1 y o doesn't want to sleep in the crib

EvenI

Sun, Aug 21 2011, 3:42 pm

I've had similar issues and I think you have to treat it just like you were weaning him off sleeping with any kind of sleep aid and teaching him that he can fall asleep by himself. I think that's essentially what it is. I think I would do something like the pick up put down method of the Baby Whisperer, which I think is something like this, although I'm no expert and I don't know exactly how to tailor it to the age:

Put some nice stuffed toys or other items in his crib for him to eventually make friends with and to make it look like a nice place to be.
Make sure you know how much a baby of his age should be sleeping and for how long.
Put him to bed at the right time, when he is not yet over tired
Try to relax him for bed, however you usually do that.
Put him in the crib, saying something appropriate like "It's time to go to bed. Mommy loves you. See you in the morning."
Go out of the room and come straight back in, assuming he is going ballistic.
Lie him down and say variations on the same sentence in the same loving Mommy voice, adding things like "there's no need to cry. You're only going to sleep" in a sympathetic voice, and shhh sounds
However distressed he gets, keep going out and coming back to him again to let him know you're there and he hasn't been abandoned. And that you're confident that he can fall asleep by himself. See what happens if you pick him up for a second and put him down. If it makes him even crazier, maybe don't do that. Otherwise, do it to calm him down periodically.
Wait until he falls asleep.
Do the same the next time and the next time. Don't take him out and give up while he's crying. Go outside and stay there if he's quiet. Go back in whenever he cries. Don't stay for long enough for him to get the idea you are taking him out. If need be, just talk from the doorway. If he needs anything during this time, like a drink or a change, do whatever you have to do near the crib, so he hopefully doesn't think you're rescuing him.
Do the same for every nap and every night and every time he wakes up in the night, if he does.
Expect resistance.
Expect it to take many times of going out and in and several nights and for it to get a bit harder before it gets easier.
When he wakes up for the morning and at the end of each daytime nap, go to him as quick as you can and be very pleased and enthusiastic to pick him up.
In a week or so, I think you should find that he is sleeping well and happily.