Shannon Glenn is the owner and founder of Sleep Well Children Consulting and a Certified Pediatric Sleep Specialist. She is dedicated to helping parents assist their children and babies in developing healthy sleep habits. With a B.A. in Psychology, Shannon has worked extensively with children and their families for over 15 years in a variety of settings. She has been offering sleep solutions for over six years.
How to help your little one who has just learned to stand up in her crib
Do you have a baby who has just learned the new found skill of standing up in her crib? Most babies actually learn how to stand up on their own for one of the first times in the crib. It is such an amazing and very important milestone that happens right around nine to twelve months for most babies. It can also cause some interruption to her sleep because it’s fun to do and once she is up it can be a little tricky at first for her to figure out how to get back down. This causing us worry that every time we hear her in the middle of the night or at nap time it is probably because she is standing up in her crib and cannot lie herself back down and so we hurry into her room as soon as she makes a peep because we need to help her.
The problem with us rushing into the room is the interruption it can rapidly cause on sleep and the new habit that can be developed of every time your baby makes a noise, she expects you to come in to pay her a visit which is a game that loses its luster very fast and can cause more wakings. While it is the logical and the safe thing for us to go into her room if we are concerned she is standing in her crib and needs help, the more important thing is to teach her how to sit or lie down once she is standing.
Obviously you won’t want to do this in the middle of the night but rather during the day when you are both awake. Have her stand up holding onto something and then put a favorite toy or object down near her so she has to sit down to reach for it. You may need to help her by bending her legs a bit so she can begin to sit down. Another fun game babies enjoy is Ring around the Rosies where you can hold her hands and practicing “falling down”. Practice this as much as possible during the day so your little one can master the skill quickly, which she can and will do. Then you will know if she does wake up in the middle of the night and is possibly standing, she has the ability to lie herself back down. So wait a few minutes and give her the opportunity to do so. Then everyone can drift off back to sleep without too much interruption.
Safety tip: Be sure to lower your baby’s crib to a lower setting once she is learning how to sit up which usually happens around 6 months old.
Why didn’t we try this sooner?! As we speak he is sound asleep in his crib – and has been since 7:15 pm.
Karianne Wanggaard
Sleep Well Sleep Specialists
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Working with Shannon, I went from 2-3 wake ups every night to 1 or 0. She aligned the plan with my preferred sleep cycle. She was always coaching, never judging. Shannon was great, I have referred MANY people to her! That's the best testament to her work that I can give.
Laura