How can I get a baby to sleep. She doesn't like to be walked, held, swaddled, rocked, put in her swing etc. Crying it out doesn't work as she will just scream for hours . I've tried putting her to sleep at a set time. I've tried putting her down at the first sign of sleepy, I've tried waiting till she is exhausted. Nothing. She forces herself awake. No health problems. - Anonymous
7 comments:
Does the baby have gas? Can you try infant massage?
It sounds as though you have tried everything. Do the parents have ideas? Would they let you take a drive?
Maybe try white noise or relaxing music.
Keep us posted , and try to keep your sanity. Crying endlessly is hard for the baby and the nanny.
my first child was like this. I wasted so much time trying to get him to sleep when he "should have been sleeping" according to "experts".....it was a vicious cycle and me trying to force him to sleep just got him upset and delayed his sleep even longer. He took two 20-30 minute cat naps a day and then slept from 11 pm-7am. And making him 'cry it out' would result in him crying for hours on end. He is 11 yrs old now and still sleeps 11-7- luckily he sleeps thru the night now though! He can play sports all day and still sleep only 8 hrs a night. Some people just require less sleep. My advice is to stop planning your day around when you think he should sleep - it will be less stressful for both of you
A child at this age NEEDS to sleep more often since they are growing at such a rapid rate. Their little bodies need time to rest + recover from all the changes.
Are you sure the baby has no health problems? Colic? Acid reflux? Could he be teething?
When you put him down for naps, do you make sure the curtains are closed + that any noise is kept to a minimum?
I think this is something that should be discussed at his next Dr. check-up. This isn't normal.
You didn't say how old she is, but I'm guessing she is still very young. She sounds exactly how my charge was for her first 8 months or so. Now she will put herself to sleep but it is only because I used CIO with her. Yes, sometimes she just cried the whole time so I would just pick her up and try a little while later. There's nothing you can do to force her to sleep, and don't get reliant on "tricks" because then she'll never be able to sleep without them.
Thank you Bethany! I re-posted the comment and removed the others for you.
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First have you tried having quiet time with her during the day? She maybe having trouble sleeping because she is overstimulated. Try putting quiet time into your routine with her. Just sitting in a room with dim lighting and reading. Try picking one method and sticking to it and not switch back and forth. I suggest something simple that you'll be able to repeat for the next several months or year.
How do her parents put her down to sleep at night. They may have a special trick. Finally some babies never become great or long nappers, and get enough sleep at night.
I know it's really, really hard, but my best advice is to stick to one method and one method only and use only that method. It has to be something you're comfortable with - if you don't like singing to her, don't sing. If you like saying "shh" while rocking her, do so. Your decision. But do. The. Same. Thing. Every. Time.
Switching from one method to another confuses her and she will force herself awake to see what nanny will come up with next.
It's not exciting to stay awake, nothing new happens. Same routine as yesterday. Same ol', same ol', because I'm taking care of you, and I know this works. You're safe to sleep with me.
That said, have it mentioned at her next doctor's check. You need to be absolutely sure there's nothing wrong with her.
Best of luck :)
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