CONSTANT SLEEP CHALLENGES NEVER ENDING 10 MONTH

[Gappyranks]

I am really hoping someone could help us. My 10 month old has never been a great sleeper from the day he was born, it got better at 6 months and then from 7.5 months its been madness.

We are yet to have a full night sleep.

For the last 2.5 months he has been rolling onto his tummy and automatically sits ups- he can lower himself and falls asleep on his tummy which we are completely fine with but when he wakes and realises he is on his tummy he cries so much until we move him back to his back, but weirdly he rolls right back onto his tummy and this can go on and on giving us all a awful nights sleep. I am trying to teach him to roll in the day but its tough with a active crawling baby. Sometimes he gets himself so worked up it takes us sometime to settle him.

In the day he is taking in total roughly 2 hours worth of naps in 2 naps, eats 3 meals a day and is still breastfed, usually by 7pm he is exhausted.

He wakes at night around 9 or 10, then midnight the rolling begins.

If he wakes from 5am he usually wont go back to sleep no matter how hard we try.

I have had to be flexible with my days as his mornings can  start at 5am or 7, his next nap is after 3 hours awake time, then after that nap he has 4 hour awake time till his last nap of the day.

I honestly don't know what to do, I feel so exhausted and just want him to get his rest!   

[Gappyranks]

Also I should add he sleeps in a sleepyhead, we tried to remove this thinking he needed more space- but that was horrendous night so we have put him back in it.

[Haribo2012]

Hi there my DS2 is nearly 10 months and we have rubbish sleep too.

With you mentioning the sleepy head does he have reflux?

Also there is a sleep regression around 9/10 months x

[Palmira78]

I fully sympathize with you, since my DS2 is not a great sleeper either since the day he was born.
You mentioned that every time that he rolls to his tummy he needs to be put back to his back. Have you tried to soothe him, caress him without changing his position during the night? I fear that so much intervention could result in a prop. Babies crave contact with us. Perhaps if he learns to relax sleeping on his tummy he would wake up but return to sleep on his own. You could try some baby back massages during the day, in order to let him experience good sensations in that position.

The issue of sitting down and waiting for you at the crib, I also have experienced it on and off (my DS is 11 mo). I have observed that when my DS is OT he is more restless during the NWs and tends to do the sitting down thing. My advice there would be to try whatever works to encourage longer naps, or later wake up. Also, around 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning, my DS is hungry and waits for me sat down until I BF. At what time do you give him your breakfast BF? Is he able to continue sleeping after the breakfast? I know that nursing to sleep is not the way to go, but having your baby so OT is not good either...

[Gappyranks]

Thank you for replying! we have used the sleephead since he was born and just brought another as he seemed to like it. When he wakes on his tummy he sits up straight away so we cant get him to relax in that position, but I will try massaging him.

I do let him nap as long as he wants, I dont go and wake him as he needs rest. This morning he woke at 5, and breakfast at 7, and I put him down for a nap at 8am and he slept for 2 hours.

The funny thing is he naps on his belly, and he usually falls asleep very quick on his belly, he just wakes and sits up that for some reason upsets him and he goes back on his belly but can role to his back to his back.

x

[Palmira78]

Ok, understood. I think initially the problem was not totally clear for me.
One thing that prevents my son to constantly wake and sit down is to trap one of his arms inside his sleeping bag. It may sound a little bit tough but out of desperation we tried it and works. It is a kind of improvised swaddle.

You mentioned that your DS wakes up at 5, and that he goes for a nap at 8 am. Have you considered to give him an early breakfast at 5 with low lights, and afterwards put him straight back to bed, so perhaps he continues sleeping till 7? Perhaps at 8, or when you think it is reasonable you can give him a snack so he reaches lunch time with appetite but not starving. The fact that he is ready to sleep again at 8, seems as he could be needing more night sleep.

By the way, how does your DS fall asleep? Does he need nursing or the pacifier? A universal advice is to ensure that he is placed awake on his crib and fells asleep without any prop...

Hey, I am just suggesting things in case they help. For sure something must be changed, because you cannot be in a permanent sleep depravation.

[Haribo2012]

Have you tried pushing that first nap a bit later, I'd be looking to increase A time to 3.5 hours around this age. If the nap is too early it can encourage EW as they just tack it on to night sleep.

Developmental leaps and new skills cause havoc with sleep so I'd try and get more practise in with the following try helping to roll back or playing games with him laying on his tummy. Play in his cot games like peek a boo whilst he's on his tummy so he finds it comfortable.

Totally sympathise I'm tired too x