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 Ask Dr. Jana
Baby Who Refuses to Sleep in His Crib | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
Hi. My child is four months old and we can't get him to sleep flat in his crib. He sleeps just fine when we put him in his car seat, but he's up every two hours when we place him on his back in the crib. Is there anything we can do?
— Tired of Being Up in Los Angeles | | | ANSWER |
October 20, 2000 | | | Dear Tired of Being Up,
I have found that some babies do much better sleeping on their backs if they are bundled snugly in a lightweight blanket. The fact that your son wakes every two hours suggests that he may be startling himself awake every time he enters a light-sleep phase. If he hates to have his arms bundled, you can try leaving them out of the blanket.
I'm not sure how you're putting your son to sleep, but that also may have something to do with his frequent waking. Four months is a perfect age to get a baby accustomed to being put down to sleep while he's still awake. When I hear about a situation like yours, I suspect that the baby is being put down once he's already asleep. When he wakes during the night (as all of us do to a certain extent), he is not able to get himself back to sleep without the extra comforts of nursing, a bottle, rocking, or a car seat--whatever he has come to associate with falling asleep.
Finally, I would suggest that you pay attention to what your son actually does every two hours. It is quite common for babies to fuss during light sleep, but if left to their own devices, they are able to get themselves back to sleep. Instead of immediately jumping to your son's rescue when he first fusses, give him some time to try and master this important skill. While this process can take several days, you soon should be on your way to some more restful nights!— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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