I have three boys. My challenge at the moment is my youngest sleeping habits. He is 8 months old and an absolute angel. My problem is at night. When he was 5-6 months old he started having the winter bugs (colds, stomach, teething, you name it), since we have 3 kids the bugs just took turns in the kids. So at the time that I would normally have weaned him from his pacifier I really couldn't. Now that he is doing much better he is still waking up almost every 1 1/2 in the middle of the night (some nights he does sleep all the way from 630pm-600am). I never nurse him (I know those pitfalls), but I do go in to put his "plug" back in, which makes him fall asleep immediately. We are thinking about bootcamping it, but he seems to scream for hours and not settle down at all. We have noise makers in all the boys room, but the screaming is still very loud. Does anyone have any suggestions?
We used The Sleep Lady's plan, which in the long run has worked well enough. Her name is really Kim West, and you can read her book, or visit her website www.sleeplady.com
Was in the EXACT same boat. Now 12 mos old, and waking up once or twice, more nights he is making it through. I threw 7-8 pacifiers in the crib, and have had better nights. I don't care to break him of the pacifier. I know he only uses it in the crib for sleep, and he's not going to go to school with it. Don't sweat the small stuff right?
Hi H.. I started the techniques in the book called "The Baby Whisperer, Solves All Your Problems" by Tracy Hogg when my son was 8 months old... it worked like a charm! There's a technique called Pick/up, Put/down. My 8 month old was also reliant on mom and dad running in to re-insert the binki! The technique tells you to go in and pick the baby up, but as soon as he calms down, you put him right back, reassuring him that it's okay. You may have to do this dozens of times an dit may take a while, but it does work. I highly recommend the book, it goes into much more detail than I've explained (from everything to eating, napping, bedtime, toddlers, etc.) My only regret was that I didn't discover the book sooner! Good Luck!
I know how hard it is to break them out of the habit of waking up and being comforted. I don't see an issue about the pacifier if he only uses it to sleep. my son only had his to sleep with and in the car but when i wanted to finally get rid of it i threw it into the diaper pail(the groosest place) and let him scream it out
it was one night of pure screaming but after that first night he didn't want it again to sleep with it was actually tougher to break the car habit
if you can have your other kids spend the night at someone else's house so they don't hear all the screaming
good luck
There are some great ideas for weaning off the pacifer in the No Cry Sleep Solution book.
My oldest daughter did the same thing with the pacifier at that age. I didn't feel comfortable with letting her cry it out, so we didn't go that route. But she did eventually learn to grab the pacifier on her own when she woke up. I put a bunch of them around her in her crib and she'd feel for one and put it in herself. Some say to put them in a corner of the crib where he'll know to get them. I also read the "no cry sleep solution" and that really helped us establish a sleep routine with her. My 5 1/2 month old also loves her pacifier and with her I've found that I can get her back to sleep without a feeding or the pacifier by picking her up and snuggling for a moment, then putting her back in her crib. But she's a bit younger and probably not as "smart" as your son at 8 months! My thought is that if he's crying that hard he's needing the comfort of mom or dad - - I'm sleep deprived myself right now too, so I know how hard it is, but I also know that in time we will all get some sleep!
Hi H.,
I'm a SAHM of 6, soon to be 7, so I can relate to being sleep deprived. The book that saved my samity with my 4th was called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth, which my pediatrician recommended to me when i was at the end of my rope. It was painful for a couple days, and then, blessed sleep! We were all happier. Some babies really seem to need the extra bit of training to get themselves to sleep, or back to sleep. the only thing with the pacifier route is that the baby becomes so dependent on it, and then you have the battle later of weaning them off it. We fortunately lost our last one, and I refused to buy another, so that ended that. Anyway, the book gives you a couple different options, and walks you through step by step, and a lot of it isn't what common sense would say, so it was a surprise to me, but worked like a charm. I've since used it with my other children, too. Good luck.
Oh, please don't deny him nursies at night :(
Being able to nurse at night is crucial for this age. They are so curious and getting into things. They need time to connect with mama at night, both for nutrition and emotional development.
I would try taking him into bed with you. It's so much easier to deal with a baby who doesn't sleep through the night if he is right there next to you. I don't even wake up when my seven month old nurses at night :)
FYI: I heard in the news not too long ago that humidity helps against the spread of germs. It protects the air passages and skin so that they don't get dry and crack - allowing germs to enter the body. You can tell if there is too little or too much humidity in the air during the winter if you live in a cold outside environment. If the windows have water clinging to them on the inside of the house - to much humidity. If the windows are dry on the inside of the house - time to turn on the humidifier.
Have you ever heard of the books Baby Wise. We lived by them and worship the ground they walk on. The first book is about getting babies on a true routine and how to deal with those situations of colds etc.. that can raise problems with the routine. The next book is for toddlers and so on. I do believe "bootcampin" it is the to go with some changes to meet his needs. I know the screaming is heard to hear but know those little babies are way smarter that most think and they know how to push our buttons to get what they want. Looko into those books. C. mother of an 8 and 4 year old boys. GOTTA LOVE THEIR ENERGY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not sure if this the kind of advice you are looking for, but we solved the pacifier problem by putting 5 or more pacifiers in the crib. Both my kids very quickly learned to find one, and I didn't need to get up unless there was something else wrong.
H.
P.S. This is what happens if you leave the answer window open for hours.... looks like other people suggested this before.
try putting several pacifiers in his crib so when he wakes up he has a better chance of feeling around and finding one on his own
Hey H.
The only thing I can suggest which is going to sound cold hearted but it worked for me, let him cry it out if youcan.. My son will be one this Sunday and he woke up three times a night to eat (formula fed) my doc told me he didn't need to eat during the night after 6 months so I started weening him off eating ans just connsoling him when he woke up in the middle of the night. well needless to say that took its toll on me and I went to his doctors again in tears, and they told me again to let him cry even if its for hours!!! So for three nights in a row he cried and it sucked but it started to get shorter and shorter than not at all so for about a week he cried and now he sleeps threw the night!!! YEAH!!! I would have saved myself along time ago if I knew that worked!!!!!
Good Luck
Have you read "The NO Cry Sleep Solution"? It has helped me a lot with sleep and my son.
