Need Sleeping Advice

I have a 17 month old son and the last couple of months he started waking up again in the middle of the night and we found out it's because he was teething. So when I see that he has new teeth coming in I give him some tylenol before he goes to bed and it usually helps.

Try the book "Baby Wise", it really helped us. But sometimes when babies have sleep pattern changes at this age it is due to teething.

When our son was teething it was always worse at night so we gave him a little Tylenol before bedtime to help through the rough spots because he got 2-4 teeth at a time, every time.

Good Luck.

Hi J.,

The feber method is wonderful in my opinion. I am a mother of three boys (13, 4, and 2). I used this method with my two youngest sons, and it worked like a charm.

The first two nights are the hardest, but I promise it will get easier. Don't pick your son up out of his bed once you tell him it's bedtime. You can soothe every 5 minutes or so. A music box helped my kids fall asleep faster (they still use them).

We are now to the point where we put the kids to bed including the 2 yr old. Turn the music box on, kiss them goodnight, shut the door, and they go right to sleep.

Feber is not the easiest thing to do for a mom, but the benefits seriously outweigh a few nights of pulling your hair out. Bedtime will be less stressful for you.

By the way, my youngest shares a room with my husband and I also so I know what you are going through.

Best of luck,
L.

Here are some initial thoughts...
*Is your son teething?
*When he wakes up is he rewarded (kissing, cuddling, lots of attention, tv, snacks, etc.)for waking up?
*Could it be separation anxiety?
*Does he have a scheduled bedtime and structured routine (this is very important that he does) every night?

I teach a newborn care class and one thing I tell parents is "Don't be your child's pillow." That means, let the child learn how to put him/herself to sleeep and BACK to sleep as we all wake up several times throughout every night.

I know your concerns for your husband's need for sleep are right on...however, sometimes parents loose sleep initally for the benefit of a child who sleeps better in the long run.

Ferber has recently modified his sleep advice to be less harsh. Also, Dr. Sears has modified his sleep advice to be less "child-centered" as he recognizes the need for parents to get sleep too.

10 months is too young to "reason" with him so the method you use will have to be simple and immediate. For example, there may be a certain cd that is played at bedtime every night. That becomes an audio "clue" that it's bedtime.

Bottom line, do what's comfortable for you and remember: Your son came into YOUR life, not the other way around.

Good luck!

Is he or she teething? My little guy started being uncomfortable right around 3 months and it was a tooth coming in (definitely don't want to let them cry it out if they're not feeling good)

also have you increased the amount of formula or started rice cereal yet? My little guy's appetite was increasing and I kept him on the same amount of food, increased the rice cereal on the last feeding before bedtime and we were golden!

good luck!

J.,
I wonder if your son is about to make a "developmental leap" as the pediatricians say, and that is the cause of his night wakings. Also, do you think that maybe he is waking b/c he is in the same room as you and your husband? Any recent changes? We let our son (8 mos) cry--I say "we", but really it was my husband who did it, about 3 mos ago, and it took a few times, but he did eventually sleep all night. Maybe wait the first night to see how he does, and then proceed with crying.....just to warn you though, it WILL be hard, especially if you will be doing it on your own. If you aren't set on Ferber, I would recommend "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" by Tracy Hogg or "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley for other ideas as well. Good luck!

HELLO J.!I AM THE MOTHER OF TWO, THEY ARE 26 & 15 NOW,BUT WHEN THEY WERE BABY'S EVERYNIGHT I WOULD FEED THEM WARM CEREAL AND THEN GIVE THEM A WARM BATH! THAT WOULD ALWAYS HELP ME THEY WOULD SLEEP ALL NIGHT! TRY IT MAYBE IT WILL WORK FOR YOU TOO!!!I HOPE SO!!! GOOD LUCK!!! YOUR MAMASOURCE FRIEND, SISTERSTAR....RENEA

I used the "cry it out" method with my first child and it worked after 20 minutes for 3 nights in a row. My second child couldn't "cry it out" - he needed comforting and had to be nursed back to sleep. What I ended up doing is nursing until he was drowsy but not asleep. I would then hold him and rock him and sing to him and put him down before he was completely asleep. I would sit in the room with him for a few minutes and start the process over again. Each time I would wait a little bit longer before picking him up and nursing/singing. Sort of like the Ferber/"cry it out" method, but he got used to "Mommy's not leaving you" AND "Mommy's not nursing you back to sleep. You know your child best. My third child goes to sleep so easily, but occasionally she has a tough time. When she needs more cuddling, I make sure that I put her down to sleep before she falls asleep on me. That way, she doesn't depend on me to fall asleep. Good luck.

Hi J.,

I have used the Ferber method and it worked. Please read the book first! You should try to figure out why he has been having trouble sleeping now. It might have started as a phase (teething, getting sick, nightmares,...) and turned into "I know she comes when I call and I'll take advantage of it."

Good luck,
A..

J., I went through the same thing with my daughter, now 10 months old. Once an infant becomes mobile and discovers the new abilities of standing, crawling, and sitting up, going to sleep becomes a bit of a trial. This is healthy and expected, and reflects her new developmental abilities, so don't fret...it will pass.
We did the Ferber method with our daughter, and it has worked wonderfully. Remember waking during the night will continue off and on for many years (our oldest is 6 and still wakes about once a month).
I hope this helps! V. P, RN