The 8 month old that I watch WILL NOT SLEEP!!!! I'll try to give him his bottle and he'll scream. So I let him scream for a minute and then he'll take his bottle. If it is COMPLETELY quiet in the house, he'll fall asleep on me, but wakes and screams his head off as soon as I put him down. I've tried to just let him cry, but no matter how long I have let him cry, he never ends up falling asleep on his own. I have other kids that need attention and so needless to say, I'm tired and frustrated. When he's happy, he's so happy, but when he's tired it's like Jeckle and Hyde! I've been watching him for 2 months and it just seems to get worse every day. I need some help! His mom says that at home, he just sleeps with no problem. I'm at a loss!
I'd ask the mom what she does at home.
Also, consider the sleep training book by Dr. Ferber. It will take a few days for baby to get the hang of it, but it will work. As he's crying his head off and not getting much rest anyway, you don't have much to loose.
We vowed not to tip toe around baby. He can sleep through fire trucks and other noise. They can learn. It can be done.
'The boy'.... LOL, I know how you feel.
My son's still a crappy sleeper.
Keep him on a schedule. Wake him the same time each morning, put him down for naps (and wake him) at the same times, put him down for bed the same time. I had to do this for MONTHS before my little guy got it.
(My first two, both girls, were the BEST sleepers, so this was a shock!)
My son wakes up around 7:30am, naps at 9-10:30, naps from 2:30-4, goes to bed at 8pm. Whether he cries or not, sleeps or not, he goes down. He's 18 months old now and just getting the hang of it. Now, he'll grab his blankie and come to me and say 'night night' because his little body knows when it's time to rest! Persistence is key... you'll get there :) Good luck!
Have you tried a swing?
asked mom where he sleeps at home? (with her or in a crib?)
Has his mom taken him to have his ears checked? My son is a pretty good sleeper most of the time but when he gets ear infections he will not lay down without screaming at all.
Ask the mom what she does in detail, see if there is a certain way she holds him, rocks him or any detail you can think of. Maybe even smells, blanket he uses if any. I know I have had some babies even put an arm behind you or not and little things like that make a difference when it's not your child.
Wow, tough situation for all of you. If your house is the only place he won't sleep, then there's something different about your house that is unsettling him.
Some babies need far more burping than they actually get. If he sleeps on you in a somewhat elevated position, but becomes uncomfortable when lying flat, then he could be suffering from pressure in his tummy. Some babies hate being transferred from a warm shoulder to a cool bed, but might do okay if the bed is pre-warmed with a hot-water bottle, or held until they reach the limp-arm stage.
Find out from his mom if he's used to any particular thing in his own bed: partial light or complete darkness, a sound machine or soft music, a specific bedtime routing that might include something like back patting. Even the two hours leading to bed can make a difference – some kids need lots of action to burn off excess energy, but for some that would only overstimulate them. Exposure to TV can really mess with a baby's brain wave patterns and make them anything but sleepy. Also, shorter or missing naps during the day might leave a child less able to sleep at night. You might even try a blanket or piece of clothing that smells like his mommy.
Also check the chemical situation that he's exposed to at your house. There are many new chemicals in modern cleaning supplies, fabric softeners and scented detergents, and air "fresheners" that are actually quite toxic and irritating to the nervous system, and a senstive child might simply be unable to sleep. I've known a few littles who became much more relaxed and better sleepers when these irritants were removed.
Finally, many, many babies become stimulated when they're about to reach a developmental breakthrough, standing, walking, or learning words. Their little brains go into overdrive. Eight or nine months is a common time for one of these disruptive cycles to hit. Is it possible that his mommy simply doesn't hear him when he cries at night?
I sure hope you figure out something that works.
If this only happens at your house, consider some type of environmental issue, like chemicals, mold, or dust mites. If he's allergic to something in your house, this could cause the behavior you describe.
could it be gas? if he falls asleep eating and wakes up screaming, he could be in pain. Try mylicon drops.
