Sleeping Problem

My son is 4 1/2 mo. and is doing the EXACT SAME THING- especially for his naps!!! YIKES - he just started getting worse and worse the last couple of weeks which is a nightmare because I have to go back to work in 2 weeks and I don't know how my mom (his grandmother) is going to be able to handle trying to get him down to sleep while I am at work! I totally know how you feel- I am spending the entire day trying to get him to go to sleep and I feel trapped at the house because I want to get his settled into a good nap routine before I go back to work + he only sleep for 40 minutes at a time when I do get him down and therefore he ends up taking 5 naps a day! what a mess :) we have always had a regular routine for naps and feeding but all the sudden - he is getting worse and worse and crying more and more when it's time to go down to sleep???....good luck- let me know if you find out what works!!!!!

L.,
Our babies feel safe when they are in our arms...next to our bodies. They spent nine months inside of us so it is natural for them to want to continue to be close to us and on our breast. If you no longer breast feed then hold him in your arms, or daddy's arms, and feed him his bottle- breast milk is always the best as long as you are willing and so is your baby. (babies who are breast fed, their brains develop differently- higher iq's...do it as long as you can...also less likly to develop allergies later) I cant stress how important it is for our babes to see our faces, feel our skin, hear our heartbeat...it teaches them to feel safe in the world. Letting him cry it out will only teach him at a young age that his needs wont be met- it will be a life long struggle (Dr.Spock has done alot of damage with that advice) Ck out a book called the Magical Child by Joseph Chilton Pierce..... honestly co-sleeping was the easiest for me..they cry, you roll over and feed them, everyone falls right back to sleep.... my children are very well adjusted, at the top of their classes, very loving, thoughtful human beings....good luck sweetheart

I agree that hes to young for food yet, Did you know, rice cerial, is the hardest to digest. It may be whats keeping him up.I'm guessing it may be causing him stomach pain or constipation. Check his stool. If its hard, you know its the rice you've given him.I never have agreed with making a child cry it out.Its just an easy/lazy way out of taking care of an unhappy baby. Theres always a reason,for the tears.There is no reason for laziness.Your husband is correct.Best of luck to you L.

Hmmm, he just may be going through a growth spurt perhaps... and as they grow and change, their sleep patterns can get interrupted as well, and they get hungrier. He may need to have a bottle and is just hungry.

Keep to a routine... put him down at the same time and same place, to build a consistency. It's important... if you keep it up, then as he gets older, he will get used to it, and it will be better for him and you.

He is obviously rejecting rice cereal and it's not working.. he is only 4.5 months old, it's not surprising. I would skip trying to get him to eat/drink that for the time being, unless your Pediatrician says to keep feeding him it. His internal organs/digestive system may not be ready for it. It's not always true that feeding them rice cereal at a younger age will "make" them sleep. They have to be ready to "eat".... their swallowing reflex and tongue reflexes have to get coordinated too.

I've kept my son on a regular nap and sleep routine since he was born. Through his sleep pattern changes, I kept to it... then as the phases passed, he went right back to his regular sleep routine. It takes consistency. Babies and children thrive on that.

Have you ruled out gas pain, constipation, early teething, or illness? Sometimes when a baby or child isn't feeling well, they get more clingy or wakes them more.

Yes, it's not easy when our child goes through sleeping difficulty, for us. But think about how it must be for them... not easy either. Just some ideas from my own experiences. Good luck, I"m sure you will get lots of good ideas here.
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

The mom who said it's too soon for solid food is right, unless your pediatrician recommended it. My son wasn't ready for solid food until he was 7-8 months old..and he's totally fine. Also, the white noise machines work GREAT! We have a fountain right underneath our bedroom window and it works like a charm.
I wish you lots of luck...We cosleep with our son and have virtually by-passed any of the usual difficult sleep issues.
Best wishes to you. R.

My daughter is having issues as well. She is 6 months and has good nights and bad nights. We have had nights that she slept till 8:30 or so but then other nights she wakes up every two hours. I called my doctor and he recommended that we pick her up every 15 minutes that she is crying. I have had to do it twice since I talked to the doc and it seemed to have worked for us. My older daughter would cry it out but this one has such a different personality!

On a personal note, I was unable to breastfeed. I have friends that are breastfeeding and don't think that it is that great. They are waiting for the ahhh moment that so many people say that they have. My point is, I am so tired of hearing how other kids are going to be so much better than mine just because they got to suck on their mom's boob. I SALUTE all of you mothers that do breastfeed because I have seen firsthand how hard it can be. But all of the moms out there that keep saying that they have a great bond with their child because of the feeding insinuates that I don't have a bond with my kids.. That hurts!

Your response from Lou H was right on!

Please don't let your baby cry it out! He obviously stills comfort at night. Have you tried co-sleeping? My 5 month old will only take naps in her swing and she sleeps next to me at night. I did the same thing with my first who is now 2.5 and sleeping in her own bed and has been for over a year. We still lay down with our toddler until she goes to sleep. For us sleeping with our babies and laying down with the children makes for a more peaceful way for children to sleep.

I know you are probably tired - so am I, but it will pass. It pays off in the long run. Keep up the great work - your baby needs you!

I also personally do not like the CIO method. Its not right. My son is 2.5 years old and i rocked him to sleep until he was about 1.5 years and now i lay with him in our bed till he goes to sleep and then transfer him into HIS bed. I have tried several methods to try and get him to go to sleep but then i just realized that not all kids are they same and some need more attention than others. My son is very independent during the day but come nap or night sleeping time he wants mommy or daddy. My daughter is completely opposite, she is 7.5 months old and she will only go to sleep in her crib, i can count on one hand how many times she has fallen asleep in my arms. She sometimes fusses but usually not crying and when she does cry when i lay her down i only let her cry for a few min, then go in there hold her for a min or two and then she is fine to lay back down and will go to sleep
every child is different and has different needs. You baby is still young and maybe he is teething?! or growing?! or has a little cold?! that may be keeping him from sleeping.
Good luck and God Bless
A.

I personally don't like CIO method. I think it's cruel. Sounds like he's getting used to the rocking if now he will only sleep in his swing. Do you have any sort of white noise machine? I have one that makes the sound of the heartbeat, nature sounds or music... works for my son... give it a try.

Hi L.!

I know you don't have any time to read, but the Baby Whisperer books really helped me. I have a 5 1/2 month old and have used her pick up/put down strategy. It's kind of middle of the road between cry it out and attachment parenting. When he cries in his crib you first try to calm him by shushing in his ear and patting - sometimes I lightly blow on his face and it makes him forget to cry. If that doesn't work to calm him, then you pick him up but only long enough to calm him, then you put him back down. It's giving him the message that he has to get back to sleep but you're there to help him if needed. She also talks about naps and other things. You could try looking at the message boards at babywhisperer.com or reading one of her books. He also may be starting to experience separation anxiety - no fun! Hope that helps!