Not sleeping.

Janice - posted on 03/10/2009

My daughter started sleeping through the night at 6 and a half months. I have a really solid routine with her. I really recommend the book "On becoming baby-wise" by Gary Ezzo, I think that's the author. They are pediatricians who have written the book. Some of it is a bit extreme, but other bits are really good. But from birth I had a strict sleep, eat, play, sleep routine. I never fed her to sleep during the day. At night I did give her, and still do give her boobie before I put her to bed. The only problems I have had with her at night is when she is either sick, or teething. I have never let her scream herself to sleep. We don't have strict bedtimes either. My roster is around her roster. When she wakes up in the morning...usually 7ish, I go in, get her up and give her a feed of boobie, then she has her breakfast, then some playtime, and then when she starts rubbing her eyes, or yawning, or getting grumpy, I put her down for a nap, when she wakes up (because I'm weaning her) I give her some yogurt usually (I used to give her boobie, but I have eliminated the day feeds) Then she has her lunch, (I cook all her food in big batches and have them pre-frozen for easy access and she loves the flavour, garlic, onion, curry, etc) Then she goes down for another sleep. This is her big sleep, usually 2 hours. When she wakes up, I give her a snack, cracker, cheese, fruit sucky, she plays a bit, then has dinner. We go for a walk with the dogs, and then we go home and she has a bath. Then she has quiet time in her cot where she has her books, and the mobile on lights off, and lamp on. Then I take her out, give her one feed of boobie, and then off to bed, usually around 8:30 at night. People have said that it's too late for them to be going to bed, but she is always ready for bed then, and generally goes straight to sleep, and she sleeps through the night. It wasn't easy getting her to go to sleep for the first 6 and a half months without feeding her to sleep. I had to rock and sing her to sleep during the day, and sometimes at night, but perseverance and routine payed off. One day while I was rocking her, I noticed she wasn't going to sleep, so I just put her to bed and she was out like a light, and it was like that ever since.
But all kids are different. With love and continuity, kids always eventually get it right.
Good luck!

Jodie - posted on 03/10/2009

Well i'm glad to know there are other like me out there getting little to no sleep. My son who is almost 14mths wakes up to 10 times a night, whilst he is in his cot. Like you all, i give in and end up putting him in bed with me as i need some sort of shut eye. Unlike most of you though Angus doesnt need feeding and quite happily takes water out of a sipper cup, during the night. I guess we all just all have to keep trying and i'm sure eventually one day they will sleep through...

LeeAnne - posted on 03/10/2009

I am sorry that we are all in the same boat...but it does make me feel better. I have been doing the sleep training since my last post. Although it was breaking my heart to hear him cry (he never ever cries...whines a little now and then, but not full out cry). But I left him for 5 minutes, go back in he immediatley stops crying. Now, when I go back in he lays down. Sometimes I have to put him to bed, wait 5 minutes, go in lay him back down (don't pick them up no matter what), leave for another 10 minutes, go back in and lay him down...then another 15 minutes. He now knows when I come in to just lay down and all he wants it to hold my hand. I do that for less than a minute and he calms down and starts to drift off. I try to make sure I don't hold his hand until he is asleep. He has slept a couple nights all the way through. The others he was waking up maybe twice, and would instantly stop crying when I walked in and lay right back down. We find the binky and he goes right back to sleep. I stopped giving bottles and water at night. Cut him off cold turkey. So we are making progress.........



Jenn--I was doing the same thing. We stopped breastfeeding quite some time ago, but he still wanted the bottle. I started with water and if he wouldn't calm down after 15 minutes I would give him a bottle....As for parenting 101 going out the window, be strong. I was so hard the first couple of nights because you are just so very tired, but it you keep at it it will work. I was getting more sleep (until I caught this nasty cold and now everyone is sleeping but me...ha ha). Good luck.



Thanks everyone for your support. :)

Jennifer - posted on 03/09/2009

I am in the same boat. Son was an angel - slept in his own bed by 3 mo. slept 12 hours straight and gave up his pacifier by 14 mo.. on a straw cup by 14 mo as well. no bottles, no forced weaning, no sleepless nights... My daughter on the other hand is a nightmare... she is too bed easily by 7:30 but up by 11, 1, 3, 6 & 7.. to nurse... her scream is so ear piercing wakes up my son.. I nurse her quick and she goes right back - often ends up in my bed.. i am doing all the things i told myself I would never do.. i need serious help.. parenting 101 goes out the door at 3am.. but i think i have created a monster.. i hope someone can help us.. she also demands the boob during the day, lifting my shirt.. i hope to wean soon.. she takes tiny sips from her cup - but that is it.. i even tried chocolate milk - she drank a tiny bit... jenn

ScottnKatie - posted on 03/07/2009

Something that might help My daughter would not go to bed alone without being rocked and would only sleep 1/2 hrs at a time because of her reflex. We had to rock her to sleep in order to stay asleep.

So I researched and I found an article that talked about kids being rocked to sleep have an image of being safe in mommys arms so when they wake up they are screaming because they are not there. So, put your child to bed with a favorite toy or music (I chose music). For a while she screamed. But I would let her scream go in there and calm her down in her crib not picking her up and letting her know I love you. Eventually after a couple days of naps and bed time she knew the routine and went to bed.

Donna - posted on 03/03/2009

Oh wow dejavu...my 13 month old daughter wont sleep unless i breastfeed her then she wakes in the night screaming until i nurse her again....her grandma want to keep her overnight but what will they do, they dont have the equiptment to put her back to sleep...and just forget about her sleepin in her own bed, im not there so neither is she...i guess i spoiled her.

Rochelle - posted on 03/03/2009

LeeAnne my son sounds exactly like yours! Only falls asleep on boob at night and even though I try to be tough and give him water bottles or even milk bottles he REFUSES. Only calms down when I breastfeed. To make matters worse... we've been co-sleeping since day one and he sleeps best when he's in bed with us. Am.So.Tired. Live. In. Hope. That. One. Day. Soon. He. Will. Lose. Interest. In . Boob.

LeeAnne - posted on 02/21/2009

I am sorry to hear your daughter isn't sleeping well. My son does not sleep well either. He is very fitful and wakes himself up. He'll stand up in his crib and cry until someone goes in. Very rarely can I get him to go back down to sleep without picking him up. Typically he is up 3 to 4 times a night. I have been trying to just give him water if I can't calm him down, but the last few night he gets really really mad until I give him milk. He'll drive 4 to 5 ounces. I am at a loss at to what to do. I know he doesn't need milk at night, but it is hard when you are tired not to just give in so you can get an hour or two of sleep before the next time he gets up.



I am sure you are not doing anything wrong. Hopefully we'll get some responses with some ideas. I hate to let him cry for a very long time because it tends to wake him up more and takes even longer to get him settled down.



Good luck.....hope it changes for both of us soon.