Sleep and EASY Support for spirited babies

[smitch100]

thank you, that is pretty much what i'm thinking to just get him to sleep whichever way works.  The cranial osteopath thought she can help, we have another session next week.  She didn't think he seemed refluxy but stomach is definitely one issue as i can hear it churning and he is quite windy.  thank you for the advice, will report back after next osteopath visit and in meantime will try to keep him propped just in case there is reflux as well.

[smitch100]

hi just wanted to say thank you for the reflux info, i took him to the doctor and after a day and a half of gaviscon he is already like a much happier baby and actually sleeping and not crying so much.  Thanks once again x

[becj86]

That's what we're here for xx

Keep in mind that babies often 'grow out' of gaviscon helping and need to move to something else to help them later on. The ladies on the Reflux board know a lot more about all that, but thought I'd better just bring it to your attention.

So glad he's sleeping and seeming more comfortable.

[roimata9]

that's so great re the gaviscon! I remember starting to suddenly enjoy my little one when his meds kicked in - all the best!

[Kirsten~]

Hi all, I'm just jumping on this board for the first time, so I haven't been back through to read through where the convo is right now. I have a Spirited/Touchy LO (such a FUN combination), and TBH, I don't always know which traits are Spirited and which are Toucy, so I'm guessing on my post here.

I was curious if any of you also have LOs that are restless during your BT winddown? I don't think it's causing any issues because "most" nights she does go down pretty good (although we do have the occasional night where DH and I are up and down the stairs a million times). But I just find that she never sits still! So before bed we do a bath, BF, book, and 2 songs. She loves her books and likes grabbing at the pictures. Then I turn off the lights so she gets calm while I do the songs. But even during the songs she's pulling herself up to sitting, then back down, then twisting around to look around the room, then back up to sitting, then back in my arms, then more twisting...well, you get the idea. It is never just this calm time where she is still and I hold her. Do you all have similar things going on (or did maybe at this age)?? Oy.

[becj86]

Yeah, at that age (and still at nearly 18 months, TBH) books were way too exciting for DS to be part of wind down. We did read with him, but usually straight after a feed so he had plenty of time to calm down before nap/bed time.

Spirited LO's often do best with a minimal WD... There are a few mums around with touchy spirited LO's

Is the sitting new? That can cause some disruptions just because LO wants to practise all the time.

[Kirsten~]

Thanks Bec!
The sitting is pretty new. She can't quite get herself completely sitting, but she can get herself up enough to look around (quite an ab workout!). Thanks for the tip on the books. Maybe I'll take 5-10 mins in the morning to read to her after her morning feed before I have to head out to work. I skipped the book tonight, and she was much calmer during her WD. She didn't fall asleep right away, but we're also dealing with some teething, so ya know...if it's not one thing....

[Tecike]

Well, I never did books at WD, they're far too exciting for my DS2. And yes, he was all into moving around, even in his cot. To tell you the truth, and I don't want to discourage you, he still tosses and turns all the time until he falls asleep. So it's like I turn on the songs, put him in his cot and he turns a million times, checks every corner, and even when his eyes are closed, he still turns around a few times and the only time he's completely still is when he's asleep (at least for one sleep cycle, then he turns about for a minute or so before settling into another sleep cycle...)! 

[Kirsten~]

Thanks Tecike...it's always good to know other moms are seeing the same thing. My LO is much the same...lots of movement in her crib, and she's been like that since she was a NB (although obviously she moves more now). It's not uncommon for her to do a 180 degree turn in her crib from when I last check on her to her NF. I may stick with just a song or two for WD to keep things to a minimum.
These spirited LOs are such a handful at times, but so much fun too!

[becj86]

These spirited LOs are such a handful at times, but so much fun too!

Totally!

DS is a wriggler too. He sleeps in the most odd positions and moves a lot still at nearly 18 months. When he was 3 months old, still swaddled, etc. he would wriggle still in his swaddle from one end of his cot to the other between each NF and once he wriggled around and turned 120 degrees and had his head under the blanket Needless to say I took the blanket away and just dressed him in an extra layer after that.

[Tecike]

These spirited LOs are such a handful at times, but so much fun too!

Totally!

This!!! 

My LO knows to fall asleep near the end of the cot with his legs up on the rail...  You can imagine how all this moving around had not helped is reflux... it was a joke when I elevated the cot, even in the first few months, he never slept with his head on the elevated part, he would often end up with his bum on the elevation and head hanging downwards! A real exiting position for a refluxer! 

[Kirsten~]

it was a joke when I elevated the cot, even in the first few months, he never slept with his head on the elevated part,

That is so funny! We had the exact same thing. DD didn't have reflux, but we elevated her crib to help with gas. She NEVER slept on the elevated part. She would just wiggle down to the flat part and sleep there. I feel like part of her self-soothing or self-settling is to move, wiggle, kick, etc. Do you see the same with your LOs? For a while I slept in the guest room next to her room, and after her NFs, I would hear her kicking the mattress (and sometimes the wall) for a while after I put her back down, and then all of a sudden it was silent. She wasn't crying, just kicking and moving and then it's like she would just fall asleep in whatever position she ended up in. Needless to say, she also sleeps in some of the most bizarre positions I can imagine.

I'm amazed that some LOs like being swaddled until 6 months. My DD was such a swaddle escape artist, that it was a joke to even try after about 8 weeks (plus she rolled in her swaddle...what a nightmare).

[Jessleigh]

My LO (at 9mos) is also always very wiggling and crazy limbed all the way up until she finally goes to sleep most times. Short WD work better for us too. Just bath, bottle while i sing a soft song with dimmed lights. then sleep sac and bed. Most nights she wrestles around in there, on all fours, sitting, sometimes pulling up, sometimes fussing, sometimes babbling (even though i know she's tired). Often takes her 15mins to finally sleep. So you're not alone!

[Kirsten~]

Jessleigh, are you finding the sleep sac works with your LO? It's starting to get cold here, and I've been thinking about trying to use one for warmth for DD, but I'm worried that she'll hate it since she's used to kicking and putting her feet on the crib slats, etc. I know she can technically still do that stuff, but I imagine not as easily in the sleep sac. Just curious.

And it is good to know that I'm not alone!!!

[Jessleigh]

Jessleigh, are you finding the sleep sac works with your LO?

yeah totally. but then again, she's never been without it bc it's what we transitioned to after the swaddle. i have a thin one and a thicker one now that it's getting colder. it's quite loose so she's able to move around still and now that she's crawling i find her crawling around in there or pulling herself up even with it on. I think once a baby's used to it it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure it's not too small.