Sleep - Venice, CA

There is a great book called "Baby Wise" It is all about sleeping and eating patterns. I swear by it. I have 2 kids that both slept through the night by the time they were 6 weeks old. Can't say enough for this book!!! Good luck!

Is he getting enough intake? Typically, at 3 months old, they have a "growth spurt" and they feed more at these times, and get hungrier, and they wake because of it. They need to be fed more at these phases of growth and sometimes more frequently. At this age, generally, they feed about 4-5 ounces (sometimes more) about every 3 hours. If you are breastfeeding, they will even nurse every hour sometimes.

When he wakes up, since it's so frequent, you may want to try the "wait and see" approach... meaning, don't swoop in right away to pick him up... see if he is just having a little interruption in his REM sleep... then see if he goes back to sleep by himself. Many times, a baby will wake, not fully, but just a little or make some noises...but then they go back to sleep on their own. "Listen" to his cries (if he cries when he wakes), if it is just nothing, see if he will go back sleep himself. If his cries sounds as though he is really in distress or upset, then go and pick him up or soothe him. I don't mean the "cry it out" approach.. .but just wait and see.
Or if not, he may just need to feed.

Do you put him down for nap and nighttime sleep at the same time? Is his sleep routine and times consistent? If not, this can throw off a baby. Also, putting them to sleep in the same place each time can make a difference too. Some babies like "routine" more, others can sleep anywhere anytime. My son for example will only nap in his crib, and I put him down at the same time everyday, with the same routine. Getting a sleep routine for a baby from early on, will, down the road pay off...it will make them much more regular and they will "know" when it is nap/sleep time. Less confusion for them, and less protesting. As you seem to know already, sleep is important for a baby's development and this is when their brain develops ...they are developing/growing in sleep too.

Also make sure he is not sick or anything....fever, his ears, early/pre teething, etc., or gas....sometimes this wakes them and it can make them clingier.

Also, check his whole body... make sure there is nothing that is bothering him... too hot, too cold? One time, this happened to my friend's baby girl... and after careful examination it was found that a little hair was wrapped around the baby's toe....and causing pain as it got tighter as she grew.

A great book is "Secrets of The Baby Whisperer- how to calm, connect, and communicate with your baby" by Tracy Hogg.
Or, the book "What To Expect The First Year" by Arlene Eisenberg.

If anything, check with your Pediatrician.
take care and good luck,
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

I would highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It's wonderful & very helpful. Your son is getting old enough for you to start thinking about more of a routine and schedule. Even though he's not acting like it, I'm sure he's overtired. Haven't you ever been sooooo tired that you couldn't go to sleep or sleep well when you did finally go to sleep? It's the same for little ones. If I were in your shoes, I'd really start trying to get him on a routine/schedule. Best wishes!

infants at this age don't need as much sleep as they did 2 months ago. Make sure you have him on a good routine. Sleep, feed, wake. Don't feed him to get him to go to sleep. Also, he is starting to get to be a bigger boy where he will smile, enjoy his tuumy time, and star tto learn to roll. Get this to work for you! Work him out a bit to get tired, if he is just sitting in a bouncy or swing, or even laying on the floor, get him some bright colorful toys to get him to reach for. At 3 months, he should be able to stay up for a few hours. I don't think you have to worry about him getting over tired, increase his eating amt. It doesnt say if you breast or bottle it, but I always gave my kids 1-2 ounces more in there bottle then they typically ate, just incase they were still hungry or going thre a growth spurt (I pumped and gave formula). Good luck, I am sure you are doing great!

Hey J., Our baby was going through something similar up until about 3 1/2 to 4 months. Two things that helped: I read The Baby Whisperer. She recommends a routine of EASY (Eat, Activity, Sleep, You). She'll explain it more in depth but its great because babies come to know what to expect. Also, A BIG THING we swaddled our boy up until about 5 1/2 months. I think because their sleep cycles are so much shorter than ours when they wake up they sometimes can't get back to sleep. That may be why he's doing the 15 minute thing. It could be the end of that cycle and he might have trouble drifting to the next. I believe these two things could help! Good luck!

My son took little cat naps like that until about 5 months old when he settles into a two nap a day schedule. He is now 2 years old and only occasionally sleeps "through the night" and never for the 12 - 13 total hours recommended. I have found from other moms and reading that every child is different when it comes to sleeping habits! As long as he is alert and happy (some of the time) when he is awake, I wouldn't worry :-)

I would take calcium and magnesium if you are nursing him so it gets in the milk, that helps sleep. Magnesium glyconate and calcium citrate are best. You can also get some Hylands teething tablets or calms forte and give him that, it helps relaxation and sleep and is safe for babies. Also, make sure he is getting out for long walks in the stroller, the fresh air can tire him out, too. I don't know what kind of climate you are in, so that will depend, of course. Is he getting enough activity and stimulation to wear him out during the day?

This too shall pass. It sounds like he's not getting enough to eat. My son is 14 weeks old now and what I do with him at night to get him to sleep is lay down when I am breastfeeding him. That way I can let him suckle as long as he wants from both sides. He completely drains me, he sleeps 7-9 hours straight and I don't wake up engorged the next morning so it's a win/win situation! :D
But like the other mommy said... they do hit growth spurts and will need more food... that would be my guess since he's coming up on 3 months! :) He should be around 4 ounces give or take one depending on your son's body size. My little guy is long, but not as chubby as I've seen some babies... then again that's a plus of breastfeeding... less likely to be overweight.

Do you swaddle him? My son loves to be swaddled and if I dont swaddle him before bed he "jerks" in his sleep which will wake him up every 15-30 minutes. I bought a swaddle sleep blanket from babies-r-us and it is WONDERFUL (it uses velcro to keep the swaddle snug).

Good luck to you!

What great timing! My daughter was going through the same thing with her little girl, who is 4 months old today, until 2 weeks ago. A friend told her to get this book, "Heathy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It is AWESOME!!!!! It turns out Riley was overtired. Once my daughter started looking for the signs that the book described as getting drowsy/sleepy (if they are getting fussy, they've gone on to fatigue), she would take Riley to her darkened room sing to her while rocking (good to always have the same routine), she would put her down for a nap and Riley would either go right to sleep or within 5 minutes (crying some) she would be asleep and then sleep for a much longer time! Within 2 days, Riley was sleeping 13 hours at night and a 1 hour nap in the morning, 3 hours nap in afternoon and a short 30 minute nap early evening. The author, Marc Weissbluth, M.D. gives great information throughout the book. He says a baby will sleep much longer when not overtired. Also, a baby as young as yours will be ready to go back to sleep for a nap usually an hour to the max of 2 hours after waking up each time. Good luck!

Hi J.! I have 4 month old boy twins and let me tell you it seems like from the beginning one was always sleeping different than the other and it has changed from stage to stage. I have had one do the exact same thing you speak of and within a couple of days he was back to his normal sleeping patterns. I know its frustrating especially when you need to get some zzzz's too. A few things that we tried that would sometimes work is of course swaddling and also putting them in their swing and letting them fall asleep there. There were MANY times that this was the only way one of them would go to sleep. It seems that with mine this has a tendency to happen right before a growth spurt. They also have had times where they will refuse to eat...but as long as they aren't irritable or seem overly tired its probably 100% normal and nothing to worry about.

I'm sorry your little guy seems to be a cat-napper! I have 3 boys - 4 year old, 2 year old, and 6 month old - and the first the third did this exact same thing. I tried everything - changing nap times, establishing routines, etc., but my first son was like a little alarm clock. After exactly 30 minutes, not more, but sometimes less, he would wake up. He would seem refreshed, happy, and ready to play again. Unfortunately, my 6 month old is the exact same way! Some babies - and kids - just need less sleep. If he seems happy and healthy, you should try to just relax, even though it can be frustrating and difficult to get anything done. The good news is that my oldest son (and I'm hoping my baby too) eventually was able to sleep for longer naps. By around a year or so he was sleeping an hour and half usually - yeah! Hopefully your baby will too! Try to hang in there in the meantime. : )

You poor thing - but trust me, you will survive. My daughter had 24 hour a day colic for SEVEN months. And now we are both doing great. Every child is different. Could be your baby just doesn't need as much sleep. You should check out the book "Sleeping Sucks," by Joanne Kimes. It has so many ideas about getting your baby to sleep - good practical advice and lots of humor, which you need at a time like this. It helped me a lot.

hi J.

have you tried swaddling. my understanding is that newborn infants do not sleep deeply (it is supposedly some sort of survival instinct) and as they get older their sleep gets deeper. i found swaddling to be helpful with my first child, but not so much with my second child. some babies do not like the swaddling at first - so with my first child I would swaddle just her upper body part and not her legs. i heard the swaddling is good bc it mimics the womb. also, if the baby moves around while sleeping that can wake them up, so the swaddling minimizes movement. i think i also tried when she was really little and then it didn't work that well, and tried again a little later and it worked. eventually, they will get strong enough to break out of the swaddle. to be honest, with my second child what helped him sleep better was sleeping on his stomach. i know that you are not supposed to do that - so it is up to you how comfortable you feel about it. i only tried it after his neck control was good and he could move his head from side to side easily at night and during naps.

my daughter was the same way. I realized she wasn't tired or fussy and let it go the best i could. Eventually she started sleeping in longer increments. By 2 yrs she was sleeping 12 hours at a time!! Are you nursing? In my case she just wanted to nurse. When I laid in the bed with her and slept also I found she slept much longer. Hope this helps a little.

We use a cd player or a little noise machine in our little girls room. She loves the rain sound. I found that a couple of nights we forot to tun it on and she woke up right away. White noise is supposed to help them sleep. She is four and a half months old now and sleeps from 9 p.m. to 6 or 7 every night. Hang in there mommy it does get better. : )

I was in a similar situation with my first daughter (now 17 mo old) - literally woke up every 20-30 min. Very frustrating! It got a lot better when she was about 4 - 5 months old, but these few things helped tremendously:
1. White noise - we used a fan
2. Consistent motion - she hated the swing, but would sleep for 1 hr uninterrupted in the stroller, and hey, I could use the exercise to clear my head. I just made sure she had a full belly before we left on walks.
3. Solids - she started rice cereal at 4 1/2 mo (young, but she wanted it)and it seemed to help keep her content longer.
4. Sleeping on her tummy - I know, I know. I'd probably get punched by a few doctors for even saying it.
5. Pacifier - originally was against it (one more habit to break later), but she took it at 4 1/2 mo and it was a life saver.
6. Swaddling - tight enough so her arms don't wriggle up and out
She still isn't a big napper (only one 1 1/2 hour nap a day, but consistent - some kids just don't need as much sleep), but has no problem sleeping through the night now (12 hours straight). I've been putting my 2nd daughter down after nursing while still drowsy to help her soothe herself to sleep, and it works for her. They're def 2 different babies, but I hadn't really tried that the first time (I don't even know if it would've helped.) But there's hope! It will get better! And it really is only temporary. Every baby is different. Just make sure you listen to your instincts, even if you think you don't have any.

My son is 4 months old now, but until about 3 weeks ago he was exactly the same way. He did sleep at night pretty well, but during the day he would only take 20 minute naps. I was really worried that he wasn't getting enough sleep. It wasn't until after a trip up to see family in Alaska that he started taking longer naps. It's still irregular, and sometimes they are still short, but he usually takes one nap a day that is 1 1/2 hours or longer (even 2 1/2 hours!). So I say wait and see, he will sleep more when he is ready. As for nighttime sleep, I've found that once he wakes up if I put him in bed next to me and nurse him back to sleep (side-lying position), he sleeps pretty well through the rest of the night. If he does wake up, he doesn't wake up all the way because I'm right there, and he goes back to sleep very easily. Good luck and be patient.

Hi J.,
My pediatrician gave me some of the best advice I've ever had when my firstborn was a baby - he said we just have to trust the little "computer" inside our babies that knows exactly how much sleep and exactly how much food they need. His advice extended to breastfeeding on demand and sleeping with our babies (both of which I've done with both my sons). New babies are supposed to wake up often - it's their self-defense against SIDS and being cold, but the way for you to get sleep in the face of that is to sleep with them so you can feel them starting to rouse out of sleep (moving, making small noises) and quickly latch them on for a "dream feed" (one that takes place before they've totally woken up). The best way to do that is to sleep facing your baby and nurse while lying on your side. That way the baby goes back to sleep without every having fully woken, and you can drift back to sleep as well. The baby will let go in his sleep and hopefully you'll be asleep then too.

For napping, consider getting a sling and wearing your baby while you do things around the house. I've found that the constant rocking and heat of my body have put my babies to sleep, and also allowed me to get some things done with at least one hand free. Hotslings makes a good sling that puts the baby across your front in a good sleeping position, and my second son, now 9 months old, practically lived in that until he was almost 6 months old.

But above all, trust your baby and trust yourself. If he seems happy and calm, don't sweat it. The minute you think he's on a schedule it'll change anyway (teething, developmental milestones, etc), so just set yourself up to roll with it.

Good luck!
-A.
(mom to two boys, ages 4 1/2 and 9 months)

Hi,
My 6 mos. old daughter has never slept much during the day - most of her naps are only about 20 minutes :( but she does sleep well at night. Just make sure he gets a full feeding every time and try the schedule - eat, awake, sleep, repeat. Good luck!

Don't do anyhting for the first year, yes for the first year. Sleep phisiology takes time to consolidate and you don't want to start messing with that so early in life. At this point your baby only needs, really needs, being held, kissed and nursed. Everything else is for you. Good luck. A

Hi J.,

It takes a while for a baby to adjust to life on earth. Just stay calm and it's okay for your baby to sleep in your arms as needed. Babies gradually increase the nighttime sleeping but at first, they have no sense of day or night (like in the womb). He'll adjust faster if, when he wakes up at night, lights are kept low, he's just fed and rocked back to sleep, with no talking. Try not to stimulate him in any way.

Enjoy your new baby and just flow with him. Try not to have an agenda.

V.

I would highly recommend picking up a copy of the Baby Whisperer book and reading it. My first child was the King of All Sleepers -- he could fall asleep on a dime and stay asleep for 3 to 4 hours from Day 1. My second child, however, was a completely different story. She is, and has always been an incredibly high energy child who has never wanted to miss out on any of the action and that's still the case even now. To this day (she's almost 4 now), I can still hear her declaring loudly and over and over, "I'm not tired," as we are going up for our night time routine but the moment she get's into bed, she's out like a light. The Baby Whisperer book had a lot of great tips on how to care for my "spirited" daughter and also helped on other issues like feeding, diaper rash issues, tummy time, etc. It's just a really great resource. I can't say enough about it.

i think most babies go thru this..i used to nap my son on my lap and sit at the computer..or i would lay w/ him ..then i would sneak out and leave something like my pj's in there w/ him and i even left a blonde wig a couple of times to make him think i was still there! lol!
but that's before he could roll. do you have a bassinet? or have you tried napping him in a swing? i also used to nap him in his stroller..i would push the stroller back and forth on the porch til he fell asleep then i would wheel him into his bedroom..i also have blackout curtians in his room..girl i am the master of sleep! lol! i got my son to nap..and he's 25 months and still takes a good nap.
sometimes they have trouble sleeping when they're teething or have a cold..make sure he's not sick.
reflux starts in too around 4 or 5 months and he'll need to have his head elevated possibly when he naps for this.
they just don't know how to fall asleep well yet and to stay asleep...if you have the time try letting him nap on you while you surf the net.. babyzone.com is a great website to check out..you can find your son's bday club and talk to moms who are going thru exactly what you're going thru right now.

sounds like my son! he never slept! i wouldn't worry. what everyone told me is that children regulate themselves. you can't force sleep, but you can force rest. if he gets tired, just make sure he's resting. ya know, doing something quiet. another thing might be that he's not getting tired enough. try adding some more playtime or activities that would tire him out. if he's walking or crawling, make him crawl all over or take him to a field and make him walk walk walk!!! these sometimes help too! : )
good luck...i'm thinking you're gonna tire out long before he does ; )

I suggest you buy a book called "On Becoming Babywise". It has helped me and too many friends and family to count. I would also suggest putting him to sleep on his side with one of those wedges. Maybe he doesn't breathe well on his back. You also want to make sure he is eating full meals and not "snacking" all day. The baby has to learn to fall asleep on his own. It is very easy to go through alot of methods and work to get them to sleep because you are desperate. Once they learn, it's a piece of cake. If it keeps up after that, I would probably as the doctor about it. There is also a possibility that he has trouble digesting the brand of formula or something in the food you are eating is bothering him in the breastmilk. Please look into that book, though.

Try reading the book "baby wise" It discusses keeping your child on a feeding schedule, which then helps to regulate his sleep. I did it with both of my kids and I personally loved having a little bit more control over their schedule. Even though your child will have times when he is naturally hungrier, more tired, etc. this book helps you to figure that out and get into a groove. good luck.

Is he eating enough? He may be waking up because he has a burp or gas. My 5 1/2 month old daughter did that just a bit. She did sleep through the night mostly but during the day she would have short naps all day for a short period.