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View Full Version : I'm a zombie... help!



jacolis
12-22-2004, 08:46 PM
Hi,

I have a 4.5 month old daughter who does NOT sleep!!

She usd to sleep from 8-2 and then from 2-5 and 5-7. But, in the last month, she has been waking up EVERY 1.5 hours.

We put her down to sleep at 7:30 and she seems to fall asleep easily enough with some rocking. I have just been nursing her to sleep the other times since I only have to feed her for a few mins. and she is right back out.... until the next hour!

I don't want to further her waking habit but don't know what else to do. I am not sure why she is not sleeping now. I think she may be teething.... the doc thought she might have mild reflux. We have been giving her Zantac for that. I have read that you can buy sleep positioners but they seem to be quite controversial. The only other thing I can think that might be causing this is that she has gas b/c she pulls in her legs and farts (!) quite often.

Any help is appreciated!

debh2005
01-16-2005, 06:04 PM
Some people might disagree with me, but I am going to recommend "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Richard Ferber.
DS is around 4.5 months old and 2 weeks ago I got this book at the library because his sleep habits were going downhill fast! He started out with nearly the same schedule you mention but was becoming increasingly difficult to calm to sleep - we were rocking, bouncing and walking him for way to long (around 45min - up until this month it took only 10) to get him to sleep and once he was asleep he would wake upon being put in the crib. I took that (plus he is getting too heavy ) as a sign that he was ready for something else. He was getting very cranky too. DS was also nursing 2-3 times per night.
We spent the past week weaning him down in minutes nursed and teaching him to put himself to sleep - with much less crying than I expected. We then spent this weekend teaching him how to calm himself during night wakings (since he had already learned this skill at bedtime and naptime he took to it fast). He is napping as I type this and is on a very regular schedule of 7pm bedtime, no night wakings and around 7am morning rise - 9am nap, 1pm nap, 4pm short nap.
I cannot tell you enough how wonderful the change is - he is so much happier because he is well rested - when I put him down for his current nap he was chattering with his teddy bear for about 10 minutes and drifted off to sleep - a complete change from 2 weeks ago when he would scream if it was time to sleep.
All we did was follow the book and incorporate it into our situation.

downwarddog
01-17-2005, 01:16 PM
I have to agree with Deb. I read the Ferber book before my DD was born in Sept & it has been a godsend! I think he gets a bad rap from people who haven't read the book -- when he talks about "crying to sleep" he's talking about letting your child cry for a little bit & then checking in with him/her periodically so she knows you're still there. Plus, babies cry to release tension so it doesn't mean they're in pain, etc. It's very logical & he emphasizes that if you have a loving relationship & pay attention to his needs during the day, he'll know you're not abandoning him at night.
My baby was born & hated to sleep for over 9 weeks. Now she sleeps from 8:30pm to 6am, has a quick nurse (she's self weaning from night) & is back to sleep for another 2 hrs usually. She naps again around 10am & again around 3pm & goes to sleep at night with no problems.
He recommends not nursing your child to sleep, which I was doing. That way, when the baby wakes up & he's alone in the crib, of COURSE he's going to cry because last he knew he was happy in your arms. I followed his recommendation & we are all much happier for it!
Good luck!
~Lenore
Mom to Cadi, born 9/28/04

audys
02-05-2005, 11:41 PM
Hi, I also like Ferber but found Weissbluth (Healthy sleep habits, happy child) more helpful for the < 6 month old period.

Take care,

Audrey, mother to Graham

http://lilypie.com/baby1/050210/3/15/1/+10/.png (http://lilypie.com)

csburky
02-15-2005, 07:10 PM
Hi,
I am hardly an expert, since my DS is only 11 weeks but I have found success with 2 books. They are : "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg and "On becoming BabyWise" by Gary Ezzo. Some people think the Babywise book is too harsh, but I have found it to be extremely helpful. My DS can put himself to bed with no difficulties...most of the time. He usually will sleep from 5pm-5am/6am (I wake him for feedings at 8 and 11pm). Then he will take an hour nap from 8-9am, 11-12/1pm and maybe a quick dose off between 1pm-4pm. I have found that by putting him on a set feeding/sleep schedule, he knows what to expect everyday and likes the structure. Good luck!