Do I need to 're-train' DS to sleep in his crib after vacation?

[jmeyer23]

Hi,
We just returned from a one week vacation, 18 month old DS slept in a (small) pack and play the first 1 1/2 nights, but it was not comfy for him, so we brought him in our bed when he woke up screaming the 2nd night. (We stayed at a friend's vacation home). One night of the trip we stayed in a hotel that didn't have a crib/pnp, so again, he slept with us. We've been home 2 night and he is completely refusing to sleep in his crib. He is normally a great sleeper, doesn't cry, etc., and he just SCREAMS. We did let him CIO around 10 months and after 2 relatively easy nights, it was over....but I don't imagine it to be so easy now that he's older. Any suggestions? I go back to work on Monday and need my sleep!!! Haha, thanks in advance.

[WatchingThemGrow]

We never had to, but I think I remember reading that you may have to "reset" them (CIO again) if things get out of whack. Can you do it again and see what happens? You sound like you want to sleep and NOT with DS in your bed, right?

[jmeyer23]

Yes, exactly...I want him to sleep like he used to, in his crib :) The past 2 nights we've done all of the "tricks" we know (putting him to bed awake but drowsy, letting him fall asleep in the rocking chair, everything....) and no matter what, as soon as he is put in the crib he just screams. I feel selfish as I have really enjoyed him sleeping in our bed and love waking up to him snuggling with us, but I honestly don't sleep well and don't feel rested in the morning.

Last night I was all set to let him CIO, and heard what sounded like a huge crash and ran up to his room and threw on the light. Of course, he was standing in his crib and just looked at me like "well, it's about time!"....

[gatorsmom]

In my own personal experience, any time we traveled with our kids, they had to be retrained when we got home. And there's no guarantee they'lll go back to their old ways. Ours usually didn't. That's not to say yours will never sleep in his crib again. It's just that the old routines changed with ours after every vacation or different sleep situation. Hope your experience is different!

[newg]

After our dd had a really bad cold we had to retrain her to fall asleep and stay asleep on her own. She got use to us coming in and giving her medicine every few hours and rocking her to sleep because she couldn't breathe well....it took about two or three nights of letting her CIO...but each night it got less and less....
I believe the ferber method mentions that each time something disrupts a sleep schedule (sick, travel.....) you need to be prepared to retrain them to follow their old sleep habits/schedule....

So it may be tough now...but a few days is much better than weeks/months/years of your dc sleeping with you!!

[hillview]

With DS #1 yes, when I get home if we sleep differently while on vacation, we have to gradually move back to our normal routine. Usually DS #1 falls asleep with me or DH with him when on vacation but at home he falls asleep in his own room without us in there (books, snuggle, turn off the lights and leave and THEN he goes to sleep). So we spend about 5 days getting him back into the normal routine by gradually leaving the room before he has fallen asleep. With DS #2 who so far has been a great sleeper AND a great travel sleeper, we've not had these issues.
/hillary

[DrSally]

I guess it depends on your DC. I think I've read that after vacation just go right back to your regular routine. Trying to phase them back into their routine will only make it worse. I have followed this advice and it seems to work. Just put him down in his crib as you normally would, and hopefully he'll remember what he's supposed to do. He has that routine assoc with home, so hopefully he'll get back into it quickly. It usually only took one night for DS.

ETA: If it took more than one night, I would have been transitioning him more slowly.