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| Up until about 2 weeks ago, Jacob (3.5 months) was a pretty good sleeper. He would be in the bed between 6-7pm and then wake up around 1-2am. I'd give him a bottle, and then he'd go back to sleep and wake up again around 4 or 5am and then get up finally around 7 or 8am. Now this little one is going to bed around 5 -6 pm and waking up around 10 or 11pm. Then in between he's tossing and turning, sometimes waking up about 2x. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. For a while I was trying to keep him up until 8pm but that never works. He just gets really fussy or just falls asleep anyway. Plus I read that doing that might actually prevent babies from sleeping well at night. Now mind you, the night before (Sunday) he fell asleep around 5pm and didn't wake up until 1am and then he went back to sleep and woke up again around 4 or 5am. As I'm writing this I'm laughing and shaking my head because I just don't know what to do. Babies just have a way of taking over, don't they? I'm thinking of spoon feeding him cereal when he gets home, even though when i pick him up from the babysitter around 6pm he's already had a bottle at 5 or 5:30pm and might not be that hungry; in order to hold him over for a few hours. Any suggestions, please please help!! |
| Posted by Eva on 11/13/2007 08:23 AM
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| My daughter (4months) gets really fussy and tired at 5 or 6 unless she naps from 2:30 or 3 until 4:30 or 5. Sometimes, we let her take a nap from about 5 or 6 until 7 or 8 and she is still ready to go down by 10 or earlier for 5 to 6 hours. You might try letting him take a short nap until 7 or 8 then get him up and play and feed again and he might do a longer stretch then and sleep better. He could also be having a growth spurt which would mean that he needs to eat more and sleep more. Also, when babies have developmental milestones, they are more fussy and finicky. Most of the time, my daughter sleeps from 8:30 or 9 until 2:30 or 3:30 then up at 7 or 8, but last night, she slept from 8-12, 12:30-3:30, 4-5:30, and 6-8...talk about a rough night! She is usually up for about a half hour so I can change her diaper (not every time last night though), and nurse both sides (which she usually wants). AND, sometimes, she just decides that she is going to have a funny pattern but she always goes back to her previous schedule...try the nap later in the evening for an hour or two and just wait to see if he won't put himself back on the right schedule. Good luck! |
| posted by kendra on 11/13/2007 09:02 AM
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Babies go through changes like this often. Just when you develop a schedule that works for you both, they go and change it on you. Try to just go with it. Have a toy or mirror hanging in his crib so he can entertain himself when he wakes up early. It is ok to leave him for a little while when he wakes up- unless he's crying, then he probably needs you. You are right, keeping him up later doesn't make him sleep later, and could make sleep problems worse. Recently, my 13 month old son started waking every day at 5am, after having slept until 7 for months. It is tough for me, but I usually let him lay there and play- he has the fisher price aquarium in his crib, unless he cries. Then I go comfort him, and tuck him back in and he usually goes back to sleep for another hour or so.
If you are going to give your son cereal at night, spoon feeding is the way to go, as opposed to putting it in the bottle. It is worth trying- it may help. Otherwise, just remember that the most important skill a parent needs is flexibility. As soon as you get through this, there will be some other change that comes up, just to keep you on your toes! |
| posted by Marcia on 11/13/2007 10:12 AM
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My daughter who is almost 8 months has gone through many differnet sleep patterns. I realised that when she didn't have proper nap during the day, she had hard time going to sleep at night.
Since your baby goes to sleep real early, ask your babysitter if she could help him to go for a nap right before you pick him up so that when you come home with him, he will have energy to play with you.
My little one stared waking up every 2-3 hours since she was 5 months and I just didn't know what to do. Somebody suggested to give little cereal before going to bed and that's what I did. I gave her cereal right before bath time (around 8pm), and after bath, I nursed her and then she went to bed. She now streches to 5-7 hours of sleep and then 3-4 hours more and 2-3 hours more afterwards.
Like somebody mentioned, it maybe growth spurt and you just can't do so much about it. Just know that it is normal for babies to go through this stage. I feel your pain though... .
Good luck. |
| posted by JE on 11/13/2007 09:45 PM
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| So for the last 2 days, I've been watching Jacob when he sleeps. I've been letting him take a nap when i pick him up and he'll sleep for about a 1/2 hr to an hr. He wakes up and I'll give him his bath and give him a nice warm bottle with a good amount of cereal in it. Last night he went down at 9 and woke up around 2 am which isn't bad at all! Now the thing is, I was watching him last night and saw that he he trying to roll over in his sleep!!! He keeps waking up because of it and wakes up all scared b/c he is not where he was last (so funny). So, a friend of mine brought me that thing that you can put the baby in when he sleeps in the bed with me and hubby so that we won't roll on him. I put Jacob in that when he first feel alseep so that he would keep still. Then 2 hrs later I took him out of it and he slept good after that. When he woke up at 2 he had a 6 oz bottle and feel asleep while he was eating. Then he woke up again around 4 and then 6! Lets see what he has in store fo me tonight!! Thanks to everyone for the advice. |
| posted by Eva on 11/15/2007 01:02 PM
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| Awesome! I am so glad things are going better for you for now! My daughter (4 months) was sleeping between 5 and 7 hours in a stretch until Sunday night when she started waking more frequently. Each night is so different now...oh well! We are starting her on cereal this week to try to help that and because last night, after her 7pm bottle, she nursed both sides at 9 and then again at 9:30 (needless to say they were pretty empty then) and still took another 4 ounces of a bottle! This was not normal...on top of that, she only slept for 3 hours before wanting to nurse both sides again! Maybe cereal will help her too...we shall see. |
| posted by kendra on 11/15/2007 01:58 PM
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My daughter is 7 mos old now, and had been sleeping "more or less" thru the night for about 1.5 months (most nights it was 5-9 hours a stretch, and even then was only waking for a Binky Emergency). I had put a few soft toys in her bed, and she had been pretty good about playing for awhile before calling me in there in the mornings (thankfully).
But the last couple nights she has started waking again 2-3 time per night, and then like a little rooster she's bright eyed and bushy tailed at the crack of dawn, around 545 am. I don't think she understands the words "Daylight Savings" yet, hehe.
Any advice or clues on why she might be waking again during the night when she had been sleeping so well before?
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| posted by Bethany on 11/16/2007 05:23 PM
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| My guess, growth spurt! Does she seem to be eating more throughout the day too? Also, developmental milestones can make them sleep and eat differently... |
| posted by kendra on 11/16/2007 09:38 PM
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