Weisbluth Moms - Please Help!

It can take a few days, but it will get easier and then he will start sleeping better since he'll be so much more rested! You might want to either consider dropping the paci right now, because losing it might be rousing him. The other solution is surrounding him with a half dozen paci's so he can find one quickly and put himself back to sleep- but I think the whole paci thing is making him reliant on sucking to fall asleep which is why he probably wants you for the same reason and he's convinced himself he needs to suck on something to fall asleep. He may sleep a lot better and more continuously without it.

Hi Weissbluth mama! Sounds like you are using gradual extinction with a bit of success (you extended the length of time and he did eventually fall asleep), and if you're happy with that technique you may wish to keep extending it. Know that he will get the hang of it, it might just take a little time. We started with our son at 6 months (wish we would have started at 4 months...he would have been a happier, more well-rested child had we paid attention to his needs instead of catering to his every sound or whimper). We used extinction, as in, we didn't go in at all. While we didn't have middle of the night issues - we stopped night feedings at 4 months because he didn't ask for it nor did he need it - we did have 'early waking' issues. He would want to get up at the ungodly hour at 4:30, so we just let him CIO. The first few mornings were pretty long but after about day 4 he would wake up, cry about 5 minutes, then go back to sleep until 6:00 - 7:00. He didn't 'need' anything; he wanted us to get up and play with him. What he really 'needed' was to get plenty of restful, restorative sleep.

Feel free to send me a message if you have more questions or would like more help/support! For what it is worth, we used the Weissbluth techniques and CIO since our son was 6 months old. Now he is 2 1/2, does a fantastic job sleeping and napping, is happy and well-adjusted, and hasn't grown a second head or turned into this nervous/hateful child because we did CIO. Good luck to you!

Look up "wonder weeks." There is a major stormy period around 4 months that it sounds like your child is currently going through. Your child is going to have many periods where he doesn't sleep: when he is teething, when he is learning to sit up and roll over, when he is learning to stand. Most kids wake up all the time (my great sleeping 17 month old woke up screaming her little head off the other night and I had to go into her). So, while we don't want to create bad habits, there are many periods when they will have a crazy sleep schedules, especially when they are as young as your son.

If I was you, I'd figured out at what times you are going to feed him. Maybe you should try feeding him at 11:30 tonight and see if he then will go till a 3am feed -not the best situation when you have to get up for work, but that spacing might work --it did for my daughter (I put her to bed at 6:30). Also, I think the pacifier will just cause more problems in terms of learning how to self-sooth. Let him use his hand if he needs something, it's better than him learning to use the paci and then you having to go to him a million times a night when he loses it.

Also, keep in mind that craziness will always accompany changes in schedule, traveling, etc. A late bed time almost always results in a crazy night of sleep. So, do give yourself a break after being away. I'd give it a few more days and see if he doesn't settle down by himself.

Just a thought - he may be teething. My son had his first two by 6 months and the process started at about 4 months. Good luck!

I tried the Weisbluth method and it didn't work for my baby either. After months, I realized that what works best for one baby doesn't always work best for another. Now we're trying the montessori method and that's working.

I'd say just remain open to different ideas. I'm kicking myself for having been so set on the Weisbluth method for months after it didn't work. It may very well work for many other Americans but not for my kid.

Good luck!

P.S. Re: the constant eating-- he's probably teething; mine started even earlier than 4m. I haven't found an easy solution; it just sucks. Try paci, baby orjel, gripe water, etc. but all in all it just has to wait itself out. Good luck!