Getting a bay to sleep - squats?!?!

That is amazing you say that, because i have taken to sitting on the edge of the bed or lounge and bouncing up and down. My 5 month old was out to it within a minute. He likes it much better than the side to side motion.


Obviously it's the direction they like. When I have him in the pram, he will quite happily fall asleep when i am going over bumps, so that seems to be the most soothing motion to him.


I am now going out to buy a fitness ball (those giant inflatible balls) so it's easier on my knees and will also get me a little fitter whilst I'm at it! You could try that, it may work.


Just on another note, it's always easier for someone else to sooth the baby. I can go into my crying baby umpteen times to put the dummy back and try soothing, then my husband will go in and will put him off to sleep in no time. Babies know their mums and what their weaknesses are. They always perform better for other people.

"but I decided that I would try a few squats (bending the knees, with back straight, into a half sitting position - then back up). Upon doing this he went limp, his eyes closed & he was fast asleep within 30 seconds. I was amazed and thought it must be a coincidence. The next night my wife again was having trouble so I offered to try my 'squat sleep' system. Again, he was crying, then as soon as I did a few squats, eyes close, body goes limp & he is in dream land."


I have heard of an aerobics instructor who had a baby. Baby fell asleep instantly if she did some vigorous motion. It's probably what they are used to in the womb.



As for getting them to sleep:

- Baby should be tired (but not too tired), well fed and changed.

- Room should preferably be cool (18-20 degrees). Obviously dress baby well if you're going down that far. More realistically in HK you're talking 25 and under.

- Patience is required.

- A stroller or car seat help immensely. But you don't want to make baby too used to motion. Baby needs to learn to fall asleep by him/herself.

Agree 100% with axptguy38 that baby needs to learn to fall asleep him/herself. It's a huge rod for your back starting the rocking to sleep business.


Mostly my baby goes to bed no problem, but on those nights when he has had a bit too much stimulation, thanks to my 5 year who "loves him too much I just can't stop cuddling him", we need a little wind down time in his room with gentle music and a nice dark cool room.


dadda, you could always try a trampoline (just joking). Maybe it's time for the "cruel to be kind" time.

maybe you could try just a few squats to wind the baby down, putting him down awake, then if he cries, pick up and put down pick up put down (no squats)...tracy hogg method?

Try Happiest Baby on the Block [first 3 mo] -- basically

swaddle

resting on side

sshhh noise

swing

sucking


What we have found empirically with our 2 month old is that he sleeps habitually -- so I have been slowly teaching him to sleep at the times that I want him to sleep. Starting with night -- he now sleeps pretty much from 7pm to 7-8am [with milk wakeups], and from 8:30 until 10 or 10:30 very easily and reliably. Afternoons are another story -- but we are starting to work on them, and I expect him to be quite cooperative.


What I have read is that there is a window of time from about 2-4 months of age where it is relatively easy to teach a baby to fall asleep on its own if you put it into its crib sleepy. Just started with ours, and he will do so in the evening [providing that he hasn't gotten overtired in the afternoon] and in the middle of the night, no problem.


Our firstborn [at 2] is a recovering sleep-free baby -- she would have one long stretch during the night [generally about 5 hours, so technically she was sleeping through the night], but other than that we'd spend 45 mins calming her down enough for her to take 20 minute micronaps, so I spent quite a bit of my second pregnancy reading up on the subject...

Hi dadda, The squatting you described is a form of baby yoga! Just like yoga for adults the movement can deeply relax a baby and induce sleep.