help me get Charlie to sleep on her own.

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February 09, 2012, 05:42:02 AM

babies, babies everywhere!!! no news today.

8545 Posts in 1170 Topics by 17633 Members
Latest Member: knodiaunloari

It is so tough when dh goes away. because Asha is needing me when Charlie needs to go to sleep i have to get MIL over to put Charlie to sleep. Charlie really seems to need the company to go to sleep. I can help her to sleep for naps as i can time it around Ashas naps but nights are pretty much impossible. Any suggestions? otherwise its going to be tough if we move away from the PIL's.

oh and any tips for getting rid of the dummy gently. she only uses it for sleeps.

Hi Megs. Although I don't have two, I feel like I am in the same boat. Camilla Marie cannot go to sleep on her own, and sometimes it takes forever for to go to sleep. I have to walk around with her and sing to her, and she pushes it by constantly asking for water or milk . . . . I don't know what to do, and sometimes I get so frustrated and angry with her.

A month or two ago, I did a thing where I would lie down next to her in her bed and telling her I wanted her to lie down too and sleep. When she would sit up, I would lie her down. She screamed non-stop for close to one hour the first two nights - but I never left her and was right next to her. The third night she started to accept the new "regime" and went to sleep within 30 minutes without too much crying. The fourth night it took 15 mins with no crying and the fifth night 10 mins. Then she got sick! And I just haven't had the energy to do it again.

Sorry - I think I just hijacked your thread!

I would love some advice, too. Also, advice on how to help CM sleep through the night!

ooh if charlie would sleep through the night then i think we'd put her in her own room.

charlie used to need rocking to go to sleep but will now happily cuddle to sleep.

I'd love to be able to cuddle CM to sleep . . .

Ohhhhh, I keep telling my self that one day, CM will sleep through the night!

Maybe some of our wise friends have some advice on that one. thumbs up

Ummmmmm, we're pretty much in the same boat here! lol. hit self over head

As far as I know, I don't think there's anything you can do to make her fall asleep on her own (other than CIO). I think sometimes [kids i]can[/i] go to sleep on their own at this age, but it's usually just dependent on the kid. Jessie didn't really start until she was almost 3yrs and still needs cuddling most nights. Emily only does it once in a blue moon when she's completely exhausted and I'm busy doing something else. I feel sad when this happens, though, b/c I feel like I'm missing out on giving them a proper good night, iykwim?

What is it that you need to do for Asha that can't be done in the room w/ Charlie? Do you have a set routine of songs/books you go thru to help Charlie say good night?

When Emily was little, I'd make sure I changed her diaper, before I laid down to snuggle w/ Jessie. Then, I'd just lay in the middle of the two of them and let Emily nurse on one side, while I held Jessie in the crook of my arm on the other side. We have a set of books/songs that we go thru at bed time and usually at the end of the routine, Jessie would just drift off. Emily usually would too. Of course, this "routine" takes time and doesn't always work, so it is harder if one is ready to sleep and the other isn't...but nursing Emily usually took care of any "activity" from her. If she needed a diaper change again, I'd just wait until Jessie was asleep...even if Emily fell asleep too (I got good at making slow diaper changes in the bed that didn't wake Emily up).

As far as getting her to sleep thru the night, I think it's just a developmental stage they hit. Some kids hit it earlier than others. Others are triggered by a change to sleep thru the night. For both of my girls, they started sleeping thru the night as soon they got used to being weaned from bfing. Since Charlie isn't bfing, I'm not really sure what will help her sleep thru the night. Does she wake up for a bottle/cup or just need to be resettled? How long does she sleep before she wakes up? My kids usually only sleep 9hrs at night and usually sometime halfway thru the night they come back to me for a snuggle in their sleep...but they're not all the way awake and I don't wake up all the way either...so I don't count that as "waking up". Of course, if they were in their own room, they'd probably wake all the way up and then I'd count it as not sleeping thru the night b/c I'd have to wake up completely too, lol!!

I'm not sure how helpful this way...just kind of my train of thoughts after reading your post.

Asha is fussy when Charlie needs to go to bed so she needs my attention and will keep charlie awake if i tke her in the bedroom too. a couple of times Asha has gone to sleep easily so i've been able to get Charlie to sleep. I don't want to deny her a cuddle, but i don't want her cranky and rely on MIL at these times too.

Charlie pretty much sleeps through the night except for when she loses her dummy and goes straight back to sleep as soon as we replace it.

Charlie has a night routine when dh is around but its hard for me to do it hen Asha is major grumps.

Generally we would go through the bedtime routine (teeth, toilet, night clothes) and get into bed together. I would try to feed the baby to sleep while reading or telling a story to the older child. A story was very good, because it could go on and on for as long as it took to settle the older child. Sometimes she would say - "what then? Go on!" as my voice trailed off as I drifted into sleep myself LOL It was quite an early bedtime for me, but I like to get up early in the morning for some peace and quiet on my own then :-)

I have heard of successes in using guided visualisation to help to settle children into sleep as well.
Good luck!

OMG. Charlie is putting herself to sleep for her nap. There is hope guys.

I was tidying the bedroom and she was putting herself under the covers but i had to change her sheets, so she got just a little grumpy and once i was done she tucked herself in and she is almost asleep.

she is now asleep. YAY!!! pink flower

Charlie