Did your babies always sleep in their crib?

My babies have been sleeping in their bouncy seats since they've been home from the hospital. I can't seem to get them to sleep in the crib - they start to dose off then wake up right away - I think the longest I've been able to get them to sleep in there is about 15 minutes. Right now they are still only sleeping for about 2 hours max and that's only if they are in the swing or bouncy seat.

Should I start trying harder to get them to sleep in their crib in order to establish a routine? At this point I'm still desperate for any sleep I can get from them so that's why I haven't been pushing the crib too much; I am worried though that maybe I'm starting a bad habit.

For those of you who did start out in a bassinette or somewhere else, at what point did you start putting them in the crib??

Thanks!

 

I would start the crib now. The longer you wait the harder it will be. It is okay to let them cry if they wake up an get used to the crib. I wouldn't wait any longer.

 

I was always of the opinion that I'd rather get sleep now (for them and me) and worry about breaking habits later!! It worked for us. They slept all kinds of places early on...sometimes their crib, sometimes twins bassinet, sometimes bouncy, sometimes swing, sometimes car seat...sometimes all in one night. We just kept moving them until something worked and when it worked we let it!

We never had a set time to force them into cribs...we just kept trying them until finally they were okay with it. We never did end up having to really break a habit (at least I never looked at it that way), but maybe that's because they slept all over the place, no habit actually developed.

I would guess it was about 4 months that they started consistently being okay in the cribs. I hadn't thought about it until now, but I think it was when they were able to move more and get themselves comfy. The bouncy and swing did the work for them, but in the crib they just laid where we put them...once they could move around a little, they could get themselves settled where they wanted and the crib became a good thing.

If it matters, they are excellent crib sleepers now.....12-13 hours uninterrupted at night with no fussing.

 

Don't worry about habits! They don't have the brain maturity to form habits yet, so you can do whatever you want. It's all about survival right now. Just let them sleep wherever they'll sleep. The only thing I'd watch out for is aim for motionless sleep, since sleep in motion is not as restful. So if they need the swing to fall asleep, see if they'll stay asleep once it stops rocking.

 

I don't know, I used to think let them sleep where they will sleep but now at 3 months I am having a heck of a time transitioning them to their cribs. They will sleep in the pnp in the living room or in my bed for hours but in the crib maybe 20-30 minutes. I have given up for now and will try again in a few weeks to get them transitioned.

 

I had a port a crib set up beside my side of the bed and they would not sleep in it...the first 4 weeks they would only sleep in their infant carrier I could get a good 3 hours sleep. Next it was the bouncers for about 4 weeks then just before 3 months I put them into their own cribs from then on they slept in there cribs.

 

I just got DD to where she would sleep in her crib. She is the fussy one and it really only took 4-5 days and now she loves to sleep in her crib. I am going to work on getting DS in his crib next week after the holidays. They slept mosly in their carseats until now. They slept at night in the co-sleeper bassinets. It is not that hard to transition. It just may take some patience.

 

QUOTE(moontwins @ Dec 19 2007, 08:39 PM) [snapback]541028[/snapback]
I just got DD to where she would sleep in her crib. She is the fussy one and it really only took 4-5 days and now she loves to sleep in her crib. I am going to work on getting DS in his crib next week after the holidays. They slept mosly in their carseats until now. They slept at night in the co-sleeper bassinets. It is not that hard to transition. It just may take some patience.


I don't mean to hijack the post, but how did you do the transtion, I am having a heck of a time, we started crib for naps and I've tried laying them down awake and shushing, laying them down fully asleep, everything and all I got was lots of tears and crabby babies. I decided to give up today and let them nap in the pnp and got a 3 hour nap and my happy babies back.

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Dec 19 2007, 06:52 PM) [snapback]540921[/snapback]
The only thing I'd watch out for is aim for motionless sleep, since sleep in motion is not as restful. So if they need the swing to fall asleep, see if they'll stay asleep once it stops rocking.


I don't know that I agree with this - my 2 slept in their swings from 1 month on (colic) and once they were in the swings they started sleeping through the night by 8 weeks...at 4 months I transitioned them to the cribs without a problem...I expected the worst and really got the best - DS was old enough to roll so he'd put himself on his belly and sleep like a log and as long as DD was on her back or side she did the same...

 

Mine have slept in the crib since we came home from hospital. I tried doing naps in the crib today because I have one terrible napper but it didnt work as well as planned and now my 'good sleeper' is still awake and SUPER CRANKY!! I wont try that again for a while! She can nap whereever, I'll just work with the other one.

 

Mine are still sleeping in the bouncy seats. I was going to try to put them in the crib but I'm afraid it will ruin a good thing. They are sleeping about 8 hours a night in them. BUT, I have to sleep on the couch so I really want them to sleep in the crib. I've asked before about the same thing and I've been told let them sleep where they'll sleep so that's what I've been doing. I think I'll try a little bit of the crib after the holiday's to get them used to it. Once they turn 4 months I'm going to have put my foot down and have them sleep in the crib. So, just for your own sanity I'd let them sleep where they will.

 

mine slept in the crib the first 3 weeks, and then all of a sudden hated it. so they've been sleeping in the swings or carseats since. we try to put them in the crib throughout the day, but it doesn't work. like a PP said, they'll sleep on our bed, or on the couch just fine, but once you put them in the crib, they're wide awake and fussing. i don't get it.