Sleep - Millstadt,IL

My daughter also had horrible sleeping issues up until she was 16months old. I wouldnt use the car seat anymore though, youll get her used to it and then you;ll be in big trouble when she is too big for it! If she has a cold or ear problems try putting a pillow under the bed mattress to prop it up at a slight incline, also a vaporizer will help as well. With our daughter it ended up being an ear canal anatomy problem, she kept getting reoccuring ear infections to the point where we pushed getting her into an ear nose and throat specialist. He told us that some babies ear canals dont form right until they get older and that when laying down flat fluid builds up and causes pressure, so she would sleep for a few hours and then wake up crying, i'd pick her up (the ears would drain) and then she would go back to sleep only to repeat the cycle again all night long!!! Eventually we were able to have tubes put in her ears (at 16months) and she has been sleeping through the night and ear infection free ever since!! But when she was small I would incline her mattress, use a vaporizer, and sometimes I would put her into a boppy seat to sleep because it vibrates(it looks like a giant pillow bed they sell them at target) another thing that might comfort her is one of those little holder things that go into the crib, not sure what they are called but it prevents them from rolling...they sell them at all the baby stores and you simply place the baby in the middle of it inside the crib, it's worth trying....Also if you both work maybe you should start questioning whats going on at the babysitters, is your daughter put down for naps all day?? If thats the case then her days and nights would be switched...it would make sense....good luck!

I also have concerns about you using a car seat as a crib. The news reported a baby that died at a day care center from getting caught in the belt, they say not to let your child sleep in one. One of my grandchildren could only sleep well when she was swaddled, the rest didn't like being confined. I would guess that part of your problem is that you go to her too often. If she was left in bed she would probably soothe herself and go back to sleep.

This is from the Mayo Clinic web site so you may want to read it .

3. Using the car seat as a replacement crib

A car seat is designed to protect your child during travel. It's not for use as a replacement crib in your home. A 2009 study showed that sitting upright in a car seat may compress a newborn's chest and lead to lower levels of oxygen. Although it's essential to buckle your child into a car seat during travel, don't let your child sleep or relax in the car seat for long periods of time out of the car. Airway obstruction — even when it's mild — can impair a child's development.

I am aware of this since you and many others sleep kids in car seats, I have used it some years ago for respiratory help, etc. BUT my sister found this and it's something to consider.

why cant you swaddle her in her bed? we swaddled our daughter till she was 9 months. SwaddleMe makes a great self swaddler that we used until she stopped needing it. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3726432 I believe they also make a sleep sack that swaddles the arms. Good luck!

Our youngest son kept getting out of his swaddle when he was about 6 months, so my husband figured out the "baby straightjacket." Sounds horrible, but it works so well.

You'll need 2 swaddling blankets. Fold both blankets as you normally would for swaddling. Lay them one on top of the other so they are identical (or reasonably so). Lay your baby girl on the blankets. WIth the first blanket, fold the sides over her arms and under her back so her arms are pinned against her sides. With the second blanket, fold it just like a normal swaddle. Our son was still able to pull his arms out when he needed to, but this way he really was able to sleep a lot better.

Good luck!

I don't know that it would help since she's rolling, but they now make a pillow to go in their bed (I think they're wider than the car seat) that is shaped like the car seat. It keeps their heads up and their feet (a little up). Maybe that would help her and maybe you could still swaddle her. (I swaddled my youngest until she was about 6 or 7 months because she liked it so much.)