Mamas are always so proud of every new thing their precious baby does, and standing in the crib is definitely a cause for celebration. But, do you still cheer when your little one does this during naptime?
You’ll often find your baby standing in crib during naptime or bedtime, and this is perfectly fine.
Babies usually practice new moves and skills during sleep time instinctually, which means that your little one can’t control it and often finds it overwhelming.
Your little bundle of joy will be just as excited as you when he stands up on his feet for the first time, and he’ll continue practicing whenever he gets the chance.
Babies usually stand up in the crib for the first time during the 8-9 month sleep regression.
However, you might have an adventurous baby standing up in crib at 6 months, or a more cautious one who won’t stand up until 10 months old. Of course, it depends on your baby’s health and overall development as well.
If you notice your one-year-old toddler/baby standing in crib during sleep time, he might be trying to send you a signal.
Continue reading this article if you want to learn about the reasons and ways to get your baby who likes to stand in the crib back to his regular bedtime routine!
Why Is My Baby Standing In Crib?
As I mentioned earlier, babies are equally as excited about every new skill they acquire as we are.
Every mama feels so proud to see her baby standing in crib, but it gets less adorable when he’s standing and crying because he can’t sleep.
Excessive practice can completely change your baby’s sleep habits and cause sleep regression.
This is a great developmental milestone for your baby, and even though it’s a bit overwhelming, this achievement is a big step into the world of toddlers.
Before you know it, your baby will be running around the house without anyone’s help and you won’t even know how it happened.
Going through these stages can be quite a challenge for both parents and babies, so you’ll almost certainly remember these moments for the rest of your life.
There are many babies who switch from sleeping through the night to standing.
A new skill can greatly influence baby sleep habits and cause numerous night wakings and daytime sleep problems.
The main reason for this is that your little one instinctively practices everything he learns during nap or bedtime.
He feels comfortable enough to exercise standing in the crib because he’s alone, so he can focus on that particular action without anyone’s help.
Unfortunately, first tries may cause frustration, because even though your baby can easily stand up, he’ll have a hard time getting back down.
As awake time gets longer, the baby gets more and more frustrated and tired of the standing position, which will eventually lead him to laying back down into the sleeping position.
But, if your baby gets up and down without problems and he still stands in the crib during baby naps and night sleep, he might be trying to let you know about a potential issue.
The most common reasons for such behavior are teething frustration (sore gums) or a need for a change of sleep schedule.
It’s important to find the cause of baby standing so you can handle the situation properly.
If you’re confused and can’t find the reason for this problem, you can always visit a sleep consultant and get answers to all your questions related to your baby’s sleep.
Solutions For Baby Standing In Crib
You might have shed a few tears with your baby (we’ve all been there), but this phase is often unavoidable and won’t cause any harm to your child in the long run.
The first thing you should avoid is helping your baby get down when he stands up in the crib. It might take him anywhere from a few days up to a few weeks, but eventually he’ll learn how to get down without your help.
Practice is very important. Let your kiddo practice as much as he can during the time he’s awake.
For example, you can put your baby on a sofa with a toy next to his feet. If you notice that he struggles to bend his knees or doesn’t know how to do so, you may help him and let him repeat the squat again by himself.
Put your baby in the crib at least half an hour before his usual naptime to give him enough time to practice.
When napping time comes, soothe your baby to sleep or do the same sleep routine you usually do.
After that, your baby will sleep through his napping time without any problems.
There are a lot of great sleep training methods which might help your little one get back to his normal routine quickly.
These methods are usually used to break any new habits which involve skipping naptime and causing even more stress to you and your baby.
You can sleep train your baby by using popular training methods from people like the Sleep Lady, or even the Ferber method.
Both of these involve crying, but keep in mind that your kiddo is not crying because he’s hurt, he just wants attention and more playtime.
One of the Sleep Lady methods involves sitting on a chair near the crib until your little one falls to sleep.
The Ferber method doesn’t require you to be in the room all the time – you can just check your baby periodically to show him you’re still there, but you’re not supposed to go near him.
One of the main points of this is to avoid turning yourself into an alternative for a pacifier. Of course, you’ll always soothe your baby in some way, but it doesn’t have to be physical contact if everything is fine.
Therefore, you need to avoid sleep associations, such as putting your baby to bed after he falls asleep in your hands or breastfeeding him to sleep (if you still nurse him).
Solutions For Toddler Standing In Crib
Your 12-month-old is already considered to be a toddler, which is a great milestone in his early life.
If a toddler stands in the crib every time he should be sleeping, there is a specific reason for it and he’s trying to let you know.
The first reason might be scheduling. A one-year-old sleeps around 11 to 14 hours every day, including naps.
Babies require naps every 2-3 hours a day, but toddlers can stay awake for a longer period of time, at least 3-4 hours.
If you’re still following the old schedule, you might consider making naptime a bit later.
Also, your toddler may not be having a good sleep because of teething. Sore gums can cause headaches and frustration, which is more than enough for bad sleep.
If you notice any signs of teething, you can:
• Massage your baby’s gums
• Give cuddles
• Cool some fruit
• Give them a cooled washcloth to chew on for soothing
• Give them a cold metal spoon
If you’ve tried everything and your kiddo still doesn’t want to sleep, he is probably going through a toddler sleep regression.
This is completely normal and a part of healthy development, even though it might be tiring for parents.
The most important thing to do during this period is set boundaries on time. This means you should do your regular routine before sleep and then leave your little one in his crib.
You can use one of the sleep training methods mentioned above to calm him down a bit, but don’t make any sleep associations that might make things more difficult for both of you.
If he cries, you can go and explain that he has to rest and that you can stay for five minutes (never stay longer than this).
Set the alarm and say good night after five minutes.
Sleeping bags can also be a great way to soothe your kiddo to sleep. Toddler sleep sacks will serve as a pacifier to your kiddo and he won’t be able to stand up so easily.
However, if your child refuses to take naps and you can see that he’s not tired, don’t push it either.
Every child is an individual. Maybe your child just has enough energy to get through the day without needing a nap.
If this is the case, you should put your child to sleep when you notice the first signs of tiredness, instead of following your daily nap routine.
Wrapping Up
Being a parent is one of the most beautiful things in the world, but also one of the most challenging!
It’s not easy to go through the numerous phases during early childhood, starting with colic, teething, sleep regressions, and other phases that cause stress for both the baby and parents.
Every new skill is seen as a great achievement in a baby’s life, but sometimes these milestones might be a bit overwhelming for everyone.
One of the inevitable phases is the baby standing in the crib during nap or bedtime.
One day you will notice your little one standing in the crib and looking around instead of taking a nap.
Even though this might be a bit worrying to some mamas, this phase is perfectly normal and will pass.
Now that you know more about the possible reasons and solutions for your toddler/baby standing in crib, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, if you’re still not at peace, you should visit your pediatrician for professional advice and a check-up.
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