Baby standing in cot, here how you can help them sleep better
One of the most often asked questions I get is, “How can I stop my baby or toddler stand up in their crib?”
My child instantly stands up when I place them in their crib, how can I stop this from happening?
In my experience, I have found most babies learn very quickly how to lie back down and usually quickly. For my two youngest children they had both learnt. Mastering the act of laying back down within 1-2 weeks of them learning how to stand. The great part about all of this was due to them learning this quickly any potential crying was limited.
My best advice is that when your little one is not crying while standing in their cot. Then avoid trying to give your baby too much attention while they are standing in the crib. This draws their attention to what they are doing, and they over think the situation. Praise and smile with them but do not allow them to overthink or distract them from the situation.
Simply because they can & in all honest will fall and hit their heads on at least one occasion. So therefore, the best plan is to have some good ideas in mind of some types of strategies you can use and implement when this happens.
Here are my top tips:
Practice – Just like anything in our own lives, the same theory applies in our little one’s life. How do we get better? That is right as we know with practice. Therefore, during any NON-sleep times encourage your baby to practice and develop their skill of getting back down. A simple example would be to let your baby stand at a couch or sofa. While they are standing, simple place a toy on the ground next to them. By helping them bend their knees as they reach for their toy it will help show them and experience their first few Baby squats! As with everything baby and toddlers learn it soon becomes second nature in no time and they have master another new skill ?
Take this new skill into the crib. –
Now they have mastered this new skill at the sofa, allow them some time to practice this skill in the place we need them to do this themselves. In their crib – What we find that although most little ones find they are getting good at this skill when out in the common areas, it is a whole new game when they are awake in the crib. It becomes new and novel for them to be awake in their crib and so wish to practice this new skill here also.
Best way to help
The best way to help with this is to place them down for their nap a little earlier than you would normally do at nap time. By doing so you allow them sometime to practice this new skill for a little while. Once they have done this for a little bit, or couple of times, then courage them to fall asleep. Soothing them and encourage them to lay down nearer the time you would have expect them to fall asleep.
Sleep Teaching –
Upon both you and your baby feeling more confident with your baby knowing how they get themselves back down all on their own it become easier for you to start implementing some of the other sleep teaching habits as well. However, the strategy you use may need changed a little bit. Typically, it starts with me asking parents to periodically lay their babies down rather than constantly. For example, you may try laying them down every 8-10 minutes. This allows for some space for them to try and figure it out on their own. Whilst most importantly not a allowing their nap to be skipped and become even more overtired.
With all sleep regressions and phases, they do end, eventually. The key to success is to ensure you do not create a new habit you will then have to unbreak also. In my opinion it is easier and kinder on everyone to go through 3 weeks of difficulty, than months that some families face with their sleeping problems. I understand, while you feel and are sleep deprived, the thought of trying to make changes or even perhaps become even more sleep deprivation is rarely met with an enthusiastic response. Simply put, those couple of nights of challenging changes might simply appear to be a bridge to far right now. I get it, I have been there myself, I know, I understand, and I relate. Honestly, I do.
Best laid plans
However, what I discovered in my own life was that when I dug deep. Put in a bit more work in up-front, we were ALL sleeping better. And more within a couple of weeks! It was a fantastic situation to be in, what I still recall about these feelings is my contest thought of why I postponed that, it was crazy. We all suffered because of my own negative destructive self-chat. It was unnecessary suffering on us all. I have vowed not to do put off actions again and I do not.
So, if you know this is what you need to do and you believe & know I will have your back during this time lets get started now. Click here, select the age group of your child and we can get started on this now.
If your finding you are still having a few words of self-doubt or unsure how you will be able to do this? Then lets chat. There is no harm can come from, in fact I would hope the opposite would be true. You would find motivated and positive in your belief that you too can have sleep. Although you have tried everything several times before without success. Click here to chat to me about what you have done and how this time I can help you succeed.
What could this all mean
I promise this time it will be difference – you have employed myself to help you succeed. Your biggest cheerleader & support. My passion is to help other experience what I did. Getting a great night’s sleep as well as a well-rested, flourishing little one who development leaves me feeling like the proudest mum alive.
Believe me when I say, everything looks better after a good sleep…It is true. Are you up to the challenge of finding out…great, what are you waiting for, let us get started now?
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