BabyWhispererForums.com
SLEEP => Night Wakings => Topic started by: fabimarques on November 30, 2009, 19:33:46 pm
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Hi.
Iīm a desperate mom.
My son is almost 9 months and has never slept trough the night. Heīs been on EASY since day one. And he is very happy and easygoing, rarely cries and doesnīt use to fuss about anything.
Until 3months and a half he would only wake up for eating. But when he reached 4 months, just after he stopped waking up for a feed, he started waking up a lot.
I still dreamfeed him, but itīs almost never a dreamfeed anymore, because he usually wakes up for this. He goes to bed at 8- has a bottle. At about 11 he has another bottle and then only in the morning. On a GOOD night he wakes up only twice. On a bad night he can wake up almost every hour. Most of times I only have to put back his paci and pat his back a little ( or not even that). But Iīve noticed that recently he has been waking up with the paci in his mouth. I get there and he is standing up or seated, eyes closed, crying. Sometimes I have to be by his side until heīs completely asleep or he cries again. I tought it was the paci first, but now I really donīt think thatīs the problem anymore.
He usually soothes himself to go to sleep naps and night! I prepare the room, put him is his crib and leave.
Iīve considered all, even bad dreams - but I think its too early for that right? I canīt find an answer, because there is no pattern every night is a surprise. I imagine that I have done something wrong, maybe I started answering his cries too quicly, but if I donīt he starts to cry out loud. Iīm pretty tired and my marriage is really been afected by this. Donīt know what to do. Please help!
Here goes his routine:
Around 7 - wakes up
7:30 - bottle -
8:30 - fruit
around 9:30- nap for about 1:30
11:30- juice
12:30 - lunch - veggies + pasta + meat ( he is a bit difficult ont htat too, sometimes eats everything, somtmens doesnīt want to open his mouth)
around 1:30, 2:00- nap for 1:30
4:00- snack
7:00- dinner
8:00 bath, bottle and bed
11:00 dreamfeed
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You might want to adjust the A times. Currently the first two awake times are 2.5 hours which is pretty low for 9.5 months. The final awake time is 5 hours - which is way too long! You might want to slowly move the first two awake times out to shorten up the last one. I'm sure someone will come along and give you some specific A times to try. I hope that helps.
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Thanks, I'll try to do that!!!
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I've tried to extend his A time, succesfully. So that now his last nap is at about 2:14 and he wakes up around 4 pm. And goes to bed at 8. But it still doesn't work!!! I really don't know what to do anymore! I'm so frustrated... People are telling me that I should let him cry. I have even considered this, but I don't know if I can handle it, think its cruel... HELP!!!
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No crying necessary! It takes awhile but there are gradual more sensitive ways of teaching him to sleep better. Some things to consider:
*If he is eating well and taking full bottles during the day, he can probably be weaned off the DF. The DF may be disturbing his night sleep overall and causing him to be restless, etc.
*Any person would take awhile to adjust to new sleeping and awake times. If you've adjusted his A times as the pps mentioned, stick with it for at least a week or so and see if it gradually gets better as he gets used to it.
*Being OT from that long A time before bed CAN cause a lot of night waking issues so once the overtiredness is addressed these should get better.
*If LO is used to waking and needing you to go back to sleep you may need to gradually lessen the amount of help you provide. Does he have a lovey? You can encourage him to use this to go back to sleep and do a wi/wo plan.
Hope this helps you.
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Thanks that was encouraging! Iīll read Tracy tips to wean the DF, I already decreased the amount of milk, but Iīm uncertain how to finally stop with it!
he does have a lovey... What is wi/wo plan?
Thanks for the help! looking forward to have good news!
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Wi/Wo is "walk in/walk out". It's an approach for teaching your lo when it is still sleeping time without leaving him to cry by himself. I THINK though you might need to work on weaning the feed and helping him not be dependent on feeding to sleep.
Here's the FAQ section of the Props board which has info on gradually weaning and removing yourself in feeding to sleep situations:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=90.0
I think the links there will be helpful for you. :)