babies are very smart and she will figure it out