My son was sleeping through the night for two months and now for no apparent reason other than teething has decided to only sleep 1-2 hours at a time each night. I have tried the let him cry a while, come back soothe lay back down cry over and over again and he gets more intense, less sleepy etc... the longer it goes on. I have let this go on for an hour and a half, and have only done it 3 times b/c it kills me! I am not a mom who can let him cry it out, it makes me cry and sick, but by not getting full sleep ever I also don't feel well and it makes my diabetes worse. Just wondering what I should do. He wants to be with me and wants to eat to go to sleep he has always been this way and every time I try to change it, it doesn't go well and I break. Last night he got so mad he turned himself over and then had his arm out the crib and his head against it (that was a first good thing I hadn't left the room for long) it is just crazy how spirited he seems. After all that time and then eating 6 ozs he only slept for 2 hours you would think he would have been wore out!! He fights sleep all the time, but is better when I hold him. Any Christian parenting advice?
I have started solids about a month ago per Peditrician request but he only eats a little of the cereal in the a.m. (he is not a fan). He has started carrots and squash so far and he eats those pretty well but not great especially last 2 days all he wants is his bottle. Yes I only put formula in the bottle b/c they told me mixing the cereal with it causes obesity and he is already a chunky monkey.
I am getting different answers from everyone so far, so it is hard to make a decision. I don't know how much of it is his teeth, but my main question is do other babies out there last for 1-2 hours and never go to sleep after crying and screaming that long? If he would do it for 30 minutes and go to sleep I could handle it but not for so long!
What is he eating in that 6 oz bottle?
If it's just formula or breastmilk, it might be time to start supplementing with rice cereal. Get a high-flow nipple (or cut a slit in the smaller one) and mix some rice cereal into the bottle. Also, if he's completely finishing 6 oz, it might be time to move up to 8oz.
Good luck!
C.
Well first of all I am a big supporter of the cry it out, however, if your son is upset for teething (or sickness) reasons, you should not let him CIO. You should comfort him and hold him and whatever. Give him something for the pain and be with him if that's what he needs.
If it is not due to sickness/teething then you should probably try bumping up his feeding. Does he eat solid foods yet? If not that's fine as 6 months is the recommend age, but since he's so close, he may just need that extra kick. Start out with rice cereal and then move to oatmeal if he's fine with the rice. We would give my 4 month old a bowl before bed and that helped him sleep through the night. Honestly, I would at least try attending to his teething and eating needs before going back to the CIO method. You want to make sure that it isn't any of the above issues before you leave him to himself.
Your baby is already playing you. Give him something for teething, his bedtime bottle with as much as he wants, and get yourself some earplugs. He knows you'll come in if he cries, so why wouldn't he? It will only take a few nights for him to relearn what you've already taught him. Do it now before it gets worse. If you're worried about him hurting himself, get a bumper pad.
My advice us to get a book called " On Becomming Baby Wise". It can be found at most bookstores. I read this before I had my 2nd child and it is a miracle! My first baby was like you are describing. But after I read this and put it to work, my next baby was sleeping through the night at 2 months old. It has worked for everyone I know that has read it and put the info to use! It is also Christian based. Btw- I just noticed you are from Little Rock! Not too far down the road!
I am NOT a fan of the cry it out method - especially on a baby this young. It sounds like he needs something... more food? Could check w/ Ped. on giving cereal early - or more formula/breastmilk. Also, have you tried tylenol at night in case he is in pain from his teeth? Could he have an ear infection (painful when lying down?) Finally, if you've ruled out all physical issues - then soothe him if he needs it. Maybe just rub his back and sing to him to avoid getting the picking him up habit. He needs something - keep trying (trial and error) until you can find it. Hang in there... : )
I would think teething or earache...have you given him tylenol or ibuprofen? try that, and make sure he's not hungry. You can do cry it out in small increments, like let him cry 10 min then go to him, calm him, then let him cry 12 min, etc etc. If he has an ear infection, though, you shouldn't let him cry. Not till he's well.
Good luck, it's so hard when they won't sleep!
It sounds like he may be having some ear problems. If he is not going back to sleep and staying asleep after you have tended him (diaper change, feeding, comforting him, med. for teething) this may be the problem. You should call his pediatrician and see if you can get him checked just to make sure. The lying down will make his ear pain worse if this is the problem. It makes it super tough on you to just make it through the next day, and the last thing you need is for you to get sick also. I hope this helps.
Both of my kids did the same thing at about 5 months. It's a normal developmental stage for babies to have trouble sleeping at that age. What I found to work with both of my kids was to change what we did at bedtime a little. I used to nurse both babies to sleep when they were small. Then, at 5 months they decided to wake up every couple of hours to eat more. I had to stop nursing all the way to sleep and read 2-3 stories or sing a couple of songs before putting them down in the crib still awake. My son cried a little the first night or two, and then went back to sleeping well. (I don't believe in the cry it out method either). I would go in every 5-10 mins. and just let him know I was there and he stopped crying pretty well after 2-3 days. My daughter only fussed a tiny bit. She was much easier! This is what the sleep books tell you to do and it worked really well for me. I hope it helps you too! Good for you for not putting cereal in the bottle. It is OK to give him a few spoonfuls near dinnertime or bedtime though. Just don't put it in the bottle and you should be fine.
