Ability to Stand in Crib Is Making Naptime/nighttime Difficult

My daughter used to do the same thing--it was a phase, and as soon as she learned how to lay back down on her own she didn't really do it anymore.

What I used to do is let her cry for 5 mins--then I would go back in and physically lay her down. Sometimes that is all I had to do--because I think that she was getting stuck standing and didn't know how to lay back down. Some times I had to do it a couple of times.

It really was a short phase--about a week or two. He will get back into his routine again, he is just excited about his new accomplishments!

Good Luck!

Hi T.,

My 8 month olds take 2 naps a day. About an hour to an hour-and-a-half in the morning, and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. I suggest, since you know he is okay, not returning to the room. That is only getting him more upset. As soon as he realizes that you aren't going to come back he will settle down for his nap. It will take a few days to get back into the routine, but it will be so worth it. Moms and babies need naptime...it makes everyone a lot happier.

C.

Hi T.,
You know, every child goes through these stages of sleeping difficulties. Some master the art of getting back down to a laying position on the first try, but others (most others) take a little while to learn that new skill. My son was pulling up in the crib long before pulling up elsewhere, and he too had a hard time at first with getting back down. My saving grace was my video monitor (love that thing) - they cost a pretty penny, but they are wonderful for a mother wondering if that cry is one of pain (is his leg stuck in the rails?) or just one of frustration. I am happy to report that it's always been a cry of frustration, and given enough time to settle without mom coming in, my son was able to figure out how to lower himself back down and get to sleep. Although it seemed like it took FOREVER for him to get there, it really took less than a week of enduring those heart wrenching cries! You have to be strong, and know that in the end, he'll be better off if he's able to soothe himself on his own. Another poster's mention of helping him learn how to get down is a great idea, and we got a little bear for our son from IKEA for a lovey - that (and now two other loveys) have become essential for self-soothing, and they continue to work. Good luck to you and be strong! He will thank you for it later! :)

T.; yes the ability to stand does make nap time a bit more challenging, i spent a lot of time with my first child thinking he was supposed to get a nap, i worked all day trying to get him to lay down, just like you , books, rocking etc, nothing, finally he would tire out later in the day which kept him up later at night, then i had my second child, that was nearly impossible to get him to take a nap, you never knew when he was tired, or when he would wake up if he did, then i had my third child and i wish i had learned this with my first, some kids dont need naps, some outgrow them very fast, to spend time making him sleeping when he is not, is wearing you down, ive learned that a kid will sleep when he is tired, as we do, we know our bodies are shutting down, and we fall asleep, he might enjoy seeing the world from a different perspective, and he might have the energy to stay awake, now that he is getting exercise, i say , let him nap when he is good and tired, if he needs it, if not its ok too, my 3rd son thrived more so, cause i understood nap time better, any way , have a good day , and know your child, some will need it others wont, its ok if they dont need it for a while, and some will get it later too, some never get it like my first, ahahha D. s

I read that babies learn to pull themselves up in the crib but don't know how to sit down again. So they cry for help and of course do it all over agian. The magazine suggested that during play time you teach them how to bend their knees to sit. They said to play some version of ring around the rosie and push their knees on the "all fall down" part.

You'll find that naps and sleeping can get very challenging when new development occurs. Especially standing, crawling and walking! First, I found that the checking in on my son made him really ticked! It was best for me not to check in on him. The getting more worked up is your key clue that going in is not helping him.

Does he have a lovey? If not, you may want to try getting him to except one at this point. It really helps with self calming. If you are open to medication, you could try some about 20-30 minutes before nap to help with the discomfort from the tooth. When I used meds I tried to use them primarily at sleep times.

This should get better as this new skill gets "old." Is he on 2 naps? It's pretty early to be dropping down to one, so I doubt that's it. I think you just need to be patient, still keep trying, and hopefully it will work itself out. Good luck!

Start naptime/bedtime a 1/2 hour early and let him stand there until he's bored enough to laydown on his own and fall asleep.

I too went through this with my daughter when I decided that I no longer wanted to nurse her to sleep. My daughter has a VERY strong will and I knew it was going to be difficult. The thing that worked best was telling her "Its nap time" and then laying her down in her crib repeatedly until she finally fell asleep. It took 45 minutes of me laying her back down the first day (with her crying, screaming and begging me to pick her up!), 20 minutes the second day, and only a few mintues the 3rd day. Now she is a pro at it! Finally, dad can put her to sleep with ease. Its really hard to be standing right there while your baby cries for you but it did work for us. I hope you find a solution that works!

Well, this is what worked for me. At 8 mos I would do the bedtime routine, put her in her bed, and then let her cry for 10 to 15 minutes. I figured if she was still crying after that amount of time, she would be able to stay up with me for a bit before I put her down again.
I had to go downstairs to the living room because I couldn't bear to hear the cries. After a week or so her crying gradually decreased and now she goes right down without any tears. It's tough to do but in the long run it was best for her. Now she can put herself to sleep and I'm not so exhausted trying to get her to sleep.
I highly recommend the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.
It's great and covers all ages.

My now 17 month old went through a phase were he wouldn't go to sleep at all while he was teething. He would fall asleep while I was holding him, but the second he laid down he was awake and screaming. I started giving him a dose of tylenol before he went to sleep, and after about 3 days he was fine again. His teeth might be bothering him when he lays down. Good luck

My daughter used to do the same thing when she was that age. I know it may be hard for you to take, but your baby may just need to cry it out until he falls asleep. Eventually, he'll understand that it's bedtime and fall asleep on his own. It worked for my little one, so hopefully it will work for you. Good luck.

My son went through the exact same thing around 14 or 15 months and it was such a hard time! For us it took a long time (like a couple of weeks) before he would stay lying down to sleep. Two things we tried that worked... staying in the room and as soon as he would stand up we'd lay him down, even if it meant doing it 50 times. Eventually he learned he needed to lay. We also had to let him cry it out. There were many, many naps where my son eventually fell asleep sitting up or in other strange positions. I empathize with you- it's such a hard phase! But take heart because it is a phase. When it gets really tough remind yourself that you're still a good mom even though your child's behavior is not what you want.