Changing Sleep Habit

It's impossible to predict how a baby's sleep pattern will go. He could be having a growth spurt that is keeping him awake. My son never slept through the night until the age of two.

Is he standing yet? Here's what I've been told in the past. Babies grow SO MUCH in the first year that their little bodies practically 'buzz' with growth. As they go through different stages, it cna feel wake them up, keep them awake, etc.

Your little guy is now at such a huge stage of development (grabbing, teething, trying to stand, wriggling, etc), that he could be waking at night, not caring if it's 12am, and start playing.

Does he fuss for you when he wakes up? It's natural for us all to wake up at night, but most of us settle back in before we fully wake up. Do you go to him and hold him when he wakes up or do you just try to pat his back and try to put him back to sleep?

I've noticed that whenever babies are about to experience (or have just experienced) a physical milestone, like crawling/walking/etc. It messes with their sleep. I would just try to ignore him at night (since you KNOW he can make it through without needing anything) and see if he can soothe himself back to sleep. He might just be "practicing" crawling in his sleep, which is disconcerting for him.

It is a little harder to ignore him for naptimes, because there are other distractions and noises that help him wake up, but give it a shot. He's probably really tired, and needs the sleep.

Good luck!

Hi,

He is supposed to sleep through the night by this time, but all kids are different. Do you put him in his crib or do you rock him?
If you put him down and someone is carrying him or rocking him constantly, there might be a problem.

There are a few things that I can think of. I run a daycare, and the only way that kids can tell time is by schedule. At home, try to keep the same schedule as the daycare. For example, in my day care the kids know that after reading time, it will be nap time. This never changes, and is automatic. They are mentally ready.

This is a funny story, and proof kids are signaled to sleep. When my older boys were little, they went to sleep when it was dark. In the summer they were up a little later, but in the winter, it was great. They were in bed by 5:30. They didn't have a clue until they could tell time. I altered their schedule accoring to the time of year.

"At daycare, he'll take 3-4 hour naps but when he's with me or my husband during the day we're lucky if he takes a 30 minute nap."
What time do the kids in daycare take a nap?

The 3 hour nap is probably OK but I think that 4 hours is pushing it. Find out what time the kids go down for nap. If they are waking past 3:00, it is too late. If he is in daycare for 9 hours a day, he is sleep almost half of the time. It is hard for me to try to figure out what is going on without knowing what hours he is in daycare, what time he gets up in the morning, and what time he goes to bed.

I run a child directed daycare. In other words, I set up a variety of activities every day, and they get to choose what to do as I support their play. They are active every minute doing something. There is no time for rest in-between. They are pooped out and ready for nap by the time it rolls around at about 12:30.
TV is not allowed in my daycare! They lay down at 12:30, they doze by 1:00 and they are up for another round of different activities by 3:00. Some would sleep longer if I let them. Since I don't believe in waking sleeping children, I start making some noise at about 2:45 so that they wake on their own, so to speak. I have no complaints from parents about their kids not being tired at night. Parents are paying me to care for their children, not to watch them sleep all day.

If you expect him to take a wonderful long nap for you, you are going to have to poop him out. He needs mental and physical activities.

Reccomendations!

1. Find out your daycare providers nap schedule. Pick the same time but make sure that he is up by 3:00. Four hours is too long! If he is going down for nap at 12:30 and sleeping until 4:30, he can't be expected to go to bed by 7:00 because he hasn't been awake long enough.

2. Find out what activity she does right before nap. Pick the same activity before naptime at home.

My gut tells me that someone is rocking him, and he is waking up for more.

Good Luck

D.

My 4 month old is going through the same thing. She had been sleeping through the night and about 3 weeks ago (when I went back to work) she started waking up. I think that it's because she has started teething. She's not eating as much during the day because her mouth hurts so she is waking up hungry at night. She too has been waking up multiple times and its usually just to be held. Once we pick her up, she goes right back to sleep. Hopefully it will end soon...

A.

Dear R.,

Well, of course, those long naps at daycare are likely the cause of his sleep habits. Maybe you should ask that they not let him sleep that long. Just have a conversation and see what the care givers say. Don't babies that age just take a short nap in the a.m. and a short one in the p.m.? When I ran a day care for infants or even with the preschoolers, I made sure they got up from a p.m. nap at 3:00 or a tiny bit later, so that they could go to bed at a reaonable hour at home that night.

Maybe you could begin visiting other day cares. That is all I know. It is not a good thing what is happening right now. So check into it asap. Don't let it go on too long. C. N.

what i had to do with my kids was tire them out as much as possible...let them knock out on their own for naps...and play with them like crazy after their naps to make sure they would sleep good at night...worked for me...and then once they got into a good night time routine and they were all tired and cranky it became easier for me to get them to settle down also...

You should let him cry a little longer each night you put him down until he learns how to soothe himself back to sleep. He's old enough to get through the night without feeding or comfort, but all kids are different. My 16 month old still occassionally wakes up once a night - but only about 2 times a week. She goes down for a nap better when Daddy is home. Don't know why. I think she knows I'm soft hearted and can't let her cry too long, so she usually wins! But bottom line is - set a schedule and stick to it. Do the same routine EVERY NIGHT at bed time, like dinner, bath, book - cuddle time, bottle, Night Night! Do it consistent for a week or two and he'll learn. good luck. http://kellyis.stayinhomeandlovinit.com