Sleeping through the night - It's getting worse, not better...

[McQ]

My 4 month old started sleeping thorugh the night around month 3. He'd go down around 8:30 and wouldn't get up until 4:30 or 5:30 then back down before getting up for good around 7am. It was a pretty good routine. But in the last week he started getting up between 1-2am. And last night he was up at 11:30pm, 2:30am and again at 5:30am for good. It's killing me. He goes down easily at bedtime and during the night. But how can I keep him asleep? I'd wondered if it was a growth spurt and he was just hungry but when my husband gave him a bottle at 2:30 this morning he only drank 3 ounces. Has anyone out there had this experience & if so, how'd you solve it?

Thanks!

[peanut4us]

Welcome to our club. There are several of us with babies born in March who hve had this same problem. One thing that has seemed to be a general consensus is nap time deprivation.

Is your baby getting good regular naps? I've had to pretty much becoe home bound until the late afternoon because I have to let DD sleep in crib for her naps or I pay for it in the middle of the night. I've been doing the Weissbluth stuff (essentially, don't let them stay up for longer than 2 hours at a time. I think that's the key) for a little over a week, and it has helped a ton. The last several nights she's only awakened once (around 3 or 5 depending on when she ate last before bed).

If your naps are good, then maybe it is a growth spurt or the dreaded beginning of the teething nightmare.

I hope this helps. Hang in there.

[McQ]

How long is considered a good nap?

Nap deprivation might be it as my baby just does not nap. He usually takes about 3 25-minute naps during the day (too short I know but what's the right amount of time). Some times they are longer, some times they are not. He'll be asleep then poof, he's awake. Last weekend I resorted to getting in the car and running a couple errands just to get him to sleep some more. I've heard about the 2 hour awake periods but the thing is he's generally happy all day and doesn't act tired. But when I try to put him to sleep he fusses and gets worked up and there's no sleeping after that. During the week we share a nanny with our neighbors (who have a 2 year old) so what ever I try I'll need to explain to her. Admittly he's never been a good napper and when he was sleeping through the night I let it go (ain't broke, don't fix it) but I'm paying for it now and ready to start trying! Hope I'm not too late!

I do think he's starting to teeth too, but again there's no fussiness to it. He just sucks on his fists and occassionally drools.

All the help I get on this board has been great. Thanks & glad to know I'm not alone!

[ktdid74]

Hi there-
I have one of those March babies that's having sleep "issues". Mackenzie usually takes one final cat nap before bed time- I usually get her up no later than 7:30 (I know it sounds late but it was working for us). Then, last week I just didn't wake her up from the nap so basically she was just going to bed earlier. She ended up sleeping till midnight, then slept again till almost 6. So, now I'm trying to put her to bed a little earlier and see if that helps with the night waking. I've also been trying to follow the 2 hour awake periods and that is making a difference, too. She's napping a little better. The thing that has made the biggest difference is that she's sucking her thumb now- the paci has only been used if she's having such a fit she can't find the thumb :) I'm hoping we're turning the corner! Last night she slept from 8p-4:30a with one little waking at 1 that I never had to even go to her room for! Probably the most sleep I've had in months!!
Anyway, this was way to much info I'm sure but just wanted to share!

Katie
mom to Brendan and Mackenzie

[McQ]

Glad to hear that Mackenzie (and you) had a great night. My little one is sleeping right now!!! Today has been a good day ~ napped from 10-12pm then again from 2:25-3:15 & 3:30-3:50 (does the later 2 qualify as a good nap if he was up for 15 minutes?). I was able to get him asleep at 6pm thanks to his swing (rocking with me in his chair was just not cutting it). What other tips are there for helping them fall asleep?

Much to my dismay (but probably delight later) is that he doesn't suck his thumb or use a pacifier. Not that we haven't tried, there's just no interest. His fists or sucking a blanket (to my horror) seem to work for now.

Thanks
Mary

[peanut4us]

Sounds like you're doing great Mary.

I think you're son is probably sleep deprived. My daughter was a horrible napper, but usually didn't seem to be too irritable because of it, then one day she was awful. And it just continued. Whenever I tried to put her to sleep, major fits.

I read several sleep books, and Weissbluths Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child has seemed the best for us. From what I'm reading about your son, he tends to wake up from naps quickly. Weissbluth says a nap ain't a nap unless it's at least 45 minutes long, ideally an hour. He advocates letting them "fuss" (i.e., cry) if it hasn't been that long. I don't know how you feel about that, but I have a comfort threshhold of about 15 minutes of protest crying. If her crying is anything else, I go to her immediately.

One thing to keep in mind is that 2 hours is the max. If your son seems tired (yawning, glazed over look, getting fussy) and he's only been up an hour, go ahead and put him to bed.

We have a nap routine and a bed time routine that we have instituted in the last week that has really made all the difference to us.

For naps, as soon as I think she needs a nap, I play with her quietly for a few minutes, then a quick quiet book, then I rock her for about 5 minutes and put her down with white noise. Normally, this is successful. (Although, today has been from hell.)

For bdedtime, she eats, has a slightly longer bedtime book, i say prayers with her, then I rock her and sing her some songs. Again, that usually works.

Routine is really important. Whatever works for you. It doesn't have to be the same time every day, just the same pattern of what you do.

i think one of the most valuable things that I read is that babies have bad days too. We all do. Does this help? (Keep in mind, this great advice is from a woman who has only been religiously doing this for the past 9 days).

[McQ]

He slept through the night last night!!! We started getting ready for bed around 8:30 (he napped from 6-7:30) and he was out by 9:30. And he slept until 6:30 this morning! He did make some noise at 4 and 5am but by the time I got up to check on him he was back asleep (or atleast his eyes were shut). It was a dream (although I was quite ready to nurse by the time he finally woke up:)

Appreciate all the tips Joey. And let's hope they are both getting into a good routine!