My son just turned 1 on January 3rd, he has never been a good sleeper, but lately it is even worse. He used to at least sleep from 8-12, and 1-4, but now he is up about every 1/2 hour to an hour, screaming at the top of his lungs and is inconsolable. He is teething but he already has 14 teeth and has never acted like this before. I just don't know how to handle this, we've tried lettin him cry it out, but he gets so worked up that he stops breathing and then coughs continuously. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
When they scream like that, something is really bothering them so crying it out doesn't solve the problem. You say he has 14 teeth, but could he be getting his 1 year molars? If that's the case, some baby orajel & tylenol could make a world of difference.
You really should get a sleep training book. We use Good Night, Sleep Tight by Kim West. She is known as the Sleep Lady. You little one should be going to be around 7:30 and sleeping for about 12 hours. I agree that right now he might have an ear infection. But the book is really great because it is gentle approach and you won't have to let him cry it out. It also is a quick read so it won't take you more than an hour to read what you need to start applying the techniques. Trust me it works wonders!
www.askdrsears.com
check for any discomforts he may have. check to see if it isnt too hot or too cold. check to see if he just needs more physical contact. make sure his diaper isnt too small or too tight... it would leave imprints... check for any rashes on the skin, a sliver or something,
if all else fails, take him to the doctor to eliminate any chance of ear infection or other pain that way....
good luck. im glad that you are sensitive to your baby's needs to not make him cry it out. check the website i mentioned for information on cry it out, and be glad you are strong enough to listen to your intuition. you are being told something is bothering your son, and thats a GREAT thing~!! :D
Read Night Time Parenting by Dr Sears or go to his Web site, askdrsears.com. Sears has never failed us.
Have you thought about keeping him close? Are you nursing, if so, keep it up. Nursing can be your number one parenting tool at this age.
Regardless, keep him close and rest with him.
Good Luck!
J.
We've done it all too! Crying it out, being so tired that we just give him a bottle, co-sleeping doesnt work (though I wish it did)because he doesnt calm down with that. We have a spare bed in my son's room that I use to cuddle with him before bed (he still gets a bottle at bedtime even at 13 months). And we have the cool-air humidifier which helps a ton.
Try letting him tire on his own in the bedroom with you. I shut the door and turn off the lights. He gets off the bed and goes to the door 1-3 times before he comes back to cuddle and eventually fall asleep. Sometimes singing reminds him that I'm in there. He'll whine and cry and pound on the door, but he'll come back to bed and then I transfer him into his crib.
You may have him seen for a possible ear infection. Teething can sometimes lead to an ear infectin & nothing makes them yell at night like an ear infection. If it is only at night he is acting this way - i would bet money on it. It's a lot of pressure on their head already, but the ear infection can make it almost intolerable. hope your little one feels better soon,
You might want to bring him in to see if he has an ear infection. that used to be the only way we could tell if my son had one or not. I would have that checked though and if he dont have one at least you know, and if he does then within 1-2 nites he should be sleeping better after he would start the antibiotics. I hope you figure out the cause soon so you can all get some sleep.
Have you tried the teething tablets from Hylands? They worked wonders with our first child. They helped with our second but didn't have quite the big effect on him.
If your son is that upset I would NOT let him cry it out. He needs you to comfort him. Even if it means holding him till he falls back asleep.
(We chose co-sleeping when our children stopped sleeping well. This may or may not be the answer for you BUT we've had GREAT LUCK with this method. Both our kids sleep in our room. They both start in our bed but our 19 month old gets restless and wants to go in the crib after a short time while our 3 1/2 year old stays in our bed with us. We sleep GREAT!)
Good luck!
Is it posible that there is an ear infection, constipation, or acid reflux?
