Sudden Sleep Problems

Hello there. I saw that you lived in Flower Mound, as well as I do. If you ever need a babysitter at night or on the weekends just let me know. I am 27 years old and I have been a nanny for 10 years. Feel free to email me or call my cell at ###-###-####.

Thank you,
S.

With children, it's always 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Just keep doing the one thing that works for him to get him to sleep. There will be a few hiccups along the way.

Teething, mom. Try a dose of Infant Advil or the equivalent. That will take care of the pain and inflamation of the gums, whether you can see them or not. This could go on for quite sometime. If he falls back to sleep in about 30-45 minutes, you can be sure he's been in pain. Don't let him suffer with it. You both need your rest.

Good luck and God Bless
Miss B.
http://www.missbrenda.com

C.,
He might have an ear infection.

A.

I have recently had the same problem. I have realized that she is going through a growth spurt and teething so she gets tylenol (a very small dose) and I roll her over to the side and pat her back or bottom for a couple of minutes and that seems to do the trick for a couple more hours. I don't talk to her I shhh her.

when my kids starting going through this i gave them a security item (blankie, stuffed animal, whatever). i believe it was right at about six months with both my son and daughter that i started, and i would just put it in their crib when they slept and would just try to keep it around. if you are nursing, i've heard that if you put it with the baby while nursing it also helps to get them to attach to the item (i suppose you could also do it while bottle feeding). this method was recommended to me becuase when they wake up they have something there to help comfort them. it will probably take a little while for them to grow attached to the item. i think it only took my son a couple weeks but it probably took a month or so with my daughter.

I think it's pretty normal to have sleep problems arise around 6 months. It happened with both of my kids (age 3 yrs and 13mo), my friends kids, and you're about the third person to post to mamasource with the same issue. So, you're not alone!
With my son, it seemed to be a hunger issue at first. Sometimes when you are adding more solid foods to a baby's diet, he may not be getting enough formula. We added a bed time bottle (the brushed his teeth afterwards) and it seemed to help. However, a few weeks later he started waking again.
Also, a lot of kids are getting more mobile, and it's the age that they start interacting more with the world around them. He has probably awakened in the night for a while (it's normal for babies to have light sleep phases where they may wake or fuss a bit), but went back to sleep without disturbing you. Now, things are just too exciting to sleep!
We found a great sleep solution in a book called "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West.
Rather than the regular "cry it out" method, she proposes something called a "sleep shuffle." The first night, you stay in the baby's room and sit next to the crib. Calm him and pat him and talk to him, but don't pick him up (unless he;s hysterical). You stay in there until he goes to sleep. Do this for 3 or 4 nights. The next step, you move your chair further away from the crib. Do it that way for another 3 or 4 nights. Then move your chair right next to the door for another 2 or 3 nights. By the 9th night you're sitting in the hallway outside the kid's room. From what I've heard is that most babies are getting to sleep pretty well by about the 3rd night into the "shuffle."
Miraculously, I only had to do this two nights with my son. Of course, his problem was night waking, and I think the whole 9-day routine is for kids who have a problem getting to sleep at bed time in the first place.
There may be more details in the book. I didn't actually buy it, but read the appropriate chapter while sitting in a Barnes & Noble drinking Starbucks...

This is also the age when a baby can get attached to a "lovey." You might think about introducing a blankie or a small stuffed toy if/when you do the "sleep shuffle."

Hope this helps

C.,

My son is 21 months and had sleep issues all the way up until he was 13 months old. The first year children are going through so many changes, growth spurts, new teeth, etc. and these all play a part in how well the little ones sleep.

My advice is, try and calm him down where you want him to sleep. If you do not want to co-sleep, then I would stop bringing him into your bed right away. When my little guy woke us up at night I would go into his room and try rubbing his back first and if that didn't work I'd pick him up and rock him a little while humming a song or saying "shhhhh" over and over. I never turn a light on as I think that just wakes them up more.

Try putting him back in his bed awake and lay on the floor next to his crib for a few minutes. Once he is calm, leave. Each night move a little closer to the door and eventually he'll just go to sleep on his own without having to see you or touch you.

I would check to see if he is wet or dirty as my little guy hates having a dirty diaper at night. Most nights he stays dry now.

Also, fill him up before bed so that he won't wake up hungry.

Good luck and hang in there! Before you know it he'll be back to his old self again and learning some other new trick to keep you on your toes. :)

My oldest son started having restless nights around that age. He ended up suffering from chronic ear infections (but no outward symptoms, i.e. fever, tugging on ear, etc.) The only reason I found out about the ear infections was because he went in for a wellness visit. He also might be teething (my younger son suffered through endless nights until his molars cut). I hope this helps. Good luck in finding a solution!