My son had 'colic' until 3 months, and slept pretty well month 3-6. I could put him down awake in his crib, and he'd fall asleep with his pacifier in mouth, alone (does not need me to soothe him to sleep or be next to him!)
Then he started waking up more at night when he turned 6 months. First he would wake and want to play, cooing, etc.
Then month 7 (around the same time he started creeping), he started waking up and getting up on all fours, rocking back and forth and getting upset (wanting to crawl in his crib?). Sometimes his pacifier is in his mouth, sometimes its not. I'll roll him back onto his back, put his pacifier in, but we can go through this routine every 1-2 hours all night, and sometimes it will take 1-2 hours before he goes back to sleep!
I wonder if this is a developmental sleep issue because he is on the brink of crawling, but why if he can fall asleep on his own, can't he fall BACK asleep on his own at night?
I've been trying to follow a routine, 7am he is usually up, 1st nap between 9-930, 2nd nap 12-1230, third between 4-430 and bedtime 6:30-700. I try to have all naps in his crib, but sometimes one nap is in the stroller. His naps last 1-2hrs each...
I feed him dinner when he wakes from his 3rd nap, around 530 and give him a bottle of nighttime formula that we use here in Sweden.
I am still nursing a bit throughout the day, and I try to only nurse him once at night, usually he wakes 1230am. Sometimes when I can't get him back down at 4ish I feed him again. Then I nurse him again when he wakes at 7.
I'm exhausted! His crib is in our room, so for now my husband and I have moved out into our livingroom so he won't be awakened by us (he would hear me rolling over, moving the sheets etc!) (a few times my husband's snoring woke him)
He needs his own room, but we don't have that, and can't move to a bigger place right now...
I can't really leave him to cry it out because I have a 2yr old in another room.
What can I do to get him to sleep longer stretches at night, only wake up once to feed????
Help!!!
K.
Thank you for all your advice!!!
I think I will try eliminating the 3rd nap...I will shift the schedule by 30min/day till I reach the desired time soon...
I'm still debating what to do with the night waking---- I've been putting him to bed a little earlier, around 630pm, he is waking first time around 12am (I feed him then) and then every 2hrs thereafter. I will find him up on all fours, so I'll roll him back on his back, put his pacifier in his mouth, and lately now he will go back to sleep.
I'm debating not responding to him, but I'm still so afraid of how long he will cry, and that he'll wake up my daughter.
I know some of you said your kids didn't awaken, but I guess I'm just afraid. But I KNOW I have been reinforcing this habit.
I was reading a sleep book-Healthy sleep habits, happy child, and it says TEETHING does NOT cause night waking, which I was thinking was the cause...
I guess I'm leaning towards trying the extinction method- any advice on if I should wait till I get him on a 2-nap schedule first, THEN not respond to him, or does it not make a difference, should I let the screaming begin tonight?
Thanks all you mammas, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with sleep problems!!!
-K. :D
I am a cry it out mom. I have three kids and neither of the older ones have been affected by the younger one crying it out. They sleep right through it. You may want to give it a try. A friend of mine was concerned about this and when they asked their daughter about it the morning after trying she said, "I didn't hear a thing because I don't have the baby monitor in my room!"
Maybe try getting him to nap 2 times a day instead of 3? He's a little young for that, but maybe he is ready. I would start trying a half hour later each day for the first nap (only if possible!), like 10 or 10:30am for the first few days, that way if he sleeps for 2 hours until 12:30, maybe he can nap again around 3 or so, then bed?
Maybe this will help. I agree with you also, that the learning to crawl phase is starting and he wants to practice! he's thinking, "If I can sleep lots during the day, 3am is a PERFECT time to practice my crawling!!".
With luck, if he is ready, the 2 naps a day will start to work and he will sleep longer at night. Just be careful, because speaking from experience, an overtired baby will wake up even MORE times at night! It may not work right away, but is definitely something to work towards. Good luck, I know how precious sleep becomes once you have babies! :)
Your son is old enough to sleep all night. The most important things is that he is full enough. Even if he doesnt' seem hungry during the day, and you are on a schedule, he needs to eat more if he is waking up at night.
Offer him more feedings during the day all day long. It's not enough to do a big feeding at night before bed, it must be all day. If he is hungry, he will eat, don't wait for the signs. If he isn't hungry, he won't eat, so don't worry about overfeeding him. It takes a few days for a body to register it is more full, so after about 3 days of feeding hm more all day long, he will sleep much longer or all night long.
He may need to cut out a nap as well. Kids are always changing, so the routines never last long!
The most important thing is the full belly. It works!!! My step sister has 12 kids who all slept through like this. I was still nursing my daughter twice at night at 1 year old when I finally heard this advice. She started sleeping through the night suddenly 3 days later, and my son (a giant boy-tall, not fat) has been sleeping through the night since 3 months old because I feed him all day long. Good luck Get some sleep!
Is it possible you could move him in with his sibling? It may or may not work for you, but when our youngest was 6 months old we did that and after a night or two, they both actually slept better. They love sleeping together and I think they keep each other company if they both wake up or early in the morning.
Also does he have a comfort object like a little blankie or something. I know you mentioned a pacifier, bu tboth my boys love their individual blankets and sleep with them every night.
Some kids just need more sleep than others. One of mine is awake a lot mroe than my other at night. He loves books though so we always put some in his crib.
Best of luck! I hope you get more sleep soon!
I agree with both Melissa & Nicole. My daughter did the same thing around 5-7 months and it was HARD...we had just gotten used to the fact that she was finally sleeping through the night! It turned out that she was teething, as well. It may also be time to move to two naps, if you think it's possible. Good luck. It'll take some time, but it'll get better.
K.
Your son is getting older and I don't think he needs as many naps during the day, if you let him sleep less during the second nap only 20mins-1/2 hour and cut out the third nap. keep him more active during the evening before bed he will sleep for you better through the night
Hope this helps you
El W.
My son started waking every 1-2 hours around that age also. Turned out that he was teething. It did take a couple a weeks, but once his teeth popped thru he went back to (usually) only waking once per night. Giving him infant's Motrin before bed helped, but nothing completely took care of it till his teeth cut thru.
hey K.....
I have an almost 8 month old too. I think they are just about done with that 3rd nap. I finally cut it out and he has been sleeping so much better at night. So if you can keep your little one up until 9:30ish and then another one around 2ish...that should help. It always takes awhile for their bodies to adjust to a new sleeping schedule so don't expect an immediate change. I also have two boys in one room and the baby in another room. As this is my third....I let him cry alot more than I did the others. As far as the noise thing goes...I bought a ceramic heater and use the fan button....which creates enough noise for the older ones not to be bothered by the baby. Hope it helps!
