My Son Won't Sleep - Oxford,MI

Someone asked a question similar to this a while ago. Here's the question, and my answer: http://www.mamasource.com/request/8847921854837424129?dep...

I can't wait for Mamasource to implement a search feature for their requests/responses!

A.,

Could he be having tummy trouble? Does he have a lot of gas during the day? He might be intolerant to something he is eating, or what you are eating and it is coming through your milk.

Try eliminating all dairy products for four days and see what happens. If nothing then try taking out all wheat products for the same amount of time.

Also, he may have sleeping problems due to enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or other reasons. If the diet elimination tests don't reveal any significant changes you might want to talk to a sleep doctor to find out if your son has sleep apnea. It can manifest in children at a very young age. If treated now your little one may grow out of the problem as he ages, but if untreated it could become a major problem. Just something to think about.

Good luck!

-C..

Hi A.,
I agree with Amy, the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is excellant. It helps fix many sleep problems. Plus explains ways whether you want to "cry it out" or not.
Chris

It is a flashback for me. My boy was doing the same thing at that age.
Keep in mind that every child and every mother is different. I have tried several methods with my little boy. And this is the method that works. I was against this method at first, but after trying numerous things and having none of them work for me, I decided to try it. Hope you find your solution. here was mine.
I talked to him and explained what I was about to do, he was too little to understand, but I felt that I had. Then I put him to bed and closed the door. he cried and called me back. My heart was breaking, but I was telling myself that it had to be done. Finally he fell asleep. He woke up twice that night, cried for less than two minutes and fell back asleep. The next night I was ready for another "battle". He cried to 15 second and fell asleep. That night he woke up twice again and fell asleep soon after. He became a better sleeper during his naps too.
It was very hard emotionally, but it had to be done in order for him to learn how to fall asleep on his own.
Good luck!

My son was the same around that time. We had got tubes around 11 months and he slept better. He still was not sleeping well. Then we found out he had a hernia. After that operation it took some sleep training; No Cry Sleep solution. Remember we wake all night long too, but we know how to get ourselves back to sleep. They don't. I would go in and reassure him, pat his back and walk out. It took awhile, but I cannot let him cry.

Sometimes I have my hubby go in - My son will go right back to sleep if daddy comes in - he just wants to cuddle with mommy.

Good Luck

I think waking at night is more common than you might think..
You might read the No Cry Sleep Solution, I though it was really a good book and gave ideas as to baby's sleep patterns etc.

I have a 13 month old boy and I am going through the EXACT same thing!! I don't believe in letting him "cry it out" so I am researching other solutions currently. I will let you know if I find anything that helps!

Start his bedtime routines much earlier, if babies are too tired it's harder for them to stay asleep. I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth and found it invaluable.

Hi,
Have you talked to your pediatrician? Sometimes there can be medical reasons for sleep trouble. My children had large tonsils and adenoids and it interfered with their breathing. Their sleep patterns improved greatly after their removal.
Also some children just have difficulty sleeping and need to be soothed to sleep. There is nothing wrong with your bedtime routine. Once you wean him from nursing, I would suggest reading to him at night. Studies show that this improves brain development and creates better readers as they grow.
Keep us posted!

E.