09 June 2009
Sleeping....what's that?
Harrison's sleeping just seems to be getting worse and worse and I'm running out of ideas. He goes down really easily but then will wake up sometime between 3 and 5 hours later...and at first just needed his binky to fall back asleep..but then we got sick of going in there eighteen times a night (and what felt like every five minutes) to put the binky back in so we tried to not give the binky back and he just cries and cries---nothing will console him but the binky. So we give in (after waiting awhile, going in, consoling, waiting, trying to console..)..and then last night ...he cried for over an hour WITH the binky (like he was preempting us taking it away?) until I fed him...I'm sure he's ridiculously confused and nothing seems to be working. I know with babies you need to be consistent, etc etc...Oh yeah and all three of us have colds which I think have been exacerbated by the lack of sleep. I've read, I've talked to people--apart from letting him cry for hours (not just because I can't handle it..the more practical reason, neither cory nor I can spend the sleepless nights it would cause...) advice??? I know at five months he SHOULD be sleeping through the night no problem and yet he just won't do it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Well, hmmm... what about Rice cereal? have you started any solids yet like rice cereal in the evening? He may just be a growing hungry boy and he needs more to eat during the day now. I start my babies on solids at about 4 months. Just add it in at dinner time (a little rice cereal mixed with formula or breast milk) and then bottle before bed and see what happens. If he likes that then try adding it in a few days later at breakfast too after the bottle in the morning. Good luck and call me if you need more advice! Seriously I know it gets tough! But he should start sleeping at night longer and on his own by now. Good luck!
Can't wait to meet the little guy in a month!!
I second Kari's advice...she's so wise...I always call her when I need help with my babies. Then once you know that he's got a full tummy and a clean diaper, put him down for the night. If he wakes up, which experience tells you he will, don't go in there. He's probably getting more social now too and craves your attention and smiles etc. Which is a GOOD thing, only NOT in the middle of the night every 5 min. Buy a box fan, put it in your room and shut your door. Do everything you can to not go in there, I PROMISE you he will not cry all night long....not even to put his binky back in. He is testing you to see what his limits are and right now he's winning. AND YOU ARE LOOSING SLEEP AND SANITY!!!! Just stick it out for a couple of days and you'll be good!! Jordan totally did this right at 5 months too!! Kari told me to do the rice cereal thing, and it def. helped, and I had to be strong and just let him be. I know not everyone agrees with this technique, but it has worked for me and so I share my opinion for what it's worth. Stay strong Amber, you are such a good mommy!!
The rice cereal worked for two of mine so I would give it a try or sometimes ours got attached to a musical toy that played music and if we played the music he went back to sleep. Good Luck! I hope you find a solution and whatever you find. I want to know just for future reference!
Thank you! We started rice cereal at 4 months but I haven't done it as often as I should because he doesn't really seem to actually eat much of it-but well keep at it! Also sheila that is just the pep talk I needed-BE STRONG AMBER!!!
I definitely agree with the others... if you know his tummy's full and he has a clean diaper... then there's really not much else you can do. One thing I did once was rock them until they calm down, then put them down right when they're soothed (not asleep). If they start crying again and it becomes hysterical, rock them again until they're soothed, etc., just keep doing it until they realize you're not going to rock them to sleep. Usually it takes only a day or two of sticking with a good plan for it to kick in and start working. I think everyone with kids has been through this so know you're in good company.
I know I'm going to have to start thinking about all of the tricks now because I'm going to be facing it all again very shortly! Then I'll be asking YOU for the advice since I won't be able to remember it all!
Sleeping is a huge thing for me. I need sleep. I read a book that really helped me, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. Also, none of my kids so far have liked rice cereal. I usually go to Oatmeal cereal and I add applesauce or apple juice. Then they eat a lot easier. Just try things and see what works for you and Harrison. Good luck!!
Post a Comment