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View Full Version : So, how long can I use my swing?? And other sleeping questions…



karolyp
07-25-2005, 07:39 AM
Sorry....it's a long post!

My DD is 5 ½ months old and is EBF. Ever since she turned 4 months, we’ve had a lot of sleeping problems. She’s been waking up every 1-2 hours at night….and I am sooo exhausted. I think that her sleeping problems are from growth spurts, reverse feeding, daytime distractions, and now teething. Please don’t get me wrong…I’ve done some research on Kellymom.com about night wakefulness and am not trying to deny my DD night feedings…I just want, and need, to get a little more sleep!! And I seems like I’ve tried everything: co-sleeping, trying down the ac, turning up the ac, re-swaddling (we stopped this when she outgrew the AMB), background noise, covering her with my nightgown so she could have my scent, pacifiers, increased her uninterrupted daytime feedings, even rice cereal (but I’ve stopped that as it gave her so much gas), but she still wakes up almost every hour! The only thing I haven’t done was to let her CIO, and I don’t think I’m ready to try that. Anyhow, the only thing that does seem to get me a few more hours of sleep is her swing. She has the Fischer price papasan swing. It’s fully reclined and she can swing away for hours. But should I limit the time she’s in her swing? It seems like all the books say to limit it to 30 minutes a day, but I don’t know why. Is there any harm in letting her swing?

My other question is for those that co-sleep. How do you get up in the morning and get ready without waking your little one? Even though co-sleeping didn’t help with her wakefulness, it helped me deal with my DD since she was right next to me. But when I get up, she feels it and wakes up too. Should I scoot her next to DH, who gets to sleep in longer than I do?

Also, somebody please tell me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for my sleeping drama? My DD is the joy of my life, but I am extremely tired, and am getting somewhat discouraged because it seems like everyone else’s child is sleeping through the night and mine is not. Anyhow, I’m sorry for such a long post, and if you’ve read this far, I sincerely thank you for listening.

Karoly

Karenn
07-25-2005, 10:22 AM
I'm sorry you're so sleep deprived! Both of my kids were (are) "sensitive" sleepers. I'd say, if the swing works, don't hesitate to use it- at least in the short run! The better rested a child is, the easier it is to help them sleep better. You can work on crib sleeping (or whatever your chosen sleeping arrangment is) when you both are a bit more rested!

And yes there *is* light at the end of the tunnel! Both of my children went through phases where they were up every couple of hours. (DS hit a stage where he woke every 10-45 minutes!) And both of them sleep long stretches now. DS often sleeps 11 hours. DD sleeps 9 hours straight.

Good luck!