I thought it was a hunger problem so feeding him as much as he could or would take before bed would help, but no luck there. He is 4 1/2 months old now but has had trouble with sleeping from day one and it has just been a fight to get him to sleep at night worse then during the day. He gets so tired at night before bed that he doesnt eat much, but learning from in the past he has had 3 oz. and slept all night from the time he falls asleep like around 7pm and wakes after 5am, another time he has had 5 oz. and would wake within 3-4 hours and wont go back to sleep so he would eat. So that tells me that his problem isnt that he is hungery even though he will eat when he wakes. He now goes to bed at between 7-7:30pm and sometimes it takes an hour or more for him to stop crying and fall asleep, I have tried everything from rocking him to rocking the crib, playing music, teething tablet and drops, but nothing works. It doesnt seem to matter how tired he is or what time he goes to bed or how much he eats he has went to bed as late as 8:30-9pm to see if that would make a difference and he was still waking up before midnight to eat. I have tried to let him cry it out so that maybe he will fall back to sleep but that only wakes him up fully and then its impossible to get him back to sleep, he fights it so bad that letting him cry after he has fallen asleep and wakes isnt the best option for him, letting him cry for 10 minutes or longer just doesnt work to get him back to sleep. I just dont understand how he can go from being 5 weeks old and only getting up once at night to eat after midnight to 3 1/2 months waking up before midnight to eat and now up twice at night. So it has been going on now since the beginning of March so just over a month but only doing it here and there to getting up before midnight and eating twice a night for the last week now every night in a row. I know I cant do anything about him waking that is out of my conrol but how do I get him back to sleep witout feeding him when I have tired everything? Sometimes when he has cried after he falls asleep I can get him to take his binky and rock the crib and it works but most the time it doesnt work. I dont understand how he can go from doing really good at night to doing worse now as he gets older. How long will this last that he wakes twice?? I dont mind if he wakes before midnight if he sleeps until after 5am but he doesnt anymore. Solids dont help either he has baby food at each meal time and he hates the rice cereal and oatmeal I have tried to put it into a bottle and he knows what it is and wont take it, I have even mixed it with applesauce but nope he wont take that either. Im out of ideas on how to help our son sleep. He tosses and turns alot before he falls asleep like he cant get comfortable. I make sure or try to make sure he isnt to hot or cold, I cant use a blanket on him cause he pulls it up over his head so when its cool he wears and sack sleepers over his sleeper I really dont think that is the problem either. I just cant figure out why he wakes twice now when he is so tired he has trouble staying asleep. One night he wouldnt go back to sleep after he ate I had to put him in the swing and right away he fell asleep then put him in bed, ususally he will fall asleep after eating that was the only only time I had trouble after he ate. I just would like him to fall asleep easy and stay asleep but something keeps waking him up, also I almost forgot when trying to get him to sleep sometimes he kicks his feet alot so he is just mad, why would he get so mad at going to sleep at night?? HOw long do babys fight sleep??? I just have no idea what to do anymore and if anymore can help or give suggestions or has gone through this themselves can help me then I could really use it! Thank you, L.
Here is just an idea.... Feed him throughout the day as you have been then at about 6 get him his bath and rock for a bit while you give him his bottle. Then right before you go to bed wake him up and see if he needs changed or a bottle. And no, I don't think he is ready for anything but a bottle yet, this is the easiest time for food allergies to start. And no medicine. see if that helps. Good luck.
beth
It might be that he is so overtired that is why he wakes up. The only advice I could give would be try putting him to bed earlier, before he gets overtired. By 4 1/2 month my baby got on a pretty good sleeping schedule. She takes a nap at 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and depending on what time she wakes up from her second nap, sometimes she takes a third nap. I don't let the last nap go beyond 5:30. She is usually in bed at about 6:30. I find if she gets overtired she will wake a lot at night. This nap/sleeping schedule worked with my older child as well. I hope this helps a little.
L.-
I have an 8 month old, and in my experience, what effects my baby's sleep at night more than food or clothes or night ritual- is how well he naps during the day. If he does not get enough nap time during the day, he has a much more difficult time sleeping at night. I know it might seem counterintuitive, but I firmly believe that sleep begets sleep. If your baby is not napping well during the day, he might be overtired and when the human brain becomes overtired, it starts to release chemicals that make you fight sleep. So, if you've tried food and blankets and rocking at some of the other things at night time, my suggestion is to go back and look at his daytime sleep pattern. Also- my boy kicks his feet too- you can hear them pounding on his crib, but it seems to be something he does to soothe himself. Also, I highly recommend a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It is an excellent book on the development of sleep cycles and gives many methods and ideas for getting your baby to sleep well. I followed it and it has really worked for us. Hang in there and good luck!
I am a mother of two children, one is 20 months the other is 8 months. My first child sleept like a dream. My second on the other hand was horrible. After reading your problemit sounded so much like i would have said four months ago. We had the same problem with our daughter only she was a little younger, we were feeding her Enfamil Lipil the regular kind and she was mad all of the time, especially at night. So we tried all of the things you have. I am not sure if you are breastfeeding or formula feeding, but after I talked to our ped. about her she recommended that we switch to soy formula, and it took only 2-3 nights and she settled down to were she only woke once to be fed and went right back to sleep. The ped said that it was most likely gas that was bothering her. It worked for us, so I am wishing you the best. C.
We have an 8 month old and she used to be a great sleeper and about a month ago she started waking up a lot at night. We have put her on acid reflux medicine. Maybe u should ask your doctor. Our daughter has been doing great since we started the medicine. Good luck
Your baby is still really young and although it is frustrating, the more stressed you get about it the worst it will be. My first son was a terrible sleeper from day 1. He didn't consistently sleep through the night until he was a year old. I exclusively breastfed him until 6 months and then when I started feeding him solids I wouldn't nurse him in the middle of the night anymore. It didn't matter he would still wake up. He had occasional good nights but like I said until he was 1 he wasn't consistent. Now that he is 2 and in a toddler bed he still gets up about half the time. We tried everything with him, even crying it out (which I swore I would never do) and it didn't work. I truly believe it is part of his temperment and although we can do things to make it a little better, overall he just isn't a good sleeper. Other than that he is a happy, healthy kid so I just have to not stress and realize that I will have a lot of interrupted nights. My second son is now almost 6 weeks old, and although he already sleeps better than his brother, he often is gassy and spits up and just seems uncomfortable which keeps him up sometimes. I'm not worried because by 3-4 months this should get better. It doesn't mean he will sleep through the night though. Most books by reputable drs. say most babies can't be expected to sleep through the night until 6 months and even then every baby is different. Don't feed him solids yet though it doesn't help and could cause some allergy problems.
Have you taken him to the doctor at all? My daughter went through the same thing. She has had about four ear infections since December. Is he teething? After you figure out that it is not something medical, you should just follow your gut. If you don't think he is hungary then don't feed him at night. I know when my daughter kept getting up she got used to having the attention. Hope it helps. Good luck!
Hi L.,
If you can, get ahold of the book The Baby Whisperer. It's a great book! She addresses this issue and many more.
R.
oh wow sounds familiar...my son had problems sleeping too he still has his nights though. His started when he was a few months old and the nights just got worse I then talked to his doctor who said since his eyes were open and he was unresponcive he was having night terrors. This was just last year I found that out before the doctors would just say oh he will grow out of it. Preston is now 2 years old and has just now been sleepin through the night. We still have some bad nights but its not EVERY NIGHT anymore.
One of my children was the same way and I would just feed him and feed him and it never helped. Don't know how you feel about this but I was recommended to a gonstead chiropractor and that seriously did the trick. It was not like they were "cracking his back" or anything, but they kind of massaged a little bit and it worked wonders. I had never even seen a chiropractor myself, but they explained to me how h*** o* a baby that delivery can be and it made sense. I haven't really had any problems with him sleeping since then, well until now that he is two and wants to sleep with me every night. :) I know that it seems kindof scary to have your baby at a chiropractor, but I will swear by it. It helped him sleep, stop spitting up and he really does not get sick very often. But it needs to be a gonstead chiropractor. When I have my third child in July I will take her when she is about a week, just to stop any problems before they start. Hope that maybe this will help.
Have you tried swaddling him and putting pillows so he can't move so much. My youngest had to be wrapped up good before he'd sleep all night. Giving him cereal in a bottle isn't really the best thing for him.
Also the only thing I can say is I had a good sleeper. My oldest slept through the night from the time he was a month old but at five months, he started getting up at least once. I don't know why they do that. Maybe you son is going through a growth spurt and needs the extra food. Maybe, he just wants to be held. If he sleeps in the swing let him stay there all night. It won't hurt him. The crib may just feel too big to him. I hope this helps. Good luck!!
Hi L.,
In my opinion, I would try stopping the cereal/baby food and going back to strictly breastmilk or formula. It sounds like he may be getting tummy aches from the food. At this point, he really doesn't need cereal or food other than his regular breastmilk/formula for nutrition. I think one of the other suggestions was acid reflux medication. I would agree with that, as well but I would try this other first. Warm, soothing bath, quiet time, bottle and bed. It probably won't be very successful at first, since his routine at this point includes waking up/crying but stick with it. You can always call your doctor for suggestions too. Good luck. Let us know how things are going.
C.
L.-
I think that is really young to sleep completely through the night, are you talking 11-12 hour stretches? I would have been very shocked and engorged if my children had ever done that. I do agree at a certain point it becomes about more than hunger, but I don't think at that age. I waited until my daughter was 18 months to completely night wean her and then I gave her a good hearty snack before bed, I plan to do the same with my son. He's 15 months and sometimes I can hear his stomach growling in the early morning hours when he wakes to nurse. I read something that said babies get as much as 1/3 of their calories at night. Sleeping patterns change all the time and it makes sense when they are going through rapid growth spurts they need more calories. My daughter has slept a solid 12 hours since she was 18 months. It will not last forever, it's such a short time! Soon you will be wishing your concerns with him were this simple! Instead you will be losing sleep wondering when he's going to be home!
Brekka
Hi L.,
My daughter is 3 1/2 months and is having a similar sleeping pattern as your Caden. When we first brought her home, she slept 5 hours with no problem. Now she wakes up twice a night. Is Caden possibly going through a growth spurt? It is typical at his age. If so, then waking up more often is natural because he is burning up his food more quickly. My daughter put on two and a half pounds in less than a month. I think as their growth spurts slow down, their night feedings will stretch back out. Getting up during the night is a bummer, but don't be worried about it. Its absolutely a normal thing that Caden is doing.
Congratulations on your husband coming home!! I can only imagine what it must have been like to go through your pregnancy with him over seas.
Good luck!!
K. - Boise
I have been reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth and he suggests that sleeping through the night for a while and then beginning to wake up twice a night around four months is normal. He explains it scientifically in his book so that it helps to understand why. He also says that by 9 months he should no longer have to wake up during the night anymore (not to dishearten you, either, because it could happen before then!). So far, that has proved to be true for my son. He began sleeping through the night (8 p.m. until 7 a.m.) at 6 weeks, and when he turned 4 months exactly, began waking up twice a night. He's now 7 months and is getting up only once a night now (sleeping from 7 p.m. until 4 a.m., then gets up at 6:30 a.m.). My son was also having a terrible time getting to sleep at night, but after reading this book, he goes to bed great most of the time (he has a bad night here and there, but not many!). Generally, he says if a baby gets overtired by not having enough naps (getting enough sleep) during the day, your baby will become overtired and the body releases adrenalin making it very hard to fall asleep. My son is now on a rather strict nap and bedtime schedule and we also have a very regular bedtime routine, but it has really helped! It took a week or so, but he's doing so much better now.
I also agree with a previous commenter that said he may still be young for solids. I know more and more doctors are saying to wait until they are 6 months if you can to avoid stomach problems and allergies.
I recommend Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It's very informative and my son is sleeping so much better now during the day and night. The first part of the book is very dry and tough to get through, but after that you get into the "meat" of the book and has been very helpful for me (it's age specified, too, so you don't have to read more than what's applicable to your son's age now).
I hope this helps! Good luck!
My daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was 10 months old, and I finally had to let her cry it out. . . don't get too worried, they are all different.
Your baby is TOO YOUNG for any kind of food- only breastmilk or formula!!
All babies sleep through the night at different rates! Do not expect your child to sleep through the night just because you want him to by a certain age. It doesn't work that way.
If you really feel that he is in discomfort, I think once you stop feeding him cereals, applesauces, etc, that you will find that he feels much better, as his digestive system cannot handle the food yet.
Other than that, nurse/feed him a little in the middle of the night as long as he needs it- if he is hungry, he will eat and probably go right back to sleep. 4 months old is WAY to young to let them cry it out for a long time either.
Pelase don't give your baby any acid reflux medication- it is not safe or tested on babies at all, and it is way overprescribed for a condition that is mainly misdiagnosed anyway.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any other concerns you might want to talk about.
When I had my boys I read a book about feeding and sleep patterns in babies. It told me that if you feed your baby every 2 1/2 to 3 hours during the day, getting in at least 8 feedings, that by the last one at night they would have very full tummies and sleep through the night faster. Myoldest who is now 5 slept throught the night around 4 months and my youngest at six weeks. My youngest would not take a bottle or take cereal or anything other than good ol mom for 6 months and he slept through the night from 6 weeks on. Our schedlue started whenever he woke up, usually around 7:00 am and we would feed on the dot from there every 3 hours, unless he was hungry before, at about 2 1/2 hours and our last feeding was usually around 10:00. He would take a nap in the morning and the afternoon and then a pown nap in the eveing around 6:00. By about 5 months he was ready to drop that last late night feeding, but if you are starting a little late in the game you will just have to see what your baby needs. I would say try it for a week, and you have to stay on schedule, or it wont work. I am 2 months away from my 3rd baby and I definitly plan on using this method again! The book was written by Dr. Ferber and it is called the Ferber Method. But I researched it on the internet a little and it looks like he has a new book out that is a revised edition for 2006 called Solve your child's sleep problem. It also talks about laying your baby down wide awake and letting them cry it out. It worked for me very well!! Good Luck!
