thread: Crying to sleep

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  1. #1
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    6,900

    Unhappy Crying to sleep

    Why does DD always have to cry to sleep? Is this normal at this age? She will hardly ever just go to sleep peacefully. It's like she's fighting it even though she's tired. I'm not doing controlled crying or anything or leaving her by herself. This is with me holding her and rocking her. She still cries, and eventually goes to sleep.

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Add Sterla on Facebook

    Jun 2008
    Tasmania
    3,011

    Is she maybe overtired? My DS will cry for no real reason when he's tired - just cause he's tired. The more tired he is the more he seems to cry, and the more I need to rock and soothe to settle him. I've read somewhere that when a young bub shows tired signs, you only have a really small window before they become over-tired... 15 minutes or something like that.
    Could that be it?

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    6,900

    I don't think so? Coz I usually try and put her to sleep as soon as I see tired signs and she's only ever up for 1-1.5hrs at a time????

  4. #4
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,220

    Some babies just do. I think it is their age. They are still new to a big scary world. Give it some time, and you will slowly see an improvement. My DD does the same thing. Again i rarely leave her to cry on her own. (but i have a 2.5 yo, so there are times when she just has to cry as I am doing something that DS needs.)

  5. #5
    Registered User
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    Jun 2008
    Tasmania
    3,011

    I don't know then SJ... Some babies just really fight sleep - there's just too much to see! It will probably settle down eventually.

    Sorry I can't be more help .

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Jul 2008
    summer street
    2,708

    Aw hun, its awful isn't it? My DD did this at around the same age. She was a shocker for fighting sleep. The horrible thing is, I felt like I was constantly battling her to go to sleep.

    My only advice is to try and let go of the whole sleep thing. I think we mum's focus on it too much. She's too little to be forming habits, so just do whatever you need to get her to sleep. I used to feed DD to sleep and hold her in my arms (and I stupidly felt guilty while doing it).

    The good news is they seem to grow out of it...hang in there!

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Melbourne
    3,715

    Aw gosh, I'd forgotten about that! My DS did it for aaaages. It's really heartbreaking, but I never found a way around it. I just made sure I help him close (because all other methods made the crying heaps worse) so that he knew I was there for him, and he would eventually drift off.

    If it helps, they do grow out of it

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jun 2008
    Tassie
    2,567

    oh gosh she could have wind, reflux, be overtired, hungry... there are endless reasons why. But no she shouldn't be. We found feeding to sleep, or wrapping the best. Oh and the dummy

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Sep 2006
    On Channel Zzzzzzz
    1,037

    Just a quick thought - when you say you are holding/rocking her....where are you? Are you standing in her room doing all that, pacing the floor or sitting comfy? The reason I ask is that if this is something your little one just does and all you can do is hold her.....at least make sure mummy is relaxed I've actually done this.....knowing that my little one will not go to sleep without a major protest, for my own sanity (through bubby's crying) I've made a cuppa, popped it near me so it's easy and safe to get but allowed my little one just to cry on me. I might pat or rub her back, whisper, sing etc....(knowing that it just isn't going to work but done it all the same) but most importantly, I did all that I could to keep my thoughts and brain at ease and relaxed - TV on quietly in the background or music playing.....for me that is (psst: didn't always work ) I just found it helped me get through sometimes......anyways, just a thought and a for you love

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    6,900

    Yeah, I think it's her just fighting sleep. She's a pretty happy baby normally, just when she starts to get tired and knows it's sleep time she tries to fight it. Maybe she's like me, doesn't want to miss out on anything, pmsl.

    Thanks girls!!

    Charlyfrog- thankyou, good idea, I am normally bouncing on the fitball with her, the comfiest way to bounce, lol. A cuppa is a good idea!

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Jul 2008
    summer street
    2,708

    Hey, I had an idea about your bub hating the car. Perhaps its just her fighting sleep? My DD would SCREAM in the pram and the car if she was getting tired. She just didn't know how to nod off on her own (because I always fed her to sleep). Things improved dramatically for us when I stopped feeding her to sleep, and she got a bit older...

    Anyhoo...just a thought.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Jun 2008
    Tassie
    2,567

    oh the car thing, Ashton would scream and scream, until he was forward facing. I think he was getting car sick!! I hate sitting backwards on the bus and will stand if that is my only option because I get soooo sick.