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I have a 6 month old son. Used to sleep 4-6 hours at a time before waking up at night and now wakes up every 2 hours to feed. He goes 4-5 hours without nursing during the day so i KNOW he can't REALLY be hungry though he acts like it. Its just the comfort of it that he wants. I feel like I'm losing my mind from no sleep. He also sleeps alot during the day now because he's just as tired as I am from waking up so many times at night.
He used to sleep well and I think got out of the habit because he went through a growth spurt that made him want to nurse often and didnt get back into his old good sleeping habits.
I know there are many methods and opinions about Crying It Out. I've tried a few things, dont know what to do. I tried letting him cry for a while just once and couldnt hardly stand it! I dont really think that CIO is the best method. Don't think babies can or are supposed to "teach" themselves to sleep according to our sleep habits so young.
I just wanna know WHY he's waking up so frequently and how to maybe get him to sleep for longer periods of time before waking up. Not really trying to let him cry it out so many times until he learns how to sleep through the whole night. For me, that's too harsh and unreasonable. Just dont want to wake up every 2 hours. Especially knowing he can sleep for 4-6 hour incriments!
Guess I'm looking for advice, opinions and support.
Please respond! |
| Posted by Janelle on 04/27/2008 01:08 AM
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Hi Janelle,
I know what you are going through. I have one year old twin boys that went thorugh the same thing. Do you think he may be teething? At around six months my first born started. I give them "Infant" Motrin or Tylenol. Ask your Ped. what they think is best.
I also beleive in CIO. When mine were four months I started to use CIO and I thought I was going to go nuts. Don't give up. Even at night. I know how it is, your heart goes out to him. He should still be getting a bottle in the middle of the night, I think. I cut the bottle in the middle of the night at around the end of seven months. But with CIO I would let them cry for five min. and then I would go in and make sure they were ok and give them their binki and leave. Then I would give six min. and if they were still crying I would go in there again....and so on. By ten min. they were asleep, most of the time. But even now they still wake up and cry for about a min or two. The first time I will wait a min. and go in to check them because one or the other may have pooped, but after that I will only go in if they are frantic. They stop after a min or two and go back to sleep. But they are still teething and I do end up giving them Motrin most nights.
If you have any questions, please let me know. It's 2:30 am and I may not be making sence.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Gina |
| posted by Gina on 04/27/2008 02:32 AM
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O' Janelle,
Are you giving him solids yet? I started mine at four months. Some doc's say six months. That may help him sleep better at night. Rice cereal mixed with formula or breast milk, or baby food (start with veggies first).
Gina |
| posted by Gina on 04/27/2008 02:38 AM
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| Hi, my son went throught the same thing and just like you I thought I was gonna lose my mind, my son will be a year next week and he sleeps pretty good now, but when he was around that age and even a little after he was waking up about every 2 hours! Are you giving your son like solid foods? I started giving my son food when he was like 4 months old and I always even still today I give him some oatmeal cereal with some of his fruit mixed with water and then about a half hour later I would give him his bottle and he would sleep really good...as for crying it out I think 6 months is to young for that I tried doing that when he was that age and I just couldnt stand it it hurt my heart to listen to him all by himself crying, I do it now because hes a year old and it works he cries for like 3 sec and hes passed out. I would just try giving him cereal before bed along with his bottle, and oh ya in the middle of the night too I started just giving him water in his bottle because I knew he was getting enough to eat before bed but if you dont feel comfortable doing that I would give him a real bottle. Good luck!! |
| posted by Courtney on 04/27/2008 07:53 AM
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My daughter also went through this. I too gave her cereal mixed with formula starting around 4 months. (Off a spoon, not in a bottle). Most of it ended on her face but she got the hang of it.
I also used the CIO method only I waited 15 minutes before checking on her b/c I can usually tell an "I'm angry" cry from a "hurt or hungry" cry. Mostly she was mad b/c I put her down. But after about a week or so she got over it and was going to sleep after only a few minutes. I know it's difficult to hear your child cry so I just went into the bathroom and turned on the shower so I couldn't hear her for a few minutes. That seemed to help. |
| posted by Katie on 04/27/2008 09:39 AM
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| When my daughter started doing that it was because she had an ear infection. She never had a fever or symptoms besides waking up every 1-2 hours and decreased apetite. He might also be teething. You might want to get your baby checked. |
| posted by on 04/27/2008 06:09 PM
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| Hello. I went through the same thing. My daughter woke up screaming and I couldn't even get her to go back to sleep. I noticed she was tugging at her ear and bitting her fingers or whatever was near. She had a bad ear infection and she was getting teeth. So, I would give him some pain meds. see if it works out. good luck |
| posted by Kris on 04/28/2008 06:02 PM
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I felt the same way about CIO, but I asked my pedi about it, and he said that our babies will wake up throughout the night and as long as they know that mommy will come in and "rescue" them, they keep doing it. He also told me that after six months of age that they don't NEED to eat at night. He also said it was a personal choice and neither decision is wrong. The thing that got me was that he said he was a good example of not letting his son CIO, and his son didn't start sleeping through the night until he was three and a half!! After I heard that, I let my son CIO. The first two nights were tough, but he eventually got back in to his routine of sleeping through the night, or at least not screaming through the night. Now he still wakes up at night, but I can hear him in his crib playing for a little bit before he goes back to sleep.
Also, my pedi said that he has NEVER had a baby hurt themselves by crying in their crib. I think he's been a doc for 30+ years.
Good luck!!
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| posted by Liz on 05/22/2008 09:38 PM
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| I have to agree with you on that. I do want to add something though. One of my boys fell out, or climed out of his crib a few weeks ago. He's okay, but make sure that when the baby is old enough to stand to put the crib mattress down to the bottom because that is the only way you can make sure that he or she doesn't fall or climb out. Just something to think about. Safety |
| posted by Gina on 05/25/2008 11:00 AM
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Hi Janenlle, I know how you feel, my son is 2 1/2 years old and he went through the same thing and tried everything to fix his sleeping problems and the only solution was CIO. Try to do it with your husband to feel strong enaugh when Lucas was crying he helped me to stop going to his room and after you pass the first night (20 0r 30 minutes whining or criying ) you can do the #2(10 minutes) and #3 (5 minutes CIO)because it will take you 3 days only!!!!
Check the food too. Lucas used to eat by that age.
Do not change his diapperat and feed nights.
I am still changing LUcas his diapper around 10:00 pm right before to go to my bed and he is already slept.
My best advice put your son in a schedule!!!! Naps, food, snacks and bed time at the same time every day and you will see the hudge difference. Now I am expecting twins and we do not have any genes from my side or my husband and we just tried for a second baby and extremely fast got pregnat with twins...Think about how hard my life is going to be..... |
| posted by Angela on 05/26/2008 12:23 AM
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| I forgot one thing. When my son got sick he changed his schedule at nights and just bc I was going to his bedroom to check him all the time he cried. He thought will be for ever and feel happy to have me there. If your son is already 6 months he has to sleep all night. |
| posted by Angela on 05/26/2008 12:28 AM
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| Thanks everyone! I do feed him solids and I know he's just waking up because he's spoiled. He thinks he needs to nurse to go back to bad. Slowly I've been trying CIO but I personally still think it's kinda harsh to just jump into it with no mercy because. I'll use it more and more when he gets a little older and starts learning its sleep time, and is just being a brat. THanks! |
| posted by Janelle on 05/27/2008 08:08 PM
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When you are trying the CIO, try to take a shower or go to buy groceries and leave your baby with your husband that way you will not suffer too much.
Good if you are trying the CIO. I have a friend who her baby is 15 months old and they feel awful not sleeping since baby was born bc did not want to try the CIO and they said for sure for the second one will be more strict about it. I told her so many times to try CIO and she did not want it. I felt the same before but feel so happy now sleeping all of us so well since my son was 4 months old.
One thing babies after 17 months are so hard to change their rutine. |
| posted by Angela on 05/27/2008 08:39 PM
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Hello,
I dont know what other people have recommended but i know i have a 4 month old son and he started doing that so my Dr had recommended feeding him for often during the day so that he gets his daily calories he needs and is not waking up at night to get them in. Also I am nursing and the last bottle before he goes to bed we give him formula,(I personal found that he likes the powder kind mixed with the breast milk best). That way he gets something with a little more substance and it can hold him a little longer. He has now been sleeping throw the night since he was about 3 months old it is totally great. Good luck and I hope that his could be come help to you. |
| posted by nikki on 05/28/2008 10:17 AM
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| hi, my son is only 2 months old but he is doing the SAME THING!! i try to let him cio but then if i pick him up he will stop crying!! devon likes to sleep alot during the day and likes to play at nite! but i just started to give him rice cereal ( on a spoon) yesterday and he LOVES IT! it helps him sleep alittle better at nite. also devon likes to listen to music. if i put him in his swing and play music he seems to go to sleep faster then i will put im in his crib. once he wakes up after a few hours i will change positions with him ( i will put him back in his swing) and then he will sleep for another 2 hours. i know my son is spoiled cuz if i try to let him cio then he will just get louder and cry harder! until i put the binki and then he will stop but as soon as i am out of his sight he will spit it out and start to sry again!! |
| posted by Caitlyn on 06/01/2008 06:00 PM
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Hi Janelle,
I have six month old twin daughters and went through the same thing. Up until 5 1/2 months, I would be able to expect 6 hours of sleep from Kathe. (My other daughter has medical problems, so I couldn't expect the same from her.)
Then at six months, Kathe started waking up 1 & 2 times per night to be fed. I was reading some other mommy advice sites and read that, at 6 months, babies sometimes 'revert' back to a younger age and start waking up to feed.
Now, I still put her down at 9 pm, but around midnight, I pick her up to change her diaper and 'top her off' with a bottle. She has already started eating solid foods, so I put rice cereal and the 'fruit of the day' in the bottle, so that the food is heavier and she stays full longer.
Now, the only time she wakes up is if she is really dirty or if she woke up rolled over on her front. This is why I do not advocate the CIO method completely. I ALWAYS check on her when she wakes in the night. One night last week, she was crying and when I went to check on her, she was so dirty, it had come out of her diaper and her clothes and bedding were even dirty. Another time, she woke on her belly (she can't get back on her back) and she woke up afraid and needed consoling.
I find that if I go in when she wakes up (only if she is crying - not when she wakes up and is quietly talking to herself and is able to put herself back to sleep) and rub her head and talk to her gently (after I've checked her diaper) she will calm down and fall asleep in minutes. She just needs reassurance.
Good luck! |
| posted by Michelle on 06/02/2008 05:10 PM
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I would add my agreement to what everyone said; particularly the ear infections, especially at 6 months where he might be starting to teeth. Don't mess around with those though; my daughter shows no symptoms with hers other than waking up at night. And she started getting them at the same time she started teething; and gets them every time she is getting a new tooth in. Unfortunatly she started teething at 3 months.
Also, at 6 months, that was about the point where my daughter started waking up more frequently and it was mostly because she was hungry. I ended up having to feed her more rice cereal then what the Dr. said to, it just took longer to feed her and sometimes I did cheat and add a little to her bottle to "fill her up" so she would sleep longer.
I agree with you on CIO. I get a lot of flack for it, but I really believe that babies that young just don't understand why you are letting them cry. And I definetly agree with your statement about teaching babies to accomodate our sleep patterns. Their babies, they aren't supposed to sleep through the night. I miss sleeping through the night, but I know my daughter will let me when she is ready.
I hope this helps! And good luck. |
| posted by Kate on 06/20/2008 08:12 PM
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| Well I can totally relate! My son is now 8 months, and is waking up during the night (not to feed, just waking up) anywhere from 2 to 10 times a night. But he use to sleep practically all night from about 3 months to say 6 months and it just got worse from there until here we are now. And I have tried the CIO method, once, it IS awful and just mean I think. My son no longer eats at night, he hasn't for about two months now. Really since I started adding more solids to his menu. I make sure that he gets enough to eat during the day so he's not hungry at night. See he went thru a period where he would sleep longer during the day and miss feedings, at first I went with it because I figured if he was hungry he'd let me know, but then I paid for that at night. So I just started making a schedual, depending on how often he needed to eat to get the recommended number of ounces a day, and if he wasn't crying or fussing for that bottle when it was time, I fed it to him anyway. It worked fine. For it me it started out every 3 hours I knew he needed a bottle, so every 3 hours, whether he acted like he was hungry or not, I gave it to him. And by the time I got down to where he was only having 4 bottles in a 24 hour period, he didn't want to eat at night anymore. Now about sleeping at night. My best advice to you is to do what works for you. You may not know what that is yet but it will come thru trial and error. I find myself moving my son from his crib to the couch to his rocking chair to laying with me sometimes all in one night just to keep the number of hours of sleep as high as possible. I am trying to get him to sleep in his own bed more now, and it seems to work, he is sleeping longer stretches, but you have to get him use to not eating at night first, I think anyway. Well I hope this has been helpful!! Good luck! |
| posted by Suzie on 06/21/2008 08:30 AM
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