My son just turned 6 months and has had terrible sleep problems since he was two months. I'm not talking "wakes 3 times a night to feed", I'm talking waking up every single hour every single night for three months, then finally getting down to only waking up 4-5 times a night, and now is inching back up to the hourly wakings. Naps are also nearly impossible. We've done all the techniques (short of CIO which we won't do), adjusted everything that can be adjusted, tried to get him in a routine/schedule, etc. We are at the end of our collective rope. All three of us are miserable from lack of sleep.
So all this is to ask, has anyone tried a baby sleep consultant, like the Baby Sleep Site? Is it just a big scam? It sounds too good to be true: "just give us $80 and we'll get your baby sleeping and napping regularly". On the other hand, since the books and web sites haven't worked for us, I think it might help to have someone take a more personalized look at our big picture. Thoughts?
Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately we've tried all the suggestions; co-sleeping didn't help him sleep much better and just caused me to lose more sleep, not to mention that he won't fall asleep next to us (he has to be actually in our arms) so it's difficult to get him in bed with us. We did take him to the doctor, who just shrugged and said "maybe it's reflux"; the reflux meds made him spit up less but did absolutely nothing for his sleep (and we tried two different medications). For naps we have to rock/walk him to sleep, he will not fall asleep on his own for naps using any technique we've heard of; that's one of the things we need help with. At bedtime he does fall asleep on his own in the crib but that does not help him get back to sleep at night. So when I say we've tried it all, I mean we have tried. it. all.
Although chiropractic is one thing we haven't tried. I do have a chiropractor friend who is working on her peds certification; I could see if she'd adjust him a few times. Chiropractic is definitely fabulous for adults (including me) but it seemed odd on an infant. I'm willing to try anything (except CIO) though.
I'm going to try the sleep consultant. It's not in-home, just over email, but the cost isn't too high, and honestly if it got me more than 2 hours of sleep in a row most nights, I'd pay 50x what she's asking.
What's wrong with CIO? It's worth a try. Seems like you are spending a lot of time avoiding a great method!
Have you had him in to the doctor to check him out with this...our son had this issues would wake every 45 min or so for 7 months, during which we found out he had silent acid reflux. Not easily diagnosed. I hear you on the lack of sleep, we including our daughter 2 yrs at the time suffered greatly to the crying and lack of sleep. I would take a look into this. Chiropractic treatment ended up being the solution after three adjustments he started sleeping through the night, like no joke, after the day of the thrid adjustment he slept 15 hrs straight, I remember running into his room freaking out that he had passed because it was something that he had NEVER done...but he is alive and well and great.
I would have paid good money to a sleep consultant for my oldest if they had existed. This is something I think there is definitely a market for. Not a book or online though...somebody that would come to your house.
Good luck to you...it really does get better. One question...are you putting him down awake and groggy or do you rock?? This makes all the difference/. When you rock a baby to sleep (or drive them around in the car which I would do :-) They don't learn how to fall asleep on their own and so when they wake up in the night they need YOU and whatever method that you used to get them to sleep in the first place to fall BACK asleep. So if you don't already start putting him down awake.
Just let him CIO your teaching him to sleep bad by going to him everytime he cries. Your the parent you have to direct him on what's right.
Hi,
Not sure about the sleep consultant, but my son was a horrendous sleeper as well. He is five now and still wakes up. I sleep in his bed so I can just deal and sleep. I am a total enabler. We could not do the cry it out either. I ended up sleeping with him early on. I went on to the Dr. Sears website and read how to co-sleep safely. I have a six week old that I have ended up doing the same thing with because I am so tired. We actually used to have my son sleep at my parents once a week so I could sleep for one night. I never really talked to the ped about this after a while, because he would just say to let him cry. I have actually read some articles on why this is not healthy..too much of a deep sleep for the little ones.
But the acid reflux is a good point to look in to. My son would nap for half hour after taking hours to get down. We used to think he was sound asleep and then we would put him down and he would look at us with one eye. We think he is a opossum. We laugh now, but it was torture! I think I used to feed him on demand too and that was not a good idea because he used the bottle to just soothe himself. He never learned how to do it otherwise, ie, thumb or blanket. I used to literally read books on how to get a baby to sleep at 2 in the morning while he sat there and stared at me. Anyway, the point is that I feel for you and wish you luck. Sounds like you have a great and spirited little one. Mine now does not stop talking..not even for a second. From one type of exhaustion to another!
http://www.familysleep.com/index.html
Both offer in-home, phone and email consultations on sleeping issues.
I think it is more just a "some kids are this way, and some are that..." It sounds like you have done a lot of research already between reading and internet so I would (terrible advice for someone lacking in sleep) just hope it is a phase and battle through it.
My friend's first son has always been this way. The longest nap he would take as a child was 10 minutes, and most days he would not nap for more than a couple minutes...and he slept terribly through the night. She visited specialists, doctors, consultants, and read everything to no avail. He just seems to be one of those people who function on very little sleep.
I think it probably won't be the answer...but if you can afford $80 with no problem...it isn't going to hurt. I personally have wasted way more on stranger things :).
I'd go for the consultant but only if you keep an open mind throughout the entire process.Otherwise, it's a total waste of time and money. There is a very good chance that you are not going to like what she says to do. So if you don't plan to take the advice without deviation, then don't bother. I hate to say it but some (not all) moms with kids who won't sleep are to blame themselves. They don't follow routines correctly or feel bad when the child is crying or do to much cuddling before bed.
