Trying to Get 5 1/2 Month Old to Sleep in Crib, Instead of in Our Bed! Help!!!

L., our daughter turned 7 months today, yeah! She naps in her crib, and starts the evening off in her crib too, around our bedtime, we take her to bed with us. I want to encourage you to continue to co-sleep for as long as you can. It's a terrific way to bond! And I believe it develops healhty emotional connections in children.

Here's some things that work for us. Rachel's room is very familiar, we spend a lot of time there, it's a happy place, so being in her crib is not scary. When it's nap/bed time we use a handfull of sleep cues, changing diaper, changing clothes, getting in the rocking chair, lotion on the feet, lullaby music, a litle massage, we read the same book at bedtime, we nurse, rock, I whisper to her, sometimes I hum or sing, we have a nightlight I turn on, I turn out the lights, rock her for 5-10 minutes, she closes her eyes, and I put her in her crib.

Instead of crying it out, I suggest trying soothing rocking for a similar period of time. You only get to hold your children for a short period of time, and then they grow!

Warmly, L. and Rachel

I have to agree with L. C's advice. I have a 7 month old and we co-sleep as well. We haven't started putting Charlie into his crib at all either (excpet to play a bit). Right now we have toddler rails on our bed, so he doesn't roll out (he's not crawling yet). If we start trying to get him to nap in his crib I think I will go the route she suggests.

you just have to be consistant and little by little keep him in his bed when he sleeps period. i think you should have him in his bed at night too, but let him sleep in your arms first and then go lay him down. and adventually he get it....let him cry for 5-10 minutes and he'll be fine. but don't make him scared of it. give him some soft toys to play with and let him know you are right there in the next room and he needs to rest.~M.

Stay strong. If you do this for several days in a row he will adapt.

My daughter's doctor had told me the best thing to do is to put her in the crib, let her cry a little bit, but go in every so often to sooth her so she knows she hasn't been abandoned, pick her up to calm her down if necessary and then put her back in her crib and repeat as necessary. Perhaps this is something you could try with your son.