Moms-Dads I need HELP!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-11-2004
Moms-Dads I need HELP!
5
Fri, 06-11-2004 - 11:10am
HI everyone! I should probably be putting this post in the Sleep boards but here it goes. I have a 6 month old that WAS sleeping through the night from 3-5 months. As soon as he hit 5 months he has been a misreable sleeper. He is eating jar food since 5 months but he is still on the bottle. He is awake about 2-3 hours then he is so ready for a nap. He gets mean. pinches, bites (well gums you not bites), thrashes around rubs eyes. So I take him to his crib and lay him down, Put his pacifier in his mouth (thats the only time he gets it) , and turn on his ocean wonders softly so he can fall a sleep. I will go in there at least 5-6 times to calm him down from his blood curtling screams and put the pacifier back in his mouth Before he finally is out. Sometimes only 20 minutes sometimes 2 hours. At night its worse. Hes up every single hour. 2 Nights ago it was twice every hour. Sometimes I will go in there because he is crying softly but its distorted like and I notice he is crying in his sleep. Another thing that bothers me is he will lay there when hes about to fall asleep or trying oh so hard and shake his head from left to right very vigorously 5-6 7 times in a row. He does that when hes reallyhappy and awake in his car seat sometimes too but that doesnt bother me. He tosses and turns all night. I put him to sleep with his head at the head of his crib for a week to see how he sleeps but every time I go in there he is facing side ways at the other end of the crib or in the crawling position with his head jamned into the mattress screaming crying. The sheets are soaked from either tears or drool from him crying I dont know. But My back is KILLING me having to get out of bed every 45 minutes every night. I cant take it anymore.

I have tried to burp him to see if its gas, tried to give him orajel or tylenol for his teeth, give him a bottle before bed. Nothing works. Now I wonder if this could be a part of me. When I was a child It would take me 3 -4 hours to fall asleep after my parents put me down. As an adult I toss and turn all night long I am a horrible sleeper and drive my husband nuts. PLEASE HELP ME!
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-25-2003
Fri, 06-11-2004 - 1:07pm
I am so sorry to hear that the baby isn't sleeping. I could be wrong but it sortof sounds like he might be colicky?! Have you ever taken the baby in for a check-up or atleast talked to his Ped. to see if that might be the problem? I know colic is just basically a name for unconsolable crying but there might be something behind that crying. Does he spit up at all? If he does, maybe it's reflux which tends to be worse at night when lying down?! It could be a sensitivity to formula which my daughter developed at about 4 months old. She eventually had to be put on a different formula because she developed an allergy to cow's milk as well as soy. She had no other symptoms but fussiness & not sleeping because of the crying. And the minute she was switched to Alimentum, she was fine. Have you tried rocking the baby or letting the baby sleep with you? It could be that he is either over stimulated or under stimulated, which could also cause crying that would make them not sleep. I'm sorry if I could not be of more help. I hope the baby starts sleeping for you! Good luck!

~Debra

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 06-12-2004 - 7:44am
Have you discussed this with his pediatrician? From the thrashing around and head moving, I would point more to maybe an ear infection? When babies have ear infections they wake frequently and don't like to lay down because of the pain from pressure building in their ears. Just a thought.

Elaine

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2004
Sat, 06-12-2004 - 10:30am
The only advice I have is to not go in the room. Let him cry it out. If you are going in 5-6 times to check on him it's a sign to him that you'll come "save" him. I was just going through this w/ my then 19 Mo. old (he's now 21 mos.) and for 3 weeks he wasn't sleeping at night or for naps. I was seriously sleep deprived and made the mistake of going in and checking him after 10 mins, then 20 then 30...he'd cry, scream, jump in his crib for an hour. And my visits to his room would just make the screaming worse. Sometimes he'd be crying but sleeping too, and when I'd open the door he'd pop up like a jack-in-the-box and be awake. So I'd then get him out of the crib and bring him to my room for naps just so I could get some sleep. (BIG MISTAKE!!!!) He'd sleep then, but I started a bad habit. Thankfully it was a phase and he was through the phase in 3 weeks, which seemed like an eternity!

But what tore my heart out, and was part of the reason I'd keep checking on him and was so quick to bring him out of his crib, was like you, when I'd go get him the crib sheets were soaked w/ tears, his face was beet red;it was horrible. But the best advice I have for you is what women told me, no matter how hard it is let him cry it out.

One last thing. Have you talked to his ped? Maybe he/she has some advice for you. Could be teeth coming in too. When I think back to my son's 4-9 month age he was teething and not sleeping like normal.

We're here for you when you need support!!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-03-2004
Mon, 06-14-2004 - 1:19pm
Hi! My name is Beth and I am new to this board, but I've been in your shoes and boy it's not fun. (((((Hugs))))) My DD was a HORRIBLE sleeper!! She is now 5 years old and sleeps great, but now I am having troubles with my son who is almost 4.

The most important advice I have for you is if you haven't already make sure you tell your Ped everything you have told us because there could be a problem.

A suggestion that I have for you is one that my Doctor gave to me that really helped. This may sound strange, but it worked. Put your child to sleep in an infant carrier. My Doctor even recommended that I put the carrier in the crib so I did and it worked. But please if you try it in the crib make sure that you are very, very careful. Make sure you strap your child in the carrier so that they don't fall out or get themselves tangled in the straps. Some babies just have a hard time sleeping on flat surfaces and need to be upright, especially babies that have reflux. Other babies like the snuggly feeling of the carrier. I have heard of others trying this and for most of them it has worked. Some have put the carrier in the crib and others have felt better just putting the carrier on the floor in the nursery or in their room. What do you have to lose, right? Even though my daughter was above the weight and height limit she slept in her carrier until she was almost 2 then she moved directly to a toddler bed. Once they are above the height and weight limit you just can't carry them anywhere in it anymore, but they can still use it to sleep in. Another advantage to them sleeping in the carrier is if you use it as a carseat while they are babies and they fall asleep you don't have to worry about waking them up. HTH.

Also, you never mentioned your husband getting up to help you. Let me guess...he is like my husband and sleeps right through everything and since I am a SAHM and he works outside the house full-time I can lose sleep, but he can't. LOL.

Please keep me posted.

Beth - SAHM to Lauren (5) and Noah (almost 4)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-11-2003
Tue, 06-15-2004 - 2:21pm
I have a 5 month old and she sleeps very well through the night but my other daughter who is now 4 was a horrible sleeper. The only thing that worked was putting her in the bed with me and holding her. I will be the first to tell you that it is a bad habit to get into because they get used to that. I just got so tired of not sleeping. I would put her down and let her cry herself to sleep only to get a good enough nap (usually twenty minutes) to be ready for round two, and so on. I am just wondering if it may be separation anxiety. Are you sure it isn't his ears? That is the only other thing i can think of. Sorry i wasn't more help. I wish you luck.

Shannon