I Have an 8Mon Old Who Dosen't Sleep That Good and I Have Tryed Everything?

Try giving her some Infant Motrin about 30 minutes before bedtime. I like Motrin better because it works a lot longer than Tylenol. That should help her get to sleep and stay asleep a little longer.

N., if it is a teething problem, there are several products on the market (such as Ora-jel) that can be a great help. They have a numbing agent in them that helps to calm sore gums, alleviate teething pain, and let the baby sleep.
Good luck

teething also means an upset tummy; the saliva produced while teething is very acidic and since the little one swallows it all day, it may be she has an upset tummy, too. I know a lot of moms would disagree, but I think sleeping in mom's arms for the first year is the best way for mom and baby to get the best rest. There are so many cultures in this world that hold their babies ALL THE TIME, day and night. some Indian cultures NEVER set their baby down until they are at walking age, 24/7 in mom's arms! She's not sleeping on some nights b/c she just needs comfort, and you are the only person in the world that can give her all the lovin she needs when she feels that way. Teething is a double whammy, she just doesn't feel good and needs so many cuddles right now. Good luck in whatever you decide, I would suggest staying away from orajel, though; I just don't think it's very safe, nor do I think it acutally works for more than 10 minutes. I do believe she will grow out of this :)

Sounds as if you're trying to do TOO much to soothe the little one, and I'm sure YOU are as tired as SHE is! She's controling this situation, and the more you work at making her satisfied, the more she'll expect it. You have to make her 'beddy-bye' time HER responsibility. It shouldn't be anyone's 'JOB' to 'MAKE' her sleep. She should 'just do it' (like the Nike commercial). Put her to bed and let her sleep. When she's sound asleep, you can turn her onto her tummy if she doesn't end up that way herself. Otherwise, LEAVE HER ON HER OWN! If she doesn't get all that attention for a few nights, my guess is that she'll give up and quit TRYING to get it!

I read some other responses, and I think the 'family bed' is OK if that's something you want to do, but with our 4 (now adults) I let them 'cry it out' if they were getting demanding during the night, and they all slept the night through at a few months old (and the same with our 3 grandbabies). It doesn't damage their little 'pshcye' as long as they know they're loved the clock around.

Sorry you're going through this--it is extremely frustrating to not get sleep. My son didn't sleep through the night regularly until 19 months. At 8 months, he was still getting up every 2 hours, and he screamed a lot. I did everything you have done. Sometimes the techniques helped, sometimes not. If you can put up a small swing suitable for her, that might calm her down. Another thing that worked for our son was car rides, but gas is way too expensive for that these days.

At 10 months, we tried the "cry-it-out" approach, and it worked somewhat too. But sometimes he just got so worked up, when he did fall asleep, he'd be awake again in a half-hour, which made us all miserable.

Some kids have a hard time calming themselves and sleeping. Don't be too hard on yourself for what you're doing or not doing. Trying to get control of the situation can sometimes make things worse.

I hope this helps some--mostly I just wanted to tell you to hang in there and not go crazy trying to figure out the exact solution. You may just have to wait for things to pass. Or, if you have access to any help, ask for it so you can get some rest.

I also agree that this is probably a phase. Although not an easy one. And maybe not a short one. Most babies do not sleep well the first year and many do not sleep well the second year. She could be teething-I also recommend Highlands Teething Tablets. Or motrin. She could have an upset tummy-the Gripe Water could help with that. We could not have lived without a white noise machine. We still use it. Co-sleeping also worked wonders for us. I would not have gotten any sleep without it. And no, it won't spoil baby. My 2 year old has transitioned very well to his own bed in his own room after 2 years of cosleeping. It's really only here in the U.S. that cosleeping has the stigma. There are entire countries practicing it. I could not do the crying it out. I think it's so mean. And not natural. It goes against our natural mothering instincts which is why so many moms hesitate in trying it. Parenting does not end at sundown. I read one mom's response that said your little girl is controlling you. At 10 months. Geesh. Babies are not born manipulators. If she could use words, she would tell you exactly what she needs to get to sleep. But she can't, so she wails. I know it's frustrating to not get any sleep and to worry about what her problem is. So I have 2 more pieces of advice. First is to know you are not alone. There are thousands of moms going thru the same thing right now and thousands more (like me) that I have been thru it. Sometimes just remembering that will make you feel better. The second one is to take care of yourself as much as you can during the day so you'll be better equipped to be there for baby during the rough nights (or naps!). This may be getting hubby or a relative to sit with baby while you nap or just chill out. Work out. Go shopping. Pamper yourself somehow. So that when baby's sleep needs start to wear on you, you'll be in a better frame of mind to handle it.
Good luck to you and best wishes!!

hey N....i have the same thing going on w/my 15 month old and it is sooo stressful in the middle of the night especially. i dont know what works, i have 2 older children and each of them were so different in their sleeping habits...she is not like either of them. i think a lot of times she is just plain hungry. i can come down at 3 am and feed her oatmeal and shell go right back to sleep.in my bed that is... so what i have been trying was not letting her nap late (we dont have issues w/napping at all) into the day, feed her dinner and before bedtime..about 30 min before i give her some oatmeal...not watery, a little thick, and that seems to hold her over longer...if she does wake up in the middle of the night and i feed her i then lay her w/me in the bed and cosleep. problem w/that is that then she will sleep until 10am and i am there right along w/her (the other 2 have made it in the bed by that point as well). i would not medicate in anyway unless you absolutely know for sure that she is teething...motrin/tylenol is not to use on a regular basis....good luck babe! 'its just a season'....before we know it they'll be off to preschool and their sleeping patterns will be the least of our worries..they grow up so fast...hang in there!

Try limiting her nap times during the day, that is the only way I got my now 1yr old to start sleeping at night right around that age. Try not to let her sleep later than 4pm for her afternoon nap and not more than about two hours. Also, I used to nap with my son and I stopped doing that, I swear when I stopped napping with him he started sleeping through the night, It was hard because I liked it but it was better for all of us when he was on a good schedule. Also, pick a bedtime that works for you and stick with it. She is old enough now to be on a schedule and will do well on one. Lastly, don't rush into her room right when she starts crying at night, she is old enough now to know she is safely in her bed when she wakes up and will most likely fall back asleep, I never let my son get to a frantic cry but if he was just whining I would wait it out until he fell asleep, once again, it is hard but so worth it, Hope this helps,
M.

I'm so sorry to hear about your sleepless nights. I know how it goes. My only suggestion, and you can try it, is to be strong, and keep a consistent routine each night, and give her all the love and attention she needs during the day and put her down awake or at least drowsy. In between taking naps during the day to catch up on your sleepless night, do try to read the most amazing and awesome book ever written about getting kids to go to sleep and stay asleep. The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. It saved us with our little girl! Good luck!

A.

Your dr is right, she will outgrow it. But that doesn't help you in the meantime. I'm not a dr, but I am mom of 7, g-ma of 11, and midwife to hundreds.
In utero, baby could always hear your heartbeat, and your voice, it was a dark warm environment. sleeping next to you gives her the security that she felt in the womb, hearing your voice & heartbeat, smelling your smell, feeling you next to her keeping her safe and secure. Its scarey being all alone at her age. You may be a room away or a few feet away, but she does not know that, she cannot feel your presence unless you're cuddled together. Giving her the security she craves now, is not going to spoil her, or make her to dependant on you, in fact the opposite is true, if her need for security is adequately met now, she will grow to be independant and self assured, not clingy or whiney.
As babies, their stomachs are small, therefore they need small frequent nursings, as they grow, their stomachs grow and they can gradually go longer between feeds. I don't expect anyone under the age of 2 yrs to sleep all night.
Co-sleeping will go a long way to increasing the rest both of you need.

Hi N.,

Try giving your baby a warm bath each evening before bed. Feed her afterward if she didn't eat beforehand.

Make the bath a part of your bedtime routine and soon she will associate it with going to sleep. After the bath you may want to turn down the lights and play soft classical music or lullabyes to help her drift off to sleep. Also, make sure you start the routine at the same time every night.

I do this every evening with my 4 month old. I started it when she was 3 months old. I still have to hold her and rock her for a little while each night, but often she will drift off before bath time. Before I started this routing I was up all night and morning with my daughter. We are both getting more rest now.

I am not sure what to do about the baby not sleeping, but I am concerned about you saying you can't put the baby on it's back becuase of a flat head. Back to sleep is the way to put babies to sleep, ever since this "back to sleep" movement has been around, SIDS has diminished. Please look @ this website www.levelfour.us.com and READ about "tummy time" for your baby and be more informed about your baby's "flat head". You may need a helmet for the baby, but EDUCATE yourself first. Again, I beleive BACK TO SLEEP is safest for your baby.

Something that used to help my boys sleep was Gripe Water...not even sure if its still around.,.but it sooths them..good luck..
S. B

Hi N., there are 2 things I know of that might help. One is a CD called "Transitions" (you can find it online and at Amazon.com) It is very light and airy with the sounds of a heartbeat heard through a womb. It has worked wonders for both my son and daughter, especially when the CD is on repeat. It is an hour long and fades out softly. The other thing is a small silky/satin blanket. I found them at USA baby, or you can make your own. It is satin on one side and very soft fleece on the other. It's about 1 foot square and whenever I fed my kids a bottle I would put it in their laps so they could play with it with their hands and get the feel of it---therefore, they learned to associate it with a "comfort" feeling. Then as I rocked them or snuggled with them I would have it for them to play with. Both my son and daughter preferred the satin/silky side and would rub it between their fingers or rub it on their cheek. My daughter (1 yr.) must have it at every nap, and she prefers to wad it up and snuggle it to her neck area and cheek. Whenever we go somewhere or I think she may need comforting (such as a babysitter or going to the doctor) I take the blanket and as soon as I hand it to her she will calm down. The key is to make sure they associate it with a warm, comforting feeling such as feeding time with a bottle. It's usually best to start it when they are very young, but it can also work now. Since it is so small (12 inches square) I'm not worried about them sleeping with it, (although I wouldn't recommend it for a baby under 8 months.) Also, does she use a pacifier? ...if not, maybe you can try one. You can also try different lighting techniques. My son liked it very light in his room, but my daughter only sleeps well with near total darkness! Also, if your daughter is really fussy after you have been rocking, bouncing, etc for a while....she may just be ready to snuggle down by herself and get comfortable in her bed. (When my daughter is wiggling in my arms while rocking, I will put her in her crib and she usually settles down and comforts herself.) Good Luck, hope some of this helps!

Hi N.,
First, let me say that everything will be fine. This too shall pass. You also need your rest, so getting your baby settled will help the both of you. I have 3 of my own, ages, 13, 9 and 3 years. I think I can help. I was also 24 when my first child was born. I was a single parent in the Army, so times were difficult for me. After my second child was born, I avoided dairy products, something that I always gave my daughter. He wasn't as fussy and he slept through the night by the time he was 3 months. I changed to soy formulas and milk for my last two children. Both slept well. I also took advice from my mother and older more experienced in-laws and put a little baby oatmeal or rice in their milk. Since your baby is 8 months, I think she should be able to tolerate spoon feeding. I would consult your pediatrician before you change anything, but remember, not all babies are the same. Use caution and rely on prayer (if you believe). Your baby may be hungry in addition to teething. If it's just teething problems during the night, try orajel. During the day, if you can, try a teething ring that has been placed in the freezer for awhile. You doctor could suggest OTC pain relievers. Consult your doctor first, because babies are different. I hope this helps alittle.

IF you think it is even partly due to teething, try Hyland's Teething Tablets. They are a homeopathic teething remedy & work great for most people. You can get them at any health food store, whole foods, but I have also seen them at Wal Mart.

They run about $5. One container got me through two kids & a few for a friend.

They are quick-dissolve, palletable, and wont interfere with any other meds etc.

Hi

I noticed that you said your baby cannot lay on her back b/c of a flat head. have you looked into getting an Amby bed? My son loved it!! It can be used util they are about 2 years old if needed. Look them up on line...I think they are even sold in Babies R Us now. I could just jiggle it and my son went right back to sleep.
J.

I took care of my 10-mo-old grandson last weekend who hasn't slept through the night yet. (He also started teething at 4 mos!) I will definitely tell my daughter about the homeopathic remedies and I have another suggestion that might work -- a "white noise" machine. My husband and I use that (especially when traveling) and it is just a whooshing sound all night long: no highs or lows or water sounds -- just a steady sound that blocks out the normal household noises. We tried this with my grandson and he slept all night! BTW, he startles very easily and even after getting a good night's sleep, my dog wanted to play with him the minute he got up and started to bark which got the baby screaming and the more he screamed, the more the dog barked! Soooo, we walked around with baby on my shoulder for at least an hour -- nothing else would calm him down!! (Just a funny story -- no help to you at all!)

first and formost i would take your concern to your doctor. if your doctor is not taking you seriously i would find a new doctor. i would also keep a sleep journal to find out if she is getting enough sleep and what is the pattern. children with allergies can get dark circles under their eyes so don't be alarmed by that it may be allergies. just make sure she is sleeping by writting it down because if she is not sleeping than you aren't either and an overly tired mom can easily forget what is going on.

if she's not sleeping because of teething, then try a dose of baby motrin or tylenol and hyland's teething tablets. it'll ease her gum and help her sleep more soundly.

If she is teething, go to Target <I'm sure that other stores carry them also, but the ones at Target are the ones I use> and buy some Homeopathic Teething Tablets. They are 100% natural, and has 0 side effects. They are small white tablets that dissolve instantly. You can use 2-6 at a time, every few hours. They are AMAZING! I have a 13 mth old, and it works like a charm! Just ask the pharmacist.

I don't know if anyone has suggested they check her adenoids. I know of more than one child that have had sleeping issues due to enlarged adenoids.