Sleep? What's Sleep?
Aiden has now decided being up in the middle of the night is fun. I have gotten a total of about 5-6 hours of sleep over the course of the last two nights - and I work 10 hour days. If anyone out there in the world has any words of wisdom I would LOVE to hear them right now. I am begging for advice so anything you can swing my way would be greatly appreciated.
Oh and AF showed up this morning, 2 days early. Fun times all around.
posted by Brandy at 4:41:00 PM
6 Comments:
I hated when my boys went through this stage because I was always afraid it would last forever. When S1 was about 6 mos old I finally told the doctor that he was still getting up at night to eat and boy did I get dissed by the doc. He asked me if I knew why the little guy was getting up and when I said it was because he was hungry he said an emphatic NO..it was because who wouldn't want to be cleaned up, snuggled and fed after waking up in a room alone. He then said the next part would be the hardest for me. I was to ignore the baby for 3 nights and the 4th night he would sleep again. I hate to say he was right but he was...and it was hell for those 3 nights because I felt sooo guilty I couldn't sleep even if the baby WAS sleeping!
Alright so I'm not a friend of the cry it out method (especially not the very simplistic method above. if you are interested PLEASE get a book and do it right). No offense to the PP because I'm definitely all about do what you feel comfortable with! (I'm just not comfortable suggesting it and really hate how it's simplified by drs without giving adequate directions on how to use it and the like. Things have changed considerably in the last 20 or so years in terms of ideas about babies and many drs still hold onto old ideas) Of course I'm one of those crazy attachment parenting types. To an extent. ;)
Some babies do still need bottles at 6 months. It's more a weight thing than an age. Though by 6 months almost all babies have surpassed that. (Our dr says double birth weight as a good way to know whether or not that midnight bottle is needed or wanted.)
Alright so on with my assvice. Do you use a noise machine? (Or even a fan) If not I highly suggest getting one. I also suggest popping an extra bottle in before bed in case it is a need not a want. Sometimes a little extra before bed can make it through. How's his sleep during the day? Inconsistant day sleep can lead to crappy night sleep so make sure whoever is caring for him during the day is giving him a good sleep routine.
Now when he wakes at night I suggest letting him fuss for a few minutes (I use a 3 minute rule here unless she's hysterical then I go immediately). I would try not to pick him up or speak to him but rather just pat him, give him a binkie if he uses one, etc.
This age is REALLY bad about separation anxiety. Especially at night. Which really DOES pass! I swear it! Of course then there's the pops up in bed because they can stand crap but still. One trauma at a time. ;)
Also...I suggest the askdrsears website. It's got fabulous suggestions. While I don't always agree with everything he's ever said the website is pretty nonbiased and gives good advice.
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp
And remember that sleeping through the night? Is only 5 hours for babies. *snort* Not enough for mamas but officially that's considered sleeping through and many kids don't sleep all the way all the time until closer to their 1st birthdays. (Of course I'm sure my kids won't bother until they're 20.) Good luck! I promise it'll pass!
I can so relate!!
What worked for me was letting her fuss for a bit on her own like the pp said. If she still hadn't quieted down I would just peek into the room to see if she was ok. I would try not to let her see me. If she was laying there wide awake and crying I would go in, give her the paci, and leave. 9 times out of 10 that worked. The other times? I would pick her up and rock her a little bit in my arms but not let her fall asleep in my arms. She would be calm but not asleep. I would then lay her down and she would be off to sleep pretty soon afterwards. Another lifesaver? And here's where I'm going to say this works for me, but use your best judgement. I lay her on her stomach. I was so surprised at how well she slept on her stomach. She is able to roll herself over, pick up head, etc. So, I'm certain she is fine. Although, I do go in to check on her more than I used to. Also, she no longer has bumpers in her crib.
Anyway, that's what works for me and I hope he lets you get some more sleep soon!
I hope Aiden's sleep has returned to a better schedule since this post.
Hugs,
D
I'm another believer in the cry it out method. If you go and play with them - they will continue to want you too. Why not? They can sleep whenever they want during the day! That said, if he is actually still hungry, I recommend trying to double up feedings right before bedtime. Or try and do a sleep feed -- put the baby to sleep like normal, then when you go to bed (assuming its a few hours later) keep the lights low or off and pick them up and give them a quick bottle (or breast) and put them down again. May help! Good luck!!!!
Every single Mom I know (with babies this age) is going through exactly this. I'm about at my wits end.
Chicka's not even waking up to feed. She's just waking up. I'm losing my mind.
My email is butterflysha@gmail.com if you want to compare notes on what we've tried so far.
I'm about to try a modified CIO. There's no way that I can really let her cry but I can do it for a limited amount of time. I don't know what else to do anymore. Waking up and going to her is not working.
UG!
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