Hi there,
Nate and I are new here and we're having some sleep troubles. He goes to bed quite easily but he doesn't stay asleep sometimes he's up only twice in the night (we call those good nights) and sometimes its every hour or even half hour. He is often easy to put back to sleep if it is before 3 am - after 3 is a different story. He sleeps in a crib in his own bedroom which is right next to mine - FYI he has slept with me when we travelled to visit my mom and he was up the same amount. He sleeps in jammys with his legs loosely swaddled in a blanket (we live in northern Canada). Sometimes he is quite silly and tries to draw me in and get me to laugh and play with him instead of sleeping - not sure what to do when he wants to play at 4 am, I don't have to play with him but he cries if I leave. He does not have toys in his crib but will play with the bars or the pictures on his sheet LOL He is usually quite happy and easy going. He has no stranger anxiety, not much sets him off, pretty laid-back kid. Anyway all of our info is below. I'm really hoping for help as my DH has had enough and is starting to push for CIO like they did with his other kids - I am completely against this and will sleep on Nate's floor for the next year before that happens - I can handle him crying like he does with PU/PD but not abandonment cries.
thanks for any suggestions, words of encouragement, funny jokes, etc......
Lainie and Nate
How old is your child? 7 months
What’s his/her daily routine?
7 am up and BF followed by activity time
8 am cereal followed by activity time
9 am nap
10:30 am up activity time
11 am bf
12 pm solids 1/2 a jar
1 pm nap
2:30 pm up activity time
3 pm bf followed by activity time
4:30 ish cat nap
5 up activity time with Daddy
6 pm cereal and solids (other half of jar)
6:30 bath with Daddy
7 pm massage, cuddletime BF
7:30 in bed
9 pm 1st dream feed (BF)
11 pm 2nd dream feed (BF)
What’s nap routine? usually naps at 9 AM 1PM and a quick 30 min catnap at 4:30 ish (I've thought about cutting it out but he usually seems to need it and gets very overtired without it)
15 min before a nap we have some wind-down time of cuddling and reading a story sometimes he falls asleep during the story
How long are naps? 1 hour depending on the days activities and how the night went - he will also wake up after 30 min on some days too
What's bedtime routine? Time? Cereal dinner, bath, massage, cuddle time and story, BF, bed - dinner is at 6:00 and I try to BF by 7 bed is about 7:30
Do you bottle or breastfed?? Breastfed exclusively until he was 6 months then eased into cereal and solids - tried cereal at 5 months for about a week but he had such bad gas that we stopped and waited for another month; no problems now. Has never had a bottle or formula
How much? or how long? He usually BF for about 30 min if he's sleepy but if he's awake it can be quite a challenge as everything distracts him.
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed) both sides 10 - 15 min each side (when sleepy) 5 - 10 min each side when awake
How many wakes per night? varies usually twice but can be more, even every hour
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up? varies often fussing after turning over and can't get comfy - 10 -15 min. Sometimes he wants to play and then 45 min. Sometimes he wants to eat and he will be up for an hour and a half.
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? usually fussing and if its not resolved there a full blown cry
What have you tried to settle?? If its not too extreme talking to him, putting a hand on his back, singing, rubbing his back, helping him turn over. If he's really upset - rocking him until he's calm enough to do the above. Daddy helps at night because when I go in he wants to nurse and things escalate.
What do you do for A time and how long is it?
activity time can be tummy time with mommy, playing in exersaucer, watching baby Einstein video, petting the cat or dog, putting blocks into a bucket, playing peekaboo, he has lots of toys, swimming, going to school to visit school kids (a program called Roots of Empathy), playing with his half siblings if they are visiting (he really gets hyped up to see them - unfortunately usually has a rougher night after that too - they stay until his bedtime - can't be changed)
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?
He might be teething, not sure, sometime has rosy cheeks but no ear pulling and no real signs in his mouth but he is the right age...
He is learning to crawl and sometimes wants to practice that in the middle of the night. He can sit unassisted now.
Have you introduced cereal? has rice/oatmeal cereal twice a day 1 1/2TBSP mixed with water and/or breast milk - also eats 1 jar of solids - really likes carrots and squash
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? No - hates soothers, does like to chew on the sleeve of Daddy's robe though......
Do they have a lovie? No, still too young
