My almost 18 month old son will fall asleep quickly on his own but around 11 pm wakes up screaming and gasey. He was pretty good for a little while once we found out that he was allergic to dairy, soy, and wheat but it has started again. When he wakes up he generally curls up on his stomach and he will grab me hand place it right under his belly and will fidgit fidgit fidgit and finally fall asleep only to wake up scream 10 minutes later and this continues until 5am when he wakes up for the day. Its beginning to take a toll on me I am so tired during the day that I tend to fall asleep when he takes a nap instead of doing housework. Its also taking a toll on me son too. He walks around with big dark circles under his eyes and is cranky from the poor nights sleep. He has an appt. with his ped. on wed. but any ideas to help until then would be great. Thanks.
Well after the clocks changed he has been sleeping much better. Many of you mentioned removing gluten from his diet but he is already on a gluten free diet we were told to assume he has celiac because he has such a bad reaction to wheat he can't have it for a few days in order to test for celiac. He drinks rice milk but I also recently added hemp milk to his diet so I don't know if that has anything to do with it but for whatever the reason he seems much happier. When he wakes at 3:30 it seems for the reason that he is scared and needs comfort than his stomache causing him to wake so hopefully everything will continue getting better. Thank you all for your help.
This sounds exactly like what my niece went thru . My SIL took her to a gastroenterologist (spelling?) and he put her on Prilosec. This along with the changes in her diet have helped her a lot!
Good Luck
D.
I agree with the other moms to make sure to check labels and see if there is any dairy, soy, or wheat in anything you are giving him. They hide those ingredients in everything! Also look into cutting our the gluten foods, as another mom suggested. He might be sensitive to more than just wheat.
In the mean time, you might want to try giving him some Baby's Bliss Gripe Water before bed. That may help with the gas. We had luck with our son who was really gassy from dairy, soy and all other beans, as well as nuts.
Don't feel guilty about sleeping when he sleeps. You need your sleep to be a good mama. Your children will remember how you made them feel when you played with them and loved them, but will not remember that the house wasn't so clean.
Good luck!
L.
I would make sure he was properly tested for celiac disease. Having blood drawn to measure ttgA, he needs to be exposed to wheat for a few days before the test for it to be difinitive. If it is celiac, he needs a strict gluten free diet, no cheating or testing the limits. It is important for his development and lifetime health. Did these issues start after introducing wheat cereals/cherios?
I strongly recommend removing gluten from his diet if you haven't already. My son was a horrible sleeper until we discovered he couldn't tolerate gluten (have since learned that half the family is celiac) and altered his diet. Before that he was always tired, fussy, clingy, and miserable. He had never slept through the night and was a poor napper, too. He cried a LOT. His speech was delayed. His appetite was poor. Long story short, removing the gluten made all the difference in the world, although it still doesn't take much of a dietary slip to disturb his gut and sleep.
As far as other comfort measures go while you're trying to find the culprit, I would see if he can tolerate a hot water bottle. This is a great comfort for gassy bellies as it relaxes the muscles and helps the gas to move.
Good luck--it's so tough when little ones have food issues!
My advice is NAP during his naps!!!! Don't feel guilty. Housework can wait until someone else is home or the weekends. You'll be a better mommy with some rest and your son will need all the energy you can give. I hope your doctor can help with the gas. There must be something else going on, unless he is just going through separation anxiety, which happens about now. (My daughter is going it, too.) Good Luck.
Be sure and read labels well on what you are giving him to eat. They sneak dairy, soy and wheat into things under names you might not recognize. He might also have a gluten intolerance not just wheat. Things that are wheat free are not necessarily gluten free. There are websites where you can get lists of things that contain gluten or can be cross contaminated with gluten that you should avoid. It's a huge list but definitely worth it if you/he are suffering.
Did you try giving him some tea before going to bed? Boil a leaf of lettuce in a quart of water(That might help). I also used to give my baby a tummy masage with oil.(my son just turn 1 year old)and he sleeps through the night since he was 4 months old.
Has your doctor ruled out acid reflux? I know all my kids had it as babies and grew out of it but maybe that's why his belly hurts.
I would also recommend a book called Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. Maybe he just needs some adjustments in his sleeping habits.
Hope this helps.
I hate to ask the obvious, but I am assuming you have already ruled out an ear infection or teething?
Are you giving him any medication?
Anyway, I don't have any anwers really-other than I am going through a similar thing with my 14 month old who teething and is very restless-will wake up in the middle of the night and NOT go mack to sleep! I feel your pain!! Sleep deprevation is the worst thing I have ever gone through! Just try to get as much support and help from friends and family. Is there anyone who can help you with cleaning or come over so you can nap?
Are you using any gas-ex for baby? You should give it to him before he goes to bed and again when he wakes up. Have you added anything new to baby's diet?
