Hi,
I have a 7 month son that was sleeping through the night since 2 months old. He has always been put to bed awake and falls asleep on his own. He had some difficulty when he cut his first 2 teeth but then he started to sleep through again. He would cry during the night but has always been able to soothe himself back to sleep within a few minutes.
The last few weeks he started to cry loudly and didn't seem able to soothe himself. This cry seems different then the past (almost like he is in pain or having a nightmare). When I went into his room he would basically still be asleep but I was able to pat his bottom and he would fall back to sleep. The last 3 nights it has gotten worse. He usually goes down around 9:30 and he tends to wake up between 12 and 1. Sometimes he gets up a second time around 3ish. Saturday I had to take him downstairs and he slept on me, and last night he screamed so loud that I was actually crying. He continued to cry even when my husband and I tried to console him. I tried changing his diaper because I wanted to make sure that wasn't the cause of his cry (it wasn't). He has been very active in his crib at night and when I do go in he tends to have his head in the corner up against the bumper. I heard putting children to bed earlier helps them sleep better but when we did that he would cry and tended to get a second wind. I am starting to think that he may be experiencing night terrors and don't know what the best solution is to help him sleep soundly again. I don't want to start a bad habit that I am going to have to break with him later on. I am open to suggestions on what may be causing his change in behavior and what to do about it.
Maybe you could observe him and see what happens before he starts crying. Maybe he is napping too much in the day. He could have something wrong, you would see him grimacing though, and maybe a fever. Look for that. If you think it could be nightmares, you may want to see what could be stessing him, including his diet.
I have an 8 month old...when she wakes and seems to be crying in pain, it is usually gas pain (even if she is not actually PASSING gas). I give her Mylicon. The doctor told me that even if gas is not the problem, giving Mylicon will not hurt the baby. This eased my wory of misdiagnosing her! There's nothing to lose by trying it, if you are still at a loss for why your little one is having trouble sleeping.
He's too young for night terrors, my son acts like this when he has an ear infection, and when he was cutting his molars. The very loud, inconsolable crying you described is a big tip off, and yeah, that is scary when you can't console them. It could also be teething. Try a little baby aspirin before putting him down to sleep, and I second getting his ears check. See if you can feel any lumps in his gums for new teeth.
I used to push gently on my sons ears on the outside part that gpes onto hte cheek. Usually if he had a ear infection he would shriek when I pushed. This isnt a sure fire way to check for ear infections but it can help. Also is his cry high pitched. Thats how you tell if its pain. If its just loud its possible he could be teething again or hungry. Has he started crawling or trying to lately? Everytime he hits a developmental milestone he will want more food and could be waking because he wants to eat.
Try reading "Sleepless in America" by Mary Sheedy Kurkinca. It offers various ideas for night waking.
Hi S.
Did you take him to the doctor yet, to see if he has ear aches?
You could try a night light with some soothing classical music that has no words. This is what I used for my youngest.
It could be teething, perhaps the upper or lower molars? I'm a HUGE fan of Orajel nighttime relief along with infant Tylenol. Our daughter had 8 teeth by 6 1/2 mos (4 top / 4 bottom) and had 12 teeth by 11 mos. Do you have music playing for him or white noise when you put him down for the night? Either of those things could help soothe him. I've put together half a dozen mixed CD's for our daughter and she seems to enjoy them. The 80 min. recordable CD's are great, 'cuz that's an hour and 20 minutes for her to fall asleep to!
I feel you on the sleepness nights, just tell yourself that it won't last forever. Easier said than done, I know. Lord bless you for dealing with this SO well since you're working full-time. Your co-workers and boss should thank you for all that you do!
I would definately take him to the doctor to have his ears checked. My daughter is usually a great sleeper at night, but sometimes she half-wakes up crying too and it's usually an ear infection. Also, if your son is able to move around in the crib, you really should take the crib bumper off so he doesn't suffocate himself by pressing his face up against it.
I think this is normal for all kids at some point. My daughter slept through the night from 6 months to 21 months except when sick or cutting teeth. However, at 21 months, she began getting up at night, sometimes several times, sometimes only once, and waking earlier. This continues still and she's now 25 months old. As kids grow, often I think changes occur. I know I can't sleep through the night without waking for some reason. However, if you are concerned its something serious, don't be afraid to ask your doctor.
