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| First Time Moms |
| Public online group |
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| any thing helpful would be welcome. my 4 1/2 month old hates to sleep. does anyone have advise |
| Posted by natasha on 09/29/2008 10:10 AM
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| holding/rocking/sweetly singing, etc...the comfort of your wam body is soothing for a little one...good luck! |
| posted by on 09/29/2008 10:16 AM
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| What helped me was to get into a routine with my son. I would notice at a certain times each day my son would get tired so I would start to put him down for naps at those times and we have had the same bedtime routine since he was 2months old, at 8:45 we start the bath and by 9:30 at the latest he is in bed. But he didn't start really getting into it until he was 6months. My sons was never a great sleeper but this works for him, hes been sleeping all night long since he was 6months. |
| posted by Amers on 09/29/2008 10:17 AM
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| I agree with Amers! Routine is key! I also bought a noisemaker, which has really helped my son relax before naptime/bedtime. |
| posted by Heather on 09/29/2008 02:11 PM
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| I love the first suggestions. I would add that reading/watching "The Happiest Baby on the Block" could help, but starting to swaddle at 4 1/2 months may be difficult. You may also want to read "Solve your child's sleep problems" by Ferber. He discusses the normal sleep patterns of children and helps you determine the underlying reason your child isn't sleeping an appropriate amount of time. He also promotes self soothing, but recommends waiting until 6 months to start. Very informative. Good luck. I've been there and know how frustrating it is! |
| posted by Deni on 09/29/2008 02:36 PM
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thank you for all the great advise. i started a more of a schedule yesterday. and today things seem to be going alot better. does anyone now on average about how many naps and how long naps should be.
i read babywise and solve your childs sleep problems and the happiest baby on the block. so im kinda combining all three. but i dont know if i really should wake her up from her naptimes. |
| posted by natasha on 09/29/2008 04:58 PM
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| I wouldn't wake her from her naps until shes older unless you have a set bed time for her, like if my son is taking a late nap I make sure I wake him up at 6 or 6:30 so he'll be able to go to sleep by 9:30 |
| posted by Amers on 09/29/2008 05:20 PM
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| I was told to never wake a sleeping baby...they're sleeping because they're sleepy. Their schedules even out to match ours eventually. Being a parent can be tough sometimes, and we've all been sleep deprived at one point or another...ok, for years, haha, but it's about them now. |
| posted by on 09/29/2008 07:51 PM
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I too had the same problems with my son. What we did first was introduce white noice to the routine. When he got fussy, we simply turned white noise up very loud and soothed him in our arms. Then we put him in his crib with the white noise at a lower sound. Children can wake up much quicker than adults because their sleep rhythms do not become adult like until 5-6 mos. I read Healthy Sleep Habits by Dr. Weissbluth. I think that his book is the best for the first 6 mos. I did not follow his plan however for after 6 mos. I followed the Sleepeasy Solution (get the video and book). My son, now at 9 mos, sleeps great. He wakes up happy and is a very happy baby.
Also, Happiest Baby on the Block; however, I agree w/ the person who said about swaddling a 4.5 mos old, it may just not work; however, the white noise was key for us.
Good luck. It's the hardest and most controversy subject. I have many friends who follow Dr. Sears and some have done fine and others have children still not sleeping through the night at over 1 year. I have friends who used the Ferber method (I think your child is way to young for this method and in fact, I don't think those methods truly start working until about 7 mos, but can at least start at 6... they say you can start at 4.5-5 mos, but really, the success rate is not that high).
Most of sleep training, no matter what method you use, is trial and error. I really don't think there is truly one way. I think each child is different, however, the above is what has worked for me. My son had the most difficult time sleeping before and I truly had come to the conclusion that I'd never sleep again... he sleeps 11 hours now straight. Thank God.
Again, good luck. |
| posted by Jennifer on 10/04/2008 09:22 PM
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| My daughter was a terrible sleeper in the beginning to, now at ten months, she takes 2 naps- and sleeps 10-12hrs at night. In the beginning, she slept like 3 hrs at a time at night and the day was all over the place. It takes time for them to work everything out. The bathroom fan was our "go to" noise. I also read Healthy Sleep Habits by Dr. Weissbluth, which helped alot. I would agree with whoever said NOT to wake a sleeping baby, I have and it was a nightmare! Just remember every baby is different, and you might have to try a few things to find out what is best for you and your baby! Good luck, it will get better! |
| posted by on 10/04/2008 09:56 PM
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