My daughter will be 4 months in few days an she has horrible time sleeping. At night she wakes up every 20-45 min. It's hard on me because my husband got deployed, and I have no one to watch her while I take naps. I bought the book "No-Cry Sleep Solution" because everyone is recommending it. We follow the plan (5th day) and she seems to be doing little better at night; however, during the day she doesn't nap longer than 40 min. She has a hard time falling asleep without my breast and it's really hard on me because I'm so tired. We tried a lot. We co-sleep but I tried the swing and her crib for night and days. I can't sleep and have her on my breast at the same time because I'm a very light sleeper.She won't take her paci anymore, and I try to wear her in the sling but it doesn't make a huge difference.
I know that when her naps get longer she will have easier time sleeping at night. How can i encourage her?
I have a copy of The Sleep Sense Program that I would be happy to share. Send me a personal message with your email and I'll send it.
YOU POOR THING! As a mom of 3, I know what its like to not get much sleep AND to be a light sleeper. Have you tried keeping her more awake during the day? When my son was around that age I would keep changing activities to get him awake again, even if it was 2 small baths during the day. Around 6 months is where I think he was able to take 1 nap during the day but it was still very hard to keep him awake in the evening, especially after the time change. I would try taking him for a walk outside, different rooms, a saucer, a bouncer, swing.. Good luck, and I hope you get some sleep!
I don't think there is a magic book for a four month old, hee hee. Sorry not helping am I ?
It is good you don't let her fall asleep at your breast, that will be a bad habit to break later. However rocking her until she is drowsy and putting her down awake and teaching her to sleep all on her own is the best gift you can give her and yourself. I used to rub my babies backs but not pick them up if they had a hard time. They both would crash! :)
Make sure she is fed, diapered and relaxed, lay her in her crib and walk away. Try getting a soothing music box that is voice activated where it kicks of if she fusses. Leave her be for at least 10 minutes. If she is screaming to the top of her lungs then of course you need to go to her, reassure her but do not pick her up. Then walk out again.
Laying her down ONLY when awake will truly save you in the long run. Not co sleeping will help too.
I will suggest that you may need to pump to make sure she is getting the ounces she needs from breast feeding. There is no way to tell when breast feeding she is truly taking in and if you pump you can see, so you know if it is hunger related. She may just not be getting enough.
I put my kids in a pack n play in the living room at first so they got used to sleeping with noise for naps. Then moved them to their own crib during the day. It won't hurt her to fuss or cry for a bit. I didn't try crying it out until my kids were over 6 mos but it may work for her.
You sound exhausted and I am so sorry. Can you at least lay down when you put her down even if it is 40 minutes? Don't rush to her at the first fuss either, give her a minute, because if she is really tired she will fall back to sleep.
Keep the crib in your room if you want her close by, but if you break habits like co sleeping, falling asleep at the breast now, you will be in better shape later, I PROMISE.
And though binkies provide us all comfort, babies and parents be glad it will be one less habit to break.
I had to supplement with formula with my son, he took a lot of breast milk in but to see it measured out you will know if she is just hungry! :) Good luck and God bless!
It won't happen overnight and some kids are just better sleepers then others. I know how hard it can be (I have 7) and can barely remember the last time I slept through the night, I work off of auto-pilot :). I have to agree that breaking her of sleepin, while not on the breast is going to be the hardest but most rewarding, I wouldn't focus on making naps longer, some babies just don't require a lot of nap time, hence cat nappers, but getting her less reliant on you can help at night. Does she take a bottle? Pumping at night and seeing how much she is getting may make a difference, she may be only nibbling at night and not really eating, a bottle will help cause it works faster the the breast (don't stop breastfeeding it is a great gift) just tweek your feeding a little and see if that helps.
Good luck waking at night is a pain, but it is our job.
