6 Month Old Has Trouble Sleeping

I don't know how he is doing rolling over, but we had a similar problem with our son and the answer to our problems was letting him sleep on his stomach. He always had refluxy problems, but not "reflux" so no medication. We coslept until he could roll from his stomach to his back. Once he could roll both stomach to back and back to stomach, we put him to sleep on his stomach and he has done great ever since. About 9 months old now. I know you are not supposed to let them sleep on their stomach, but I'm a stomach sleeper and so is my husband, so we tried it out with him. I hope you find an answer. Just be careful if you let him stomach sleep. Make sure you check on him frequently until you are sure he can move around well on his own.

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Hi A.-Jusy a quick note. We had a similar situation.
Nothing but Prevacid helped w/ reflux for us and it was great.
-I cannot recommend a white noise machine enough for naps and bedtime. It is soothing and baby knows when he hears it it is still sleepy time. Target/Walmart Homedics brand $24.99 or lPut it on the rain setting. It does wonders. All my friends have picked one up. Great for travel-baby still feel at home.
Best of luck Val

My goodness...i'm not sure what to say to help find the right thing to help him to sleep, but I'll suggest what I have suggested to several mommies here as well as all my friends....The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantely. Awesome and amazing book that really help our daughter get to sleep on her own! Good Luck!.

A.

Hello A.,

If a baby is so tired and still can't sleep, I would have him checked out by your pediatrician, maybe one that specializes in GERD. Are you sure the Reflux is under control with the Zantac? Could he be lactose intollerant?

Keeping a log like one of the Mom's suggested in great detail is a huge help, and can be shown to the doctor. Maybe the grandmother's can fill in for you during the day. This will help determine if it is a sleep habit problem or a medical problem.

Have you tried letting him sleep in a swing, bouncer, raised bed, anything to keep his head elevated?

There are some good books on helping your baby develop good sleep patterns. Good luck and God Bless!!! D.

My son had the same napping/sleeping issues. He only took 30 minute naps forever and always woke up screaming after 30 minutes of bedtime. (he did not have reflux or any of the other issues) It seemed to get worse as he got older and knew better. Anyway, when he was around 7/8 months i couldn't stand it anymore and bought the ferber method book and read it from beginning to end. I know some people don't believe in it but if you actually read the book it is not as bad as it sounds. In less than a week he was sleeping all night and eventually his naps got longer - a little over an hour when he was taking 2. Now he is almost 2 and naps for 2 hours. He still has issues every now and then but i think he is just a light sleeper and even little things disturb his sleep (i have an older son who is a very heavy sleeper and never woke up at night unless he was really sick). I hope this helps. It definately saved me.

Oh I am so sorry that you are going through this. I have been blessed with a good sleeper. I guess it was a reward for the horrible pregnancy I had with him (bedrest 8 wks, preeclampsia and csection after a day and a half of failed induction).
Anyways, some simple tips...you probably have already tried. make sure the room is really dark and cool. We have the room darkening shades for our 6 mo old boy and he does not like to sleep if there is any light. Also, I have a conair brand noisemaker that plays a running water sound that runs all the time. Every night we give his bottle with the lights off and we play a children's music cd of mozart to wind him down. He sleeps on his tummy b/c he cannot stand being on his back at all. Have you tried the lavender Johnson's bedtime routine? Is he actively teething? If so... try the homeopathic teething tablets...they have calming effects that has worked on our little guy.
Hope things get better for you and him. I am sure he will settle down soon.

Hii A.,

Just a thought - talk to your doctor about trying a different reflux medicine. It could be that the Zantac doesn't work anymore. It sounds like he hurts when he lays down. That's why I think it may be a different problem than just not being able to soothe himself to sleep.

Have you tried sitting him up in his car seat to see if he can sleep like that? If he is more comfortable that way, that's another indication that he hurts when he lays down.

Good luck with this, A..

All my best, D.

Oh... the absolute hell otherwise known as colic! I am a survivor myself. My son had the worst kind of colic- he literally screamed for 12 hours a day- no kidding. Moms who have never been through it have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about, right?
What worked for us were two things- an earlier bedtime (and routine) and a white noise machine. I don't know what time you put him down to bed, but we started my son's bedtime routine at 6:30 sharp with him being in the crib at around 7:00. We also got one of those white noise machines (Marpac Sleep 980). He is 21 mos and we still turn that thing on every night- it's his clue that it is time for sleep and the constant white noise really helps soothe him.
I would highly suggest reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Some of the techniques suggested are a little extreme for my taste- but just read it with the idea of learning and understanding sleep patterns in babies. There is good information in there on colic and sleep, as well. Post-colicky babies are definitely different that normal babies, esp when it comes to sleep. So don't expect things to go "normal" after the colic ends. We had many ups and downs with sleep.
One thing the book suggested was to keep a sleep journal of all sleep with your baby -when you put him to bed, when he woke up, how long he cried, when his naps were and how long, etc. We kept a journal and did a moderated CIO approach so that he didn't so worked up. It eventually worked, but you have to stick with it. The journal will chart your progress, otherwise you lose sight of the ultimate goal through all the chaos. Once you get the nighttime sleep conquered, daytime naps will get better as a result.
Email me offline if you want to talk more or have other questions.... and GOOD LUCK! :)

Oh, sleepy, mama, I know your pain. Sleeping (or lack of it) is one of the biggest "problems" in the first year. I'll warn you right now this will be a long response cause it's one of my hot button topics. So if you read nothing else, know this: THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR for a baby this age. And the real "problem" here is that you may have unrealistic expectations of what sleep at this age looks like. We live in a culture that encourages sleeping independence in our infants that is just not normal, natural, or realistic. If a baby sleep a lot and with little effort on mom's part, we call him "a good baby". Like what, a baby that doesn't sleep well is a bad baby?!
Please check out the links below to get a better understanding of what sleep should look like in the first few years. You'll see that frequent waking is normal. And especially that needing help falling asleep and getting back to sleep is normal. We adults still do this! My husband can't go to sleep without the TV on and a crossword puzzle going. And if he wakes in the middle of the night, he has trouble going back to sleep and may have to watch TV again. Yet we expect an infant to "know" how to go back to sleep and with little or no help from us. This is also why I am very anit-CIO (crying it out). It's harsh and only works for some babies. Vomiting is not a form of self-soothing. And I don't understand the concept of not responding to a baby's cries, even if it is the middle of the night. I can tell you this---my now 2 year old never slept a lot or well the first year, nursed to sleep most of the time, and never ever cried himself to sleep and he now sleeps great. With us or without us. I get more and better sleep now than ever before. So don't believe that you have to force sleep independence on him so early. There are first graders who still need help getting and staying to sleep. Also know that babies go thru phases all the time. Which means they seem to sleep good for a while then bad then back to good again. They have so much going on in their tiny bodies and minds all the time. Growth spurts, teething, tummy aches, you name it. That’s another reason to not ignore baby’s cries at night. He may actually need soothing from mom, not a lesson in self-soothing.
Good daytime sleeping often leads to better nighttime sleeping. So focus on getting better naps first.
And with his history of colic and reflux he may simply be uncomfortable. If it makes you feel better, share your concerns with your ped. Once health problems have been ruled out, you may feel better. And most of all, remember this time passes so quickly. It’s hard to see that while you are right in the middle of it and in the middle of the night, but you’ll blink one day and the next he’ll be grown!

Sleeping thru the Night
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

Studies on Normal Infant Sleep
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleepstudies.html

Got Sleep?
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/got-sleep.html

What is preventing your baby from sleeping thru the night?
http://www.kellymom.com/pantley/pantley01.html

Solving naptime problems
http://www.kellymom.com/pantley/pantley27.html
This one has a great chart that shows how much total sleep (in 24 hours) babies need at different ages. This one also has a similar chart http://askdrsears.com/faq/sl17.asp

Dr. Sears is great! Check out this link to his website where he has some great articles and tips on sleeping http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

A.,
My advice is to not pick him up when you go in his room. Instead rub his back or pat him until he calms down and starts to doze off; then just sit by his crib till he dozes off. After a couple of days, start sitting further and further from the crib until you can sit outside of his room and he falls asleep without you in there. Eventually he will be able to put himself to sleep without you at all. It may take a while, a few weeks even. Just be patient with him; something is affecting him and making him feel insecure when you're not around. It may have been the way you cared for him while he had colic; he just wants you to continue to love and dote on him like you did. My nephew had colic and my sister cuddled him for hours on end until he slept and he became accustomed to that to the point the only time he would sleep was in her arms. She had to get him over that when she became a single mom and my dad started watching him. He did, but started back up when he started teething; poor guy. He's 16 months old now and still wants to be cuddled by his mama when he's uncomfortable or over-tired, but otherwise does good. I hope this advice helps you and good luck getting him to sleep so you can get some yourself.

A. I agree with Dawn about reflux, it does sound that he might be hurting. Another thing, you said it got worse in the past coule days, check for ear infection. I have a friend who's child had one with no simptoms(no fever, no ear pulling), but would not sleep whe put down, cuz that's when the preassure make it hurt. Just a thought.

First of all give yourself a break. You are new at this! I would say try to nurse him, or if he is on formula switch to soy. If you are nursing cut out dairy completely. I know it sounds crazy, but this was a huge issue for my daughter and once I took out the cow milk, she was perfect. She is 4 now and does fine with dairy, I just think when she was a baby her tummy was sensitive.

Also prior to bed try aroma therapy (chamomile and lavender scents worked for me). I took baths with her and then gave her massages with lotion afterward. She began to associate this ritual and the smell with bed time and would go to sleep.

I will say though that to this day Miss priss still likes to have her back rubbed when she goes to sleep. Not a bad thing though.

I also used the CD Bedtime with the Beatles. She also associated those songs with sleep.

It is all about establishing a routine and hopefully your little man will be all about it.

Remember though that you will need to keep the routine when you travel. I didn't bring the CD and didn't have the bath stuff and she had issues at grandmas house.

Hi, A.! I'm so sorry your little one is having a hard time, and that makes it hard for parents, too! I am a first time mommy of twins; they are 5+ months old. Do you think your son may be uncomfortable from teething? This is about the time they begin cutting teeth, and it can really affect night time sleep. Talk to your pediatrician about giving him some Tylenol or Motrin (because it lasts a little longer). It would be worth a shot to make him a little more comfortable. I do not like the cry it out (CIO)method, especially because it can lead to vomiting from such distress (my lo did this one time). I have a web site that may be able to offer some advice for sleep training without CIO. If your interested, email me and I will give it to you. It is basically a blog site, but it covers SO many topics. I have found it so helpful, just like this one! Let me know and I'll share the wealth :) But check out the teething; it could just be tht he is really uncomfortable. Good luck and hugs to you.

My daughter, Olivia, who is now 2 & 1/2 did not sleep thru the night for 16 months. After weeks of agony & torturing ourselves & her, we started letting her sleep with us. I know all the experts frown upon co-sleeping, but I firmly believe that sometimes you have to bend the rules for your own sanity. At around 18 months, once she was old enough to communicate, we gradually moved her into her crib. She was a "cat napper" as well. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I nursed full time for 11 months. Our pediatrician explained that breast milk is digested every couple of hours & doesn't stick with them as long as formula. At this age, she still wakes up @ 3:00 occasionally & wants a cup of milk. There are no cookie cutter kids. It sounds like your little guy's tummy troubles are keeping him & you from getting the rest you so desperately need @ this crucial time in your lives. There is no shame in taking whatever measures necessary to keep your family happy & healthy. Letting her sleep with us really worked for us, she is not damaged from it, & it certainly made things easier.

Have you ruled out an ear infection for this latest bout of sleeplessness? Waking up once an hour or so can be a symptom of ear pain. If that's not the case, then you might try creating a very predictable bedtime routine for your little guy to signal to him that it's time for bed. Bath, book, rocking, nursing, whatever is comfortable for both of you. When you put him down, gradually shorten the time you rock him to sleep so that eventually he is going to bed awake. It will take a while but it might work. Also, when he wakes at night, minimize the time you spend in there, don't turn on any lights, and don't "engage" him or talk to him. Does he have a paci? I know they are not everyone's favorite, but if he does have one, when he cries at night go in his room while it's still dark, give him the paci and leave. If he still cries, wait a few minutes, go back in, pat his back for a second, then leave. This will also take more than one night, but eventually he will get the idea that crying doesn't get him out of bed. I know this is one of the toughest things about being a parent, but if you get him into a predictable routine and "train" him to soothe himself, you will eventually get a good night sleep. My daughter is 14 months and we still have nights where she wakes up but they are short wakings and she goes back to sleep, but she had to learn how to do that. Some babies just take a little longer to learn. Just make sure he doesn't have an ear infection or need a higher dose of the Zantac or maybe another drug because any kind of pain makes sleep very hard for babies.

This may sound strange, but, watching an Oprah show last winter I watched an English woman who identified each and every cry from infants. Women particitaped with their new borns that had trouble with exactly this reason,they didn't know what the baby was going through when it cried? The woman identified the cry, told them exactly what each and every different cry meant, and, believe it or not, the mother's were able to soothe their babies. One, for example,had tummy trouble,another had a bubble, another was in a "thirsty mode" but, it was amazing listening to these cries,then have them "interpreted". It seemed so easy to listen with her guidence, and recognize what every baby needed. Sounds freaky, I'm sure, but I remember there was a c.d. and book about her that Oprah was endorsing. Good luck.....by the way, at the time it helped my daughter with our youngest grandson.

My son has similar issusd with sleep, he is 9 months old. He only takes short half hour naps unless I am holding him and at night he will sleep for a couple hours, but wakes when he realizes I am not laying besides him. He freaks out when I put him in the crib and also works himself up so much he has vomited. Myself I have stop fighting it and just put him in bed with me. I know many people think it is horrible and serves as a dispurpose later, but for us it works and everyone is much happier.

I also have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and she eventually ended up sleeping with us after a bad cold when she was about 14 months that lasted about 9 months,until we bought her a big girl bed right before she was 2 she went right in it no fuss.

Personally I would rather break my son of sleeping in the bed with me in the near future then be miserable now. I am sure will have lots of advice on the subject just know tbat whatever you and your family has to do for your own sanity whatever it may be is okay! So many people told me how bad it was for my daughter to sleep with me and the same with my son, but both my children are happy, strong, free-willed children and if sleeping in the bed was the worst thing that happened I think we did pretty good!

Dear A.,

I use to have problems with a few of the kids I babysat for sleeping and I went to Radio Shack and purchased a noise machine. I set it on the rain setting and plugged it in and it worked wonderfully. Once the machine was turned up, I could do anything in the home and not wake the kids up. Maybe you could give this a try.

K. A.

Try not giving him the Cereal, and replace it with warm milk. Or give him the cereal early. You might want to also try soothing music. It is a trial and error thing. Even though this may sound harsh, try not picking him up for 3 to 5 minutes when he gets fretful. Children know what buttons to push, and what to do to get our atteniton. I had the same issues with my daughter. Once she realized, that things had changed then the naps got longer, and she slept basically thu the night. Grandparents might be spoiling child and holding during the day.

this is just a thought but do you think the zantac is working well?? im not sure how soon after eating he goes to bed but if its right before then he wakes up and throws up it sounds like the meds arnt working. im not a doctor i just know this happened to a family i nannied for... talk to the doc good luck!

Boy I wish I knew the answer - I am just thankful for you that
the colic has ended. My daughter had it for the first 6 months
of her life. After we tried everything and she would cry all
evening - we would take her for a car ride around mid-night
and then she would sleep the rest of the night. Maybe this is
just a stage - I would try keeping him up a little longer and
maybe he wouldn't wake back up. Good Luck!!!

Just thought of this - do you have one of those stuffed bears
with the heat beat? Maybe that would be comforting to him.

Amanda
Proud Member of the M.O.M. Team
www.themomteam.com/amanda