As a new mom-to be, I would day dream this idealistic, movie scene nursery room with beautiful flowing curtains and a nice rocking chair….birds chirping, sun shining. And, in the midst of this glorious setting was my baby. Peacefully sleeping in her beautiful crib. And there I was, watching her sleep with my hair in a perfect bun, freshly showered and rested.
*cue record scratch and cut scene to day one with a baby at home
All that day dreaming wasn’t exactly realistic. The scene was more like this: frazzled new mom with disheveled hair, puffy eyes from lack of sleep, standing in the middle of the living room at 4 a.m. with a crying baby wondering how the heck I got there, and BTW, where’s my pants? Huh? Oh, and that crib? Collecting dust. Not a baby to be found anywhere near it. In fact, we went into that nursery but maybe once a day in the beginning!
Before I had kids, I swore a million times around that I would never co-sleep. But on night one, little miss wouldn’t go to sleep in her bassinet. She would just cry and cry. As soon as I laid her down next to me, she fell fast asleep. And that was that, we had a family bed. But, there came a point where that was no longer working for the family. So in this post, I wanted to share with you how I moved my baby from our room to her own crib in her room, without using the cry it out method, a.k.a CIO. It’s just not something I was interested in doing, so if that’s how you feel, and are looking for ideas, maybe this will help.
I’ll toss in here, that I am no baby expert. I have one toddler, 14 months old. I am an expert in my own home, and that’s all I intend to be. I’m not telling you this will work for you, but I’m telling you it worked for us! I felt it was worth sharing, just in case anyone out there is at their wits end.
So here we go. When we thought about moving the little one out of our bed and room, it was because none of us were getting good sleep anymore. She would wake and be curious and want to play, and then we would all be up and it was sort of a circus. And I work a full time job, I was in bad shape and needed some rest. Even when we moved her into her bassinet, it was still too distracting for her. She knew we were in the room, so she wanted to be with us. So, when the decision was made, and I felt we were ready, I made a game plan. Strike that, I stuck my kid in the crib thinking all would be good. Instead, screamed her face off upon touch down. Then, I made a plan.
I had to realize something first. She had never been in that crib before, and hardly in that room. What the heck was I thinking putting her down in there and expecting her to be cool with it? She was used to being snugly wrapped next to me or in her small bassinet. The crib is large and open, cold and unfamiliar.
Step 1: Introduce baby to the crib. Make it fun! I did this by putting her in the crib with all the lights on and me standing next to her. I put her in there fully awake and was not expecting sleep from her. I was expecting her to hang out in the crib while I did some general room cleaning, laundry folding etc. To help, I put familiar toys in there with her. And never, ever left the room. She could see me at all times. If she cried, even a little, I immediately took her out. I made up my mind that I did not want her to associate negative feelings with that crib, and I didn’t want her to think that when she cried, I wouldn’t be there to rescue her. If this sounds silly to you, read no further. This may not be the method for you.
We worked on this for about a week, slowly building up time in the crib. At first, she lasted about 2 minutes. But, she got better and better at being in the crib as time went on. After a week was over, she was spending nearly 20 minutes in the crib playing and smiling and laughing. Just keep letting baby get comfortable in the crib, don’t worry about how long it takes.
Step 2: Once baby is cool with the crib, try for a nap. It took us about another week of trying and trying until she finally slept in the crib for more than 15 minutes. I would calm her to a drowsy state, then put her down and walk out of the room. The first time, she screamed her face off once she realized I was gone, and I rushed back in and get her. Remember, no crying in the crib! I’m not a Dr., so I don’t know what you would call that, but my guess is you are building trust by this method. Baby is learning, if I am unhappy or need you, you are there immediately. That’s a sense of security. It takes time to build, so don’t expect this to fall into place in a day or two. We finally got what I felt was a full nap after about a week and a half!
Step 3: Do nothing for two weeks. Yep. Don’t shake this routine, it’s a good one (if it’s working for you). Let two full weeks go by of only napping in the crib, and sleeping in the bassinet, or wherever you have arranged in your room for baby to sleep that is not your bed. Pack and play, bassinet, fancy hammock thing, whatever you got.
Step 4: Begin attempting bed time in the crib. Do this much like the naps. Don’t expect a full nights sleep right out of the gate, but hey! You might get lucky. You never know. Bed time routines are so important, in my opinion. Arrange your bedtime routine to include the crib. Meaning, if you read stories before bed, read them in the room where the crib is, not your room. Stay away from your room as much as you can. Also, set up a night time feeding station for yourself in the room with the crib. If baby wakes up in the middle of the night to eat, try your best not to bring her out of the room. I would nurse/bottle in a rocking chair in her room. The light would never come on, just quiet comfort. Then, I would help her back to sleep. All the way to sleep sometimes, not just drowsy. And lay her down and walk out. If she cried, again I would rescue her and then put her in her bassinet in my room. This took about two weeks to finally have her willing to go to sleep in the crib, and return to the crib after night feedings.
And that was that! 4 steps to get your little one out of your bed, and into their own. As you can see, this isn’t a quick method and requires a little bit of effort. But, all in all, I think it’s a good way to do it if you aren’t interested in CIO. Things to remember:
It takes practice and patience. If today was a bad day, just try again tomorrow. It’s no biggie. Forcing it or rushing it will only make you both feel bad.
Make sure hubs (or anyone else in the house) knows what’s up. No crying in the crib! And any other ground rules you may have set.
Don’t decide to go on a week long vacation in the middle of this. Focus! It’s kind of like potty training. You should probably just figure on being home every night until the crib is successful.
You don’t have to do it! If you tried and it’s not working, you aren’t happy, or you feel bad about it, then stop. Go back to what makes you comfortable.
As I mentioned in the beginning, this is simply what worked for me. Tailor this plan to your own needs! You know your baby best.
I hope someone out there will find this helpful! When I was searching for methods on how to get my kid out of my bed and into her crib, I had a hard time finding things that made sense to me. If this is the method you used, let us know. Or, if you tried something else that worked, please share that too!
69 COMMENTS
Jess T.
14 years agoThis is nearly the same process we went through with our oldest daughter (now 4). In my opinion, it makes for a faaaaar less stressful transition for everyone. Thanks for sharing, Rebekah!
Bex
14 years agoagreed! Takes longer, but less stressful. And there’s nothing better than a babe who loves their crib!
Jasmine
14 years agoI am definitely going to try your method. We co-sleep but eventually I would like my bed back. haha Thank you SO much for sharing this!
Bex
14 years agoIf you try it, tell us how it goes! I think you’ll find it to be pretty easy.
Brittany B.
14 years agoWe transitioned my son to his crib around 6 weeks. so glad we did..because he loves his crib now. :-)
Bex
14 years agoDon’t you love it when the kiddo’s love their cribs? It makes life such much easier :)
Kaydee
14 years agoGreat blog, I think a lot of parents feel lost and don’t know what to do when they are ready to transition. Your way seems to be a really good one, my oldest slept all night at 4 weeks old and had no bed preference. But my little one always wanted to be with me so I did something similar to this.
Bex
14 years agoI posted this because I was pretty lost at first! When she cried the first time, I thought…..oh no. What am I gonna do? haha
Kaydee
14 years agoI didn’t want my little one thinking I would just leave him alone and abandon him when he was scared in the dark. I got all the comments that I was making my son a “cry baby” or a “mama’s boy” but my maternal instincts told me to rescue my baby so I did! It took some time, I did like you and only nursed in his room in the dark and helped him back to sleep. He still doesn’s like separating from me at night at 2 years old, but we have a great bedtime routine that helps him transition.
Megan via Facebook
14 years agoThat’s about how we had to do it with Owen too. We let Audrey cry it out at 11 weeks old and it worked like a charm. We tried and tried and tried with Owen and it was insane!!! We did a gradual move from our bed to a mattress on his bedroom floor with me in it, to just him on the mattress and finally to his crib. And he still wakes up most nights! Its amazing how there are all these one-size-fits-all methods when every single kid is different!
via Facebook
14 years agoSo true! No two kids are alike. And it seems like the “experts” want you to think there’s one quick easy solution. I guess some babies are just more sensitive than others :) ~Rebekah
Marsha Webber Pope
14 years agoI am about to transfer Emma to her crib. So glad I came across this! I did the cry it out method with her naps, and don’t want to do it again. Yes it works for her to cry herself to sleep, but it ruffles me to the core. And trying to give her naps at other people houses is embarrassing. If it works for you great. But I’m not a fan!
Rebekah
14 years agoThat’s how I felt about cry it out too. I needed a less stressful solution to bed time. I hope this works for you, if you try it. It’s a bit more effort than other methods, but so much more instinctual in my opinion!
L.C.B.
9 years agoI’m a new mom. I’m so glad to have come across this article.
I, too, was adamant that I wouldn’t co-sleep. My LO, however, was having supposed weight issues & it was suggested to me to co-sleep. This allowed her to eat throughout the night w/o even waking up! Now people think I coddle her. The purpose was solely to make sure my LO was getting enough to eat, & yes, it did comfort her. She is healthy & thriving now; so it would be nice for her to learn to sleep in her own crib. My hubby & I miss our “us” time.
I’m also not a CIO mom. Others have reassured me that my baby would live through this & no harm would come to her w/ a little crying. Although I’m concerned when my LO is crying so much her throat may get sore, it really is more about my stress level. I get really frazzled; I can’t think, then the situation just worsens. I’m upset; the baby’s upset; my husband’s upset (or he gets caught in the crossfire).
I’m definitely going to try this out tonight. I want my LO to trust that I will be there for her, too. I don’t feel that I’m coddling her; I’m nurturing her.There will be a time when she’ll need to learn the hard lessons of life, but I don’t feel that needs to be now at 8 months old.
Thank you for this helpful article!!!!
Keeley
12 years agoHow old was your baby when you started this process? My baby won’t sleep anywhere but her swing or on me. She won’t even sleep next to me.
Gesselle
12 years agoHello! I know this is kind of late, especially since you wrote this last year. But I have a few questions that I’m hoping will be answered? I’m wanting to transition my daughter back to her crib, but we share the same room. And since I still live with my parents, I don’t have anywhere to make her own nursery. She is also too big to be in a bassinet now, (at least according to the weight limits of the bassinet I have for her), So would it still be possible to sleep with her at night in my bed for a while until she’s used to napping in the crib? because she really dislikes being in the pack and play as well. Please reply! :) Thank you!
Joho
12 years agoThis is the best information I’ve read on transitioning to the crib! SO helpful. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda
12 years agoThank you so much for this post! My 7 month-old still sleeps in our bed and, lately, it hasn’t been as wonderful as it was when she was a newborn. My hubby and I both decided it’s time to transition her to her crib. I have read tons of websites, blogs, and books and I am completely overwhelmed by all the sleep-training options out there. All I know is that I cannot let my baby CIO. Nothing against those who can do it, I just can’t. Period. That eliminated most, if not all, of the sleep-trainers I found. I was at a loss! I couldn’t find anyone who offered a laid back approach to this transition. Until I stumbled across your article! I’m so excited to hear that you created your own plan that worked best with your baby and it was a success!! It is so beyond encouraging to have read this – you have no idea! Thank you so much!
Rebekah
11 years agoYou are very welcome, and Im so glad you found it helpful and reassuring!! I hope you have success with transitioning your baby, too.
Allison
12 years agoHow old was your little one when you transitioned? My son is 3 months and I’d like to start transitioning him soon
Rebekah
11 years agoWe started at around 4 months. But, I think 3 months would be fine, too. You never know until you try! Good luck, and I hope your transition goes smoothly!
Laura pratscher
11 years agoHi Rebekah,
Our daughter is 4months old. I used your method and it worked great!!! She slept the first 2 nights in her crib like a big girl! Hopefully our luck continues!
Thanks!!
Laura
Angela
11 years agoAs you did this were you also moving away from nursing to sleep or was she already able to do that? We are needing to “fix” both…wondering if I should work on the nursing to sleep adjustment and THEN work on getting into the crib…
Elizabeth
11 years agoThank you so much for your post. I love your attitude and find it so refreshing. I have a 3 month old daughter and a 3.5 year old daughter. My 3 month old is sleeping well at night in her crib but will only nap during the day if I hold her. My 3.5 year old has been a champion sleeper, and I’m racking my brain trying to remember what I did and when. (It’s amazing what one forgets when at the time it’s such a big deal!) I’ve been looking at the same baby books I used with our 3.5 year old, and I’m somehow dissatisfied. The advice doesn’t seem as fitting with our 3 month old. It’s refreshing to hear from moms that submit that each child is different and what you decide should factor in your comfort level, too. Thank you very much!
Jasmine S.
11 years agoI am so happy I found this article!! I refuse to use the CIO method. It sounds so cruel. I’m am in the middle of my first night trying to get my daughter in her own crib. I thought doing it cold turkey was genius!! NOT SO MUCH.. On my first night(and only) I put her to sleep in my arms and laid her down. She was asleep for about 50 minutes on her own. Woke up and I was right there at the first sign of a cry. Then again I put her back to sleep after a bottle and some rocking and laid her down. 2 hours went by. Her cry woke me up and immediately took her out. She isn’t a back sleeper at all. I put her on her side (OMG no back is best) but that’s where she is comfortable. And have a stuffed animal at her back this time. Another no no.. Oops! I’m just as afraid of SIDS as any mom but I find that extra thing next to her has worked for naps. I hope all goes okay.
Katie
11 years agoCan I just say I want to cry reading this article!! Its wonderfully helpful!! Thank you SO much for sharing this!!!
Also, at what age did you do the transition? My girl is almost 3 months and I am just not sure what is the right age…
Sarah
11 years agoThank you so much for posting this my hubby wants to let her CIO but i cant stand the thought of it plus i dont think it would work on her. I cant wait to start trying your method, weve been putting her in her crib from day 1 to play and she loves it in there so i have high hopes:)
Ginny
11 years agoI love this finally moms who feel the same way. I was wondering if we can use this approach for transitioning from home (@Home since birth & now 2) to a daycare. I’m just a mess thinking how to do this b4 hubby starts his job & not traumatizing my son
Shanese
11 years agoThanks so much for this. Im so happy I found this blog its about time my 8month old started sleeping in his crib I hate cio but this should help tons and tons! We already have his bedtime routine and him sleeping in the crib for naps I never thought to transition him there for bedtime
Linda W
11 years agoIf you transition baby from bassinet to crib at around 1 month, they really don’t know the difference. I used the crib from 4 weeks on with no problems. My younger son loved his crib, was a great napper and i had to coax him out if it into his ” big boy bed” when he was 3. The key is don’t use the bassinet and YOUR room very long and you won’t have an issue.
Sarah
7 years agoLinda, did you swaddle your four week old in the crib? I’m trying to transition my 4 week old but I can tell he feels like the crib is too wide open and flat.
Domi
11 years agoSo great I have found this article!
We just moved into our new home (3 days ago) and have been trying to get Sophia (7.5 months old) associated with her new nursery. We spend time in there during the day playing on the floor, reading, etc. Having said that, she still sleeps with us at night, but we are thinking it’s time for us to get her into her own space.
It’s difficult because she is still breastfeeding and in the middle of the night, eventually ends up out of her pack and play and into our bed.
Really looking forward to giving this a try! Thank you so much!!!
Becky
10 years agoOn step 2 you said you’d rush in and get her when she’d start crying. Did you then try and get her to go back to sleep, put back in the rock n play (in my case) or was nap time just done? And if it’s the last one, what if they hadn’t slept at all yet?
Rose
10 years agoGreat post. I’d like to transition my 6 month old from our bed to his pack n play next to our bed (small apartment for now). I also said I would never cosleep until my lack of sleep became dangerous. I fell from exhaustion while carrying the baby but landed against a wall on my shoulder. I was in pain but baby was perfectly fine. He didn’t even get scared. Well, I nursed him in our bed because I was too exhausted to sit and hold him and that was all it took. He slept for 6 hours! This was only suppose to be until I caught up on my sleep! Well fast forward 3 months and my son is now demanding some space. He’s constantly slapping my face and kicking my belly until I give him some space but I have no where to go because my husband needs his space to. I slept in a ball at the end of the bed last night. It’s time! The only problem is my 6 month old doesn’t take naps so I don’t know how he will do in his pack n play.
April
10 years agoOur problem is frequent night wakings. My baby just turned one, and she wakes up sometimes 5-6 times a night. Do you have any advice? I hate cio and have tried it due to desperation from not sleeping more than two hrs in row since she was born. It only makes all of us feel terrible. Anyway, I’m just worried she’s waking so much because she doesn’t know how to Self soothe since i always rock/nurse her back to sleep. She won’t take apaci and throws any kind of lovie back at me. Thanks in advance!
Jen
10 years agoI’m in the same situation April! My son just turned one, still nurses, won’t take paci and sleeps with me because he nurses several times in the night. Hubby wants him to start sleeping in the crib. I’m not opposed, however I will be the one working on this transition with my son due to still nursing. I’m certainly going to try this method. I do not approve of CIO, so hopefully this method will help. Probably not gonna be as easy for us moms with babies whom are older. They’ve become accustomed to being close to parents in family bed. Fingers crossed. Not looking forward to it :(
April
10 years agoI hope the transition goes well for you! Let me know if you learn any tips and I’ll do the same for you. When is your baby’s birthday? My little girl turned one on 9/29.
Heather s
10 years agoDid you swaddle your baby when you put him/her in the crib?
Emily
10 years agoThank you for this. So, so much. We’ve been trying CIO with limited success. It’s just not something I’m comfortable with. My daughter currently does 12 hours a night in her bassinet. But naps…naps she likes to snuggle down on me. She’s 7 months old and starting to become too large for her bassinet.
Kelsi
10 years agoThis is great, my son is 9 months old and still sleeps in bed with me and his father at night, it is time to get him in his own bed I need my space back. I cant wait to try this he is so attached to me, everything has been a struggle even trying to just take a shower or cook dinner. I work full time so I need to get some better sleep. I am going to start the transition process on Monday! Hopefully everything goes smooth!
Alice
10 years agoThank you for this very helpful post and all of the very helpful comments! I have a six month old. He has always slept in my bed, and I am still happy with it. I worry about the long-term affect on his ability to self-soothe, though. Does anyone have experience with babies learning to self-soothe, and learning to sleep on their own, when they are closer to a year or older? Thank you in advance for your comments!
arielle
10 years agoIve been wanting to transision my daughter ( almost 5 mths old) out of my room and into her own. This post has completely put my mind at ease. i have such anxiety about her being in a room by herself. I even still check to make sure shes breathing during naps and at night (first time mom lol) i feel like following these steps will really work for us though. Im not a CIO mom by any means. I dont even like when she fusses. i just feel so bad. Thankyou for sharing this. its still helping moms like me 2+ years later!
Jennifer
10 years agoI am not a CIO mom, either. My first baby is 6 mos old, and still in her cradle/bassinet beside me; although, I do think it’s about time to give her her own space (even though I LOVE having her next to me). I think this method could work for us. I’ve even read of putting the bassinet inside the crib (if it detaches from the base), for an easier transition – which would also work, I think, if the crib feels too spacious. It would also allow the baby to have the familiarity of the cradle/bassinet, while adjusting to the new room. Thank you so much for posting your technique!
Cindy
10 years agoI lay my 5 month down for a nap and she screams within 60 seconds. Do you keep trying to get them down for a nap after that?
Tiffany
9 years agoI’m starting the transition for him to sleep at night in crib tonight. For the last week he’s been napping in it with not many problems. I stay in there til he fell asleep then left. But he’s always slept alone with not many problems. So hopefully the night time transition goes well. Fingers crossed!! P.s. I’m not a huge fan of cio either! ? I totally agree that they need to be comfortable and like where they are going to sleep instead of just putting them in there without introducing it first!
Tiffany
9 years agoForgot to mention he’s 3 months old and the best happy baby!
Donna
9 years agoThank you for posting! Our son is 4 1/2 mnths and we are mow transitioning him from the bassinet in our room to his crib in his room…2 nights so far and he is napping in the crib! I have also moved the bassinet to his room so he can become more familiar with his room and associate it with night time sleep too.
Tried the crib for night time sleep too but he slept terribly and was up every 30 mins so i put him back in the bassinet After a few hrs of no success.. Hes not ready yet and i shouldnt rush it, now i know! looking frwrd to the end result in 2 wks!
Thnks again for posting!!!
Sydney
9 years agoAt what age did you start the transfer? My sons now 8 months and we are in family bed situation.. He’s always been on the needy side and never took a soother so that’s what my boob is to him haha.. However I’d like to get him out and in his own space specially since I think at this point we all kind wake eachother up with my husbands snoring people’s moving etc.
Tracy
9 years agoThis sounds so similar to what we’re trying to do and even though it’s basically similar to what my instincts we’re telling me to do it’s great to read the specific details of what worked for someone else in a similar situation. My son is almost ten months, and we use a co sleeper, but he also sleeps cuddled up to me a lot. Like the previous poster he uses my boobs as his night time soother. To be honest, we love having him in here, but since he can crawl well and actually is almost walking I’m scared that at some point I won’t wake up when he does and he’ll topple off the bed when he tries to explore. We’ve already been trying to familiarize him with his room and crib as a play space, and occasionally putting him down there but getting him when he cries, but I’m going to start following the order that you suggested more strictly. I know this is years later, but thank you so much for sharing your experience.
Candice
9 years agoThank you for this. Sounds like a plan I have started and is good to know this worked for you. I am not comfortable with all the strict methods out there and is comforting to know that I am not alone.
Kelley
9 years agoI like this a lot. It makes sense. It’s a game plan I’m going to try. Thanks for sharing – wish me luck!
Modern Day Moms
9 years agoWishing you luck!!!
Blair
9 years agoI completely agree with the thinking here…it’s about following your instincts and doing what you are comfortable with! Every child is different for sure. My nearly 4 year old went to the crib at 3 weeks with no issues but was not a great breast feeder and had been doing fine sleeping in a pack n play at night before moving to his room. My nearly 4 week old second child – night and day difference in breast feeding and has been mainly cosleeping at night where before I wouldn’t have dreamed of having a newborn in my bed or asleep on me! I am starting the crib transition with him now but not setting my expectations too high and just trying to go with the flow. You have to do what works and be patient with yourself and your child! Thank you for putting a great example out there for that way of thinking!
K J
9 years agoI am currently trying this method. Not a fan of cry it out at all so this makes sense. Info have a question though. What did you do for naps when baby would wake up in the crib? My baby is only sleeping in the crib about 30 minutes and then waking up. She is not immediately upset, looks around, tries rolling over, etc. I am only going in to get her when she starts crying. I cannot get her back to sleep easily and then by that time (eat, play, sleep routine) she’s just hungry enough not to sleep. That being said, the short naps are making late afternoon/evenings very cranky/fussy and frustrating for her. Did you experience this during the transition period? If a full nap fails, did you go back to previous sleeping arrangement to try and get baby to sleep more?
Marcella
9 years agoI’m another FTM who said with the hubs, no, she will be a big girl and sleep in her crib asap. Haha. Night one with bassinet- fail. She hated it. Put her in bed (on me BC I was too scared to put her down!) She slept on me for about the first 3 weeks. I felt comfortable laying her next to me now. Have been doing this until tonight. (4.5 months) I would still love waking up next to my beautiful baby, however, my husband snores like it’s nobody’s business and has PTSD so he tends to yell sometimes. I had made a safe sleeping spot for her but I just feel she looses sleep sometimes from the noise even tho half the time it didn’t phase her. I put her in her crib during the day for as long as she likes so tonight after officially crying for about 10 minutes, we nursed, and I layed her down in her crib. She’s been asleep almost 40 minutes now. :( I think it’s harder on me. Needless to say, I found this article with tears in my eyes and loved it. Thank you for sharing your story. I’m probably going to cry a little more and have a bath to calm down.
Loving Mother of E
9 years agoThanks for the great article. We room shared with our daughter in a bassinest until 3 months when we successfully transitioned to a crib with no tears. But after a busy month with lots of out of town trips and out growing her travel bassinet while on the road we started bed sharing. Now at 5 months I am very comfortable with it but husband is not. Since we started bed sharing my lo wakes up every time I put her down in the crib and I’m not ready to stop feeding her to sleep or let her think I’ve abandoned her. Looking forward to trying your steps and seeing were we get.
Marg
8 years agoWhen your daughter woke up at nap time how did she make it to bed time with the disturbed nap? I’m trying to transition my daughter in a similar way but it has been hell. Once she wakes up early frim her nap she won’t go back to sleep no matter what we do. Then she ends up extremly fussy in the evening or falling asleep later and not going to bed until 10pm. If we let her go to bed early she wakes at 4am. It really messes with her schedule.
Lucy
8 years agoWhat a great article! I’m too not a big fan of CIO. My baby is 8 weeks now. I told myself before he was born that I would never co-sleep, but right from night one, he wouldn’t sleep on his bassinet for more than 30 minutes. He was a colicky baby, so it is even harder. Co-sleeping works great for us as we both get to sleep. I’ve been thinking a lot of about how to transition him into his crib later on, as I know we cannot co-sleep forever. My husband has been sleeping in the living room to give us the space and to go to work early in the morning. I love your methods and I will definitely try it out. Should I wait until he pass 3 months to start transitioning him? It seems like most people do that when baby at 3-4 months. Should I try to make him sleep on his bassinet first? The crib is in our room as we live in the condo, so during transition, if he cries and refuses to sleep there, should I put him into his bassinet or on my bed?
Kelly
8 years agoCo-sleeping? Why not! but we can’t sleep with our kids for ever. I shared my bed with my baby girl for the first 9 months – as long as I was breastfeeding. When she turned 9 months she didn’t want to eat my milk anymore and I decided that it’s the best time to teach her to sleep on her own in her crib. I’ve found some info about Susan Urban’s short ebook “How to teach a baby to fall asleep alone” ( http://www.parental-love.com ). The guide leads you step by step so I knew exactly what to do and how to do it . No CIO and it worked extremely well! It took me 4 days to make her fall asleep on her own in her crib and she stopped waking up many times at night. Only 4 days after 9 months co-sleeping – WOW! So anybody who wants to transfer a baby to a crib should try it.
Becky
7 years agoKelly you are my hero :) After reading your post I got the guide you were talking about and the method described in it has worked so easy and fast! I am a little bit shocked because it took us only 3 days to get rid of rocking our son to sleep ( after 7 months of rocking and co-sleeping). He falls asleep so easily on his own now in his crib! AMAZING! thanks so much for making us much more happy parents :)
Margaret
7 years agoHow to teach a baby to fall asleep alone guide by S. Urban is actually really good! Finally somethong that has worked! Thanks girls!
Lauren Baltuska
7 years agoMy daughter just turned a year and has been bedsharing since about four months…I really like this concept. I tried step one today and she started crying immediately. Is a one year old too old for this method? I’m not sure how to get past step one if she will instantly cry in her crib…
Evie
7 years agoHello,
I am in need of transitioning my almost 10 month old out of my bed and into her crib.
I don’t want to do the CIO method.
I’m going to try your approach and see how it goes.
Would like your opinion on my siuatuon.
She takes her naps in a swing….
2-3 naps a day.
Swing, sleep ask, sound machine and pacifier.
Also, we share a room.
Her nursery is in an alcove in my room. Her crib is like 10-15ft away from my bed.
It’s only me and her.
Appreciate any input
Thank you
Evie
Amy Cochran
7 years agoCan you share whether sleeping through the night or rather falling asleep in the crib continued once your toddler transitioned to toddler bed or regular bed? Also, I keep reading things like you shouldn’t let your baby fall asleep to music or they’ll never be able to fall asleep on their own when they wake up at night. Just curious if you let your baby fall asleep to complete silence…
Connie
7 years ago‘how to teach a baby to fall asleep alone’ guide by Susan Urban is surely worth to recommend. Helped us a lot!
Liz
6 years agothis guide was a lifesaver in our case!
Sarah McCutcheon
7 years agoHow old was your baby when you did this transition? I’m looking for a slow way to start my baby when she’s about 5-6 months. She’s a biiiig girl and is about at the weight limit for her bassinet!
Martha Nethers
7 years agoThank you for this! I am a nanny for a 4 month old who sleeps at night in the Pack and Play in his parents’ room. He would nap on Mom after he fell asleep nursing.
Now they want him to.sleep in his crib naptime at least. He doesn’t go more than 15 minutes at a time.
I read this article and we are adapting to our needs. We are now doing most of our playing and reading in the bedroom as he hardly spends time in there I am also letting him nap on me in his bedroom.
In a week or so we will try the crib again and I will stay on the room while he sleeps. Then transition to me not in the room. It may take a while but we can’t bear to let him cry It out!
Nicole
7 years agoSo glad I found this! I am trying to get my third baby in her crib. My first two didn’t have a problem with the transition, but this third one is really giving me problems! I’ve tried CIO, but caved after the day. This method seems just right. Can’t wait to try it! This mama needs her bed back!