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Q

Help to Make Her Feel Comfortable!

Dallas, TX

My daughter who is 3 and a half months old has been sleeping in her own crib since she was a month old, problem is, she is sleeping in her carrier because she has been sick with a cold. As the coughing is getting better, I need to transition her to the crib without having her in the carrier because for the last few mornings she had wiggled her way out of the carrier so she was sleeping peacefully with the bottom half of her little body on the mattress and the her head in the bottom of the seat! She likes to be cuddled when she sleeps, up until about two weeks ago she preferred to be swaddled when sleeping. I have snapped her in the carrier, but that always wakes her up when I put her down for the night and then I have to pick her up to soothe her back to sleep. She is sleeping from about 8 pm until 5 am but when I tried laying her in her crib without the carrier she was up within an hour and anywhere from every thirty minutes to two hours after that. If she hadn't been sleeping through the majority of the night I wouldn't be worried, but she doesn't seem to be getting any sleep when just placed in her crib. So, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to make her feel more comfortable when put in her crib. I have a sleep positioner that raises her slightly up and has foam wedges on the side to keep her on her back, but she wiggles her way out of it (she is a wiggly sleeper) and I was worried that she may flip over and suffocate on the soft foam. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

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Q

Help with Sleep

Phoenix, AZ

I am a first time mom of a 3 1/2 month old baby boy. Neither my husband nor I have ever been around a baby before so everything is trial and error. He's a very good baby except for sleeping. We started following the BABY WISE book about 4 weeks ago with little progression. He still wakes up 1 or 2 times every night to eat. When he is asleep, it's very restless and loud. If he's not swaddled, he can't sleep at all. During the day, he takes the dreaded 45 min naps. Sometimes he'll go back down for another 45, but sometimes there's no way. So new at this! Any advice would be much appreciated!

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Q

Help with Sleep Transition!

San Francisco, CA

hi! my alomst-11-month old daughter is upstairs crying right now in her crib. we have slept together for most of her life, and weeks ago i started putting her to bed in her own bed, a futon on the floor of her room. she wakes up after a couple hours and i crawl in bed with her and nurse her and fall asleep. if i'm lucky i wake up and she's awake and i crawl into bed with my husband and maybe get some alone sleep. i want her to fall asleep on her own and sleep for longer periods. letting her cry it out is not a great option during the night, as my husband has to get up before 5 am and needs all the sleep he can get. so i'm trying it at bedtime and there she is screaming in her crib, for the first time i've tried it. is there hope? should i go get her and nurse her to sleep on the futon as she's used to? is this crib thing overrated and i should just stick to what we've been doing? help!

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Q

Help!

San Francisco, CA

I'm out of ideas! My son still wakes up several times every night... anywhere from 1-5 times a night. Used to be that I could pat him and he'd go back to sleep... or feed him once a night (He is considered low in weight) and he would go back to sleep. Now he gets all nuzzled in and then I get ready to go back to bed and he sees me leave and starts to cry and scream. We start all over. I have tried letting him CIO and that DOES NOT work and it only makes me feel like I'm neglecting my child. I've tried schedules and that doesn't work. I know he's teething and I have been using Motrin, Tylenol, orajel for babies, ice, frozen fruit, teething rings and nothing seems to help! Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm open to trying just about anything. Last night I had to put him in his crib and I just sat on the stairs crying. I'm exhausted and out of ideas. I find myself wanting to give him up and go back to work and back to my pre-baby life.

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Q

Help! 8 Month Old Won't Sleep Without Mommy!

Detroit, MI

Hi Everyone, I am posting this for a friend, because she is desperate for HELP soon! Her 8 month old baby is so attached to her hip that she will not go to sleep by herself. The only way her Mom can get her to fall asleep is by holding her. Then when she sets her in her crib she screams....literally for up to an hour before Mom finally goes and gets her. Her mom has a hard time leaving her scream, but has absolutley NO time to herself and it is beginning to wear on her. Any advice on how to get this baby to sleep in her own crib, without Mom??

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Q

HELP! I Have a Couple Issues with Sleep - Mine and Baby's!!

Tampa, FL

My problem is two-fold - first, my little one is teething (he's 5 months old today!) and he can roll on to him tummy at night and pushes himself up. Both of these make him cry cry cry. The teething isn't new and I have tried Humphries, Hylands, Oragel, and Tylenol and the only one that really works is Tylenol. The problem is that I have given it to him every night for 4 nights in a row. It's the only thing that calms him down enough to fall asleep and stay asleep (even nursing doesn't really help). My problem is that I feel horrible about giving it to him so many nights in a row and am scared that soon he won't be able to put himself to sleep on his own if I keep giving it to him. Last night we tried to use just the tablets, but he cried from 11-3 - the high pitched frantic crying, mixed in with sucking on the binkie and moaning. How can I be sure it's teething and not just him wanting to be picked up? Is it OK to keep giving it to him? My ped says I shouldn't need to, but seriously - the little dude is obviously miserable and I can't stand to see him hurt. The other issue is that he's figured out how to roll from back --> front and do a little pushup and now he does it in the middle of the night and cries. So last night he was a little ball of teething, crying, rolling, pushing-up mess. Can anyone make me feel some sanity that I'm not alone in this and that I'm not hurting my baby by giving him Tylenol? I can't find anything that tells me how much is too much (even my ped said there really isn't too much, unless you misdose). Will the rolling stop? Or at least, will he eventually get used to it?

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Q

Help! My 3 1/2 Month Old Is an Insomniac!

Philadelphia, PA

My daughter will be 4 months old next week. She was a fabulous sleeper for the first month of her life (wouldn't even wake up to eat!), but now she is on a sleep strike. Once she goes down for the night she usually sleeps 5-6 hours, wakes up to eat, and then goes back down for a few more hours. The big problem is getting her to sleep. She falls asleep nursing, but wakes up within about 10 minutes of being put in her crib. If I put her down awake she plays for a few minutes then starts screaming. We usually go back and forth with nursing, falling asleep, and crying for several hours every night until she finally goes down for good. I have also tried giving her a bottle before putting her down in case she is hungry (my milk production has always been low), but even that doesn't seem to make a difference. I'm not comfortable with the cry it out method, especially since she is still so young. I do let her cry for a few minutes, but she always just gets more and more hysterical and then she is difficult to console. She gets incredibly fussy when she's tired and is difficult to console. She's been going to bed between 1 and 3:30am and sleeping until b/t 8am and 11am for several weeks now. I just can not get her to go down earlier, even when I start trying to put her down around 8 or 9. Usually she naps during the day OK- she either falls asleep on her own when playing or falls asleep shortly after I put her in her crib, but the past few days she has not been napping well and even if she falls asleep for a nap she wakes up within about 20-40 minutes and doesn't go back to sleep. The holidays have been pretty hectic with visiting family, etc., so I don't know if that is part of the problem, but we are trying to lay low for the next few days. Today it was just my husband and I at home and we didn't go out at all. I am breastfeeding and have always fed on demand (except when she was a newborn and needed to be woken up to eat) and she has needed occassional formula. I want to try to start to get her on a routine, but I don't even know where to start at this point! I am willing to try pretty much anything except co-sleeping and cry it out. Has anyone else experienced this or does anyone have any advice?! My husband and I are about at our whits end and my baby is absolutely exhausted!!

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Q

Help! My Baby Won't Sleep at All During the Day.

Dallas, TX

My 5 week old has suddenly stopped sleeping at all during the day. After he easts ( I am nursing) he begins to fall asleep, as soon as I put him down, two or three minutes later he begins to holler and holler. I can quickly get him calmed down and back to dozing off, but once again as soon as he is set down or I hold him for longer than 10 minutes he screams again. He is sleeping good at night. And I don't think something is wrong like gas, etc because he is easily calmed down and dozing off, it just doesn't last. I desperately need some advice and help as my husband and I are at our wits end. (BTW it may be important to note that he has ascid reflux and has to sit up for at least 20 minutes after every feeding, he uses a wedge in his crib when he sleeps and sometimes sleeps in his bouncy seat)

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Q

Help! 4 Month Old with High Maintenance Sleep Habits!

New York, NY

Help! My son is 4 months old and still waking 2-3 times during the night. Plus, he will not sleep unless he is swaddled VERY tightly (if its loose enough for him to wiggle his arms out, he will struggle until he gets them out.) I've tried putting him down in just a sleep sack, buts he wakes himself by moving. On top of all that, he likes to sleep propped up in his Boppy pillow! I've also tried to put him down just on his back, which he also struggles with. I'm a first time mom and admittedly gave him all of these bad habits trying to get him to sleep as a newborn, and now its all biting me in the you-know-what! Where do I start to get him to sleep well on his own???

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Q

Help! My 4Month Old Is on a Sleep Strike!

Philadelphia, PA

Hi everyone. My son has been sleeping like a champ basically since we stopped waking him up to eat at just a few weeks old. He's been sleeping 8pm-6am since he was about 6 weeks old. He's also been napping 10am-12pm and 1pm-4pm every day. Until a week ago. Now, he tries to stick to that schedule (he set that schedule himself and has always stuck VERY closely to it), but the only problem is, he wakes up about every 30 minutes! And he doesnt wake up upset. He's happy as can be. Flailing his arms around, smiling, giggling, squealing. It's not that he's not tired though - as soon as we pick him up, he is OUT. He's not hungry - he sticks to the same amount of bottles he usually has, and refuses it if we try to give him more to help him sleep. Is it just because he's hitting big milestones? He just figured out how to roll over front to back, and I think he's working on back to front... Help!

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Q

Help- MOM Not Sleeping

Tampa, FL

My baby is 5 days old and when we go to bed at night, she falls right to sleep but I stay awake from her every sound. I check to see if she's breathing, covered, uncomfortable, etc. She slept from 9:30 - 2 last night and I slept one hour of that. After 2 nights at home with this I am exhausted. She also won't latch on and I'm having to pump which saddens me greatly. Please help!!!

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Q

Helping My 11 Month Old Sleep Thru the Night CONSISTENTLY

Sacramento, CA

My 11 month old has never consistently slept through the night. He will go 3 or so nights with sleeping great, or waking up and being able to put himself back to sleep but then the other 3 or 4 nights he wakes up, around 2am, crying unable to console himself. I am an incredibly light sleeper so rather than staying awake, i typically would cave, give him a bottle and he would fall back fast asleep. Some nights, he would drink very little, other nights, he would drink a full 8 oz bottle. There seems to be no true rhyme or reason why he cant consistently sleep. How do i get past this phase? I have always been quick to say my son is little and that if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he is probably hungry and needs food. I realize at 11 months, he should be able to do so. Do i ferberize? or are there other, better methods, because of his age? Our schedule is pretty routine. My husband and I are early risers which means he is an early sleeper. Typically in bed around 8pm each night. He is up at 530am, against his will, getting ready for daycare. He eats dinner each night around 530pm and gets a night time bottle right before bed. Ideas??? I am preparing for baby number 2 and do NOT want this habits to continue after the new baby arrives.

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Q

How Can I Get My Son to Sleep on His Own?

Harrisburg, PA

Hi everyone. The long story short is that my 13 month old son doesn't know how to go to sleep unless he is nursing (or occasionally when he's riding in a car). I'm SO ready to wean him, but I don't know how to help him learn how to get to sleep on his own. We've tried what feels like everything, and nothing works. We've even tried the cry it out method, and after an hour and 45 minutes of continuous screams, we finally went and got him. We're also co-sleeping, which I'd also like to end. The co-sleeping only started because he had reflux when he was younger and needed to comfort feed all night to keep the pain at bay. Once we got the reflux under control, the habit was already established. I think this is probably also where the nursing to sleep got established. I guess the big question is : how do I transition my nurse-to-sleep co-sleeping baby out of my bed and off my breasts, and into his own bed to fall asleep on his own?

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Q

How Did You Make a "Sleeping Alone" Transition?

Chicago, IL

My daughter is 3 months old. She had been sleeping really well. Anywhere from 9 or 10 until 4 or 5. I don't know what happened, but she started sleeping like a newborn again. Now she's waking much more frequently. Sometimes every 1-2 hours, but never sleeps more than 3 hours. I was thinking it's growth spurt, but I'm not sure. When she wakes around 1 or 2 I feed her and she cries out about 45 minutes later. I've wound up pulling her in bed with me because I'm so tired, but this is not ideal. It's almost as if because I'm right there, she wakes to nurse every hour. It's not that she wakes up or cries hysterically, but she cries out with her eyes closed so I nurse her. I really, really don't want to get in that habit, but I'm afraid it's too late. Ultimately, We'd like her to sleep in her crib in her room. She's a P'n'P in our room right now. I'm not expecting a miracle of her sleeping through the night, but I'd like to get back to at least 5 hours. I know she can do it at this age. How do you make the transition? Do I have to start letting her CIO for a few minutes? I will always feed her if she's hungry, but I'm ready to start a new sleep schedule. I completely realize it's not exactly about what I want, but I thought I'd ask for suggestions. She is swaddled and pretty exclusively BF. We've tried formula, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Thanks!

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Q

How Do You Know If It Is Teething or Something Else

Kansas City, KS

Hello, My daughter has been a pretty good sleeper, but the last few nights have just been horrible. She has been waking up every hour or two. We think it might be teething, but how do we really know? We would let her stay in her crib and fuss and cry for a little bit, but if she is hurt or sick, I don't want to do that. Sometimes we can just go in and give her her pacifier back and she goes back to sleep, but always wakes up again. Sometimes she stops crying/fussing if we pick her up and sooth her, but sometimes she doesn't. She sucks on everything in sight all day long, but isn't as fussy during the day. I would think if she is teething she would be fussing all day long. She doesn't nurse as well as she used to, but that could be because we started solids. When we put her down for naps and at night she never cries, it is just the waking up problem. We have tried tylenol and oragel, but that has not helped. I am just not sure what the problem is. She rolls over a lot and moves all over in her crib, so that also seems to wake her sometimes. I know this is so much info, but I just am not sure what else to do. Any advice would be extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

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Q

How Long Should My 12 Week Old Be Sleeping?

Chicago, IL

My daughter just turned 12 weeks old. She was born 4 weeks early. It seems like she sleeps a lot. She is only up about 6 hours a day. She takes a huge nap in the middle of the day and sleeps on and off througout the day. She sleeps great at night. She eats great and is a very happy baby. My instict tells me that I am just lucky to have such a content baby after having my son who never slept. My husband thinks it is weird that she sleeps so much. What do you guys think?

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Q

How to Change a Bad Sleeping Habit Before It Gets Worse.

Philadelphia, PA

I have a 6 week old baby boy who wont sleep in his basinet or crib. He likes to sleep in his car seat, but I am not comfortable knowing he is sleeping in that. Also his crib is in the room he will be sharing with his older brother who is 3 years old, and I am worried about putting him in the room alone so soon. Also because his big brother likes to climb in the crib even though I tried to teach him that the crib is for his baby brotherand that he has his own big boy bed. So I am worried he will climb in at night when every one is asleep with the baby in the crib. So I am looking for advice on a safe place for my 6 week old to sleep so we both can sleep soundly.

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Q

How to Get 16 Month Old to Sleep in Toddler Bed

Chicago, IL

Hi, I have 2 babies, Irish Twins, they are 13 months apart. I have refused to buy another crib, I am hoping to have my 16 month old out of his crib and into a toddler bed so that I can put my new baby in the crib. But as of yet, when I put him into his toddler bed he gets out and leaves the room. I can put a gate up and totally childproof the room, and hope he gets it. Anyone have any ideas of how to get him into his toddler Bed?

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Q

How to Get 21 Month Olds to Sleep in Their Bed

Pensacola, FL

Ok I need MAJOR HELP!! My husband and I have been trying to convert our 21 month old twins from their crib to toddler beds...We just took the front off the crib, it's a convertible crib. We started yesterday and they didn't nap..We are use to taking 2 1/2-3 hour naps. Last night they feel asleep on the floor and then we moved them into bed and everything was well. We were out today during their nap, but tonight they once again went to sleep in the floor. Should I just continue to let them fall asleep in the floor?? They don't cry at night, I can hear them talking for 10 minutes at the max and then they are out. My major problem is with the nap time..It's light outside and they can see and possibly play with one another. How do I get them to comprehend to stay in bed and close their eyes?? We are trying to convert for our holidays travels as it will be much easier to not have pack-n-plays. Am I trying to do this all tooo early?? I don't want to push them into something that they are not ready, but would really like them to be able to sleep wherever we are...

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Q

How to Get Baby to Sleep Thru Night (While We Sleep)

Washington DC, VA

My 5 month old (who weighs 17 lbs now, 90% in weight) gets sleepy at around 6-7pm so I'll let her nap for a couple hours and will give her a bottle somewhere around 9-10pm (last feeding). Most of the time she doesn't really wake up but will "dream" feed. The next time she wakes up is at around 3:30-4:30am. I want to get her to sleep from around 8/9pm to 6am (or longer), so I've been trying to get her to kick the habit of waking up for the "middle of night" bottle by giving her a pacifier instead. That will keep her calm for 30 mins-1 hour and then she will spit it out and start fussing. Last night, we did the pacifier "dance" from 3:30 to 5:30am at which point I gave her a bottle. She took it and then fell asleep for good. I guess it's obvious she really needs this feeding still, but I've heard given her age and weight, she really DOESNT need this feeding and could do without. I can try to feed her more at each feeding, but she only really wants 5-6 oz per feeding (she has 3 TBLS rice cereal in each bottle to control her acid reflux, which probably keeps her fuller than babies who don't have any rice cereal in the bottle). Any advice out there to get her to sleep all night without a feeding? OR maybe this is normal and I should wait a bit longer? When is the most common age that babies start truly sleeping through the night? (more than 6 hours, that is)

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Q

How to Get My 5 Month Old to Sleep Thru the Night?

Dallas, TX

Hey, ladies! I know all babies are different, but does anyone know how to get my 5 month old to sleep through the night??? He sleeps in his own crib, but still wakes between 3am- 5:30am to eat! He rarely takes a nap during the day, and when he does it's about 30 minutes here and there, but nothing consistent! With my first baby (23 months old) she napped just fine, and didn't sleep through the night until she was about 6 months old. He eats Gerber one foods, and cereal and takes a bottle-should he still need to wake-up and eat??? I know HE WILL SLEEP when HE IS READY, but does anyone have any tricks that worked for them. I work about 50 hours a week, drive an hour each way, my husband is a coach and in the Reserves(he is NEVER home), I AM SOOOO TIRED!!! Not to mention my crazy redheaded baby girl is advancing well into her terrible almost two-ness!! Thanks so much!

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Q

How to Get My Child to Sleep Through the Night

New York, CT

hello I have a 71/2 month old daughter who i have recently started to put to bed by herself as to rocking her before. She cries for about 20 mins, which i guess is not bad and this is about 8:30 pm right after she is fed. she wakes up again around 11:30 to 12:00 and is fed. then she is up at 4:30 and no matter how much i try to sooth her just wont stop crying unless she is fed and once she is fed she falls asleep right away. can someone please help me as to should i feed her or not? and else should i do to get her out of this habit manisha

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Q

How to Get Naps Back on Track?

Minneapolis, MN

Up until this week, my 6mos DD has been an OK napper. 1 - 1.5hrs in the morning and afternoon + a 30-45min catnap in the late afternoon. She doesn't always get both a long morning and afternoon nap, but she has always accepted the naps easily. Now she is fighting the naps and bedtime. We have had a busy week where she has not been able to take at least one naps at home in the crib for the past 3 days. She still sleeps 10-11 hrs at night, but going down for other naps and bedtime has been rough. For some naps, she cried and cried and cried and then only slept 30min. She isn't teething or sick. When she is awake she is happy. We have been trying to get her to bed earlier, but given that she fights it, her effective bedtime ends up being the same. How do I get her back on track? I feel like she is going to start running and sleep deficit.

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Q

How to Transition from Swaddling for Naps and Nighttime Sleep?

Fort Collins, CO

Hi - I have a 5 month old who has been swaddled tightly (arms and legs) for sleeping for naps and nighttime since birth. We found that she would wake herself up if not tightly swaddled. Now that she is getting bigger and stronger, we are finding that she is getting out of the swaddle and waking herself up. We are using a large square blanket made specifically for swaddling. Does anyone have experience transitioning from swaddling and getting a baby to learn to sleep well without being swaddled? Thanks!

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Q

Husbands Affecting Childs Sleep

New York, NY

My 22 month old is extremely overtired and i feel he is not getting the amount of sleep he needs. He seems tired throughout the day and yawns a lot and will act out more when tired. (not everyday is like this but most). My issue is my husbands schedule. He leaves for work very early before my son is up and comes home around 7 30-8pm. If I dont keep my son up then my husband only sees him on the weekend, but when i do keep my son up, my husbands gets him so wild, and my son gets soo excited and wound up that it takes him soooo long to fall asleep after. He then goes to sleep eventualy over tired and wakes up so early. I leave him in his crib in the morning hoping he will fall back to sleep but he never does. He does take about 1.5hr nap around 1pm. I dont always keep my son up for my husband but even doing it 2 nights a week throws everything off and its a downward cycle.....does this make sense? i feel like i am in a no win situation, but getting my son to sleep early and in a peaceful way is my priority, my husband thinks i am nuts when i discuss this with him..please any advice is appreciated...and no matter how hard my husband tries he just does NOT know how to be calming ......tia!

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Q

I Don't Understand My Daughter's Napping Habits

Boston, MA

Hi there. Maybe someone can shed some light on why my 14 mos old DD naps the way she does! First off, as a young infant she was one of those horrible cat nappers. Not until she was nearly 7 mos old did she start to take longer naps. Even then she would nap, wake for 10 or so min, then go back to sleep - but no long consolidated naps. At about 9 mos she decided she was only going to take one nap a day. This often led to an over tired baby and early wakings. Argh! NOW, we are finally on a good schedule (knock on wood)! Her nap is at 12:30pm. This is what her naps looked like over the past few days: 1 hr 40 min 1.5 hrs 2 hrs 2.5 hrs 1 hr 40 min 1 hr 20 min, woke up screamed for 3 min went back to sleep for almost an hour This drives me crazy. Every time I put her down for a nap I don't know what I am going to get. AND if she wakes during a nap she does not always go back to sleep. I sometimes have to rock her back to sleep (which is ok because is once in a while). But I do wonder why her naps are so sporadic and uneven. Any thoughts?

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Q

I Have a 6 Month Old Who Does Not Want to Sleep

Dallas, TX

I have a 6 month old girl who used to nap at least 2 hours everyday. Now she is not wanting to sleep during the day and she is not sleeping as well at night. She has been a little sick but seems to be feeling better for the last couple of days. I have tried letting her cry it out but she just continues to scream. I also tried rubbing her back and giving her the pacifier but she spits it out and screams. As soon as I lift her out of her crib she is better but does not want to go to sleep... even laying on me. Is it healthy for her to not be sleeping more than 9 hours a day?

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Q

I Need Help Getting My Little One to Sleep Through the Night!

Milwaukee, WI

Hi ladies! I have a 7 month old named Gabe. He had slept through the night once he hit 2 months, but once he hit 4 months, he started waking up again. He wakes up sometimes 3 to 4 times a night! I don't know what to do to get him to sleep. and now he is at that separation anxiety stage, so now i've been dealing with him reaching for me and crying for me when i'm trying to get him to go back to sleep. Sometimes i just give up and put him in the bed with me just so i can get some sleep. he seems to sleep fine in our bed sometimes. But if anyone has some suggestions on how i can help him sleep better, that would be great!!!! i've been so tired and exhausted!

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Q

I Need Serious Advise on a Sleep Issue with My 4 Month Old Son

Los Angeles, CA

I have a son who is a little older than 4 months. He is 13.5 lbs. He is formula fed, 7 oz every 3.5 to 4 hours. We have tried giving him rice cereal. Taking him a while to learn how to not thrust it out. For about 3 weeks he was sleeping from 8:30 to 3:30am. I would feed him and he would sleep til about 6:30. He would wake up at midnight and I would go in and put pacifier back in his mouth. I would do this about 6 times between 12:30 and 3:30. But at least he was really only fully getting up one time. If I would not put pacifier in his mouth he would fully wake and go off requiring to be changed and fed. The last 2 weeks or so he has basically reverted to the newborn cycle of eating at 12 then 3 then 6:30. He chows a whole bottle like he has never eaten before OR he eats a few ounces and falls asleep. I have a few problems here. First off, I can't keep going into his room 6 times between 12:30 and 3:30. I need sleep, I have to go to work. I can't be up all night. Second, why is he all of a sudden not sleeping in the nighttime? He is on a nice schedule during the day with his feedings, playtime and naps. He naps like 3 times a day and they last about an hour to an hour and a half each nap. If I try to keep him up he either falls asleep on his own regardless or gets very cranky. Keeping him up is not a good option. He obviously needs the naps. If I try and feed him more than 7 oz he throws up. So I feel 7 oz is the right amount of formula per sitting. If I try and feed him a few oz between feeding, he really won't drink it. So I don't think he is under fed therefore requiring more food at night! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? I don't know what to do. I am struggling with the cry it out method. I think that 4 months is too young for this? I don't know. I will not co-sleep. I did for the first 2.5 months of his life and now is the time for his crib, which he does like! I just need some advise. He needs sleep and so do I! HELP!

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Q

I Need Sleep

Denver, CO

I Need Sleep!! I have a 9-month-old son who still isn’t sleeping through the night. He used to get up once or twice each night but lately he is getting up 3 or 4 times each night. He will nurse for a few minutes then go back to sleep. I have tried to let him cry himself back to sleep but that doesn’t work. He gets himself so worked up he doesn’t even go back to sleep when I try and comfort him. I have let him cry for up to 15 minutes before I go get him. I have friends who have kids younger than him who have been sleeping through the night for months. Why can’t I be so lucky?

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I Need Sleep I Have Forgotten What a "Full Nights" Sleep Is!!!!!!

Dallas, TX

My son is six months almost seven months and he is still not sleeping all night, I am a single mom of two children 3 and 6 months, after I get off of work I am so tired from having to wake up 2 or 3 times a night to get up and feed my son that I can hardly even function at night. I have a very active 3 year old he is in soccer and tee ball so after everything is done at the end of the day I am to tired to do anything. I need some tips on how to get my little one to sleep all night my oldest never had this problem. He started on baby food about 2 weeks ago he hates it I cant get him to eat it, I was looking so forward to they baby food cause everyone told me once he starts eating he will start sleeping more, but it didnt work. Please help me anything!!!!!

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I Need Some Sleep!

Austin, TX

Hi everyone, So I heard that big babies were supposed to sleep through the night...not so. Our 20#, 5 1/2 month old son JUST started sleeping about 6 hour stretches at 4 months old (when our dr. recommended starting solid food), but lately has been waking 2-3 times a night. We stopped feeding him cereal at dinnertime since it has been shown to spike insulin and trigger night terrors (which had been occurring but ended when we stuck with only veggies at dinner). We think we've narrowed it down to a delicate balance between food and sleep throughout the day, but who knows. What I do know is that he is unpredictable and that any time we feel like we've got a pattern, it's null and void within 2 days. He's a wonderful, happy little guy, it's just the nights that we have issues with. Anyone experience the same thing? Any advice? Thanks!

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I Really Need Help!

Chicago, IL

So last Friday my son (who is 5 1/2 months)was diagnosed with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). Our doctor told us to stop formula and give him only pedialite and fruits (baby food). So for two days thats what we did. But because he wasn't eating that much baby food and drinking a lot of pedialite he was getting very hungry. Two days ago (sunday) I gave him formula because he was drinking every 30 minutes and we were changing his diaper every 30 minutes. Now the problem is he won't sleep at night. He is a GREAT sleeper... sleeping through the night until he got his first ear infection two weeks ago (oh yeah I forgot to tell everyone that two weeks ago he was up ALL night vomiting because he had an ear infection) and now he won't sleep through the night with out drinking a bottle. I try to let him cry it out for a long time but it only last so long and then i give him a bottle. I try to only give him a little of the bottle. But when we go in there to comfort him he doesn't want ANYTHING but that bottle... you can't rock him... you can't give him his pacy... you can't cuddle him... I can't even bring him in bed with me... nothing makes him stop screaming except for the bottle. Yesterday he ate breakfast lunch and dinner with baby food and had a 4 6oz bottles and he still woke up 4 times in the middle of the night. I just need help I am exhausted!

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I'm Looking for Advice About My Kids Sleep Routines

Los Angeles, CA

Hi my name is J. and I have 4 beautiful kids. My oldest son is 9yrs, my other son is 4yrs, my daughter 3, and my youngest son is a 1yr. I have a problem with their sleep routine. The 3 youngest sleep on bunk beds. The 2 littlest ones sleep in the big bed a full and the 4yr old sleeps on the top by himself when the oldest isn't here. I can't seem to get them to sleep without me being there. Sometimes since my husband works mid shift I want to spend time with him but I can't because I have to stay with the kids until they fall asleep, and then sometimes I end up falling asleep too. Please if anyone has any advice or ideas on how to get my kids to stay alone it would be really appreciated.

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Intro a Lovey

Detroit, MI

I want to give my daughter a Lovey and I can't remember when the best age to do that is. She is almost 6 months old. We are going to use a small silky blanket. My now 2yro had one and was a life saver for us! Thanks K.

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Is 3 Months Too Young to Let My Baby Cry a Few Minutes to Sleep?

Chicago, IL

My three month old son won't nap. I guess I should be thankful that his nights are good. He goes to bed without crying after a bath, swaddle and nurse. Sometimes he's asleep and other times he's sleepy, but awake, and falls asleep on his own. Naps are a totally different story. I find I spend up to an hour trying to get him to take a nap and if I'm successful, his naps are short. I don't swaddle for his naps. Maybe I should? He'll sleep for 2-3 hours if I let him nap in his swing. (I'm trying not to do this anymore...only 1 time in the last 10 days) I'm thinking about letting him cry a bit. Knowing me, I won't let him cry long. I'm thinking of trying the cry for 3,5 and 10 minute intervals...maximum time being 10 mins with comforting him in between??? (patting, shusshing etc) Any advice on this would be appreciated. My days feel like they are filled with trying to get my son to nap and no time for me. My husband travels Mon-Thurs, so some "me" time is really needed. Thanks!

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Is 4 Months Too Old to Swaddle?

Allentown, PA

My pediatrician told me I should have stopped swaddling at 2 months, but my baby wakes himself up if he's not swaddled at night. It's like he gets restless arm syndrome. He flings them around when he's really sleepy. If he's not swaddled I have to hold his arms down till he falls asleep. This only happens at night. During the day he naps in his swing and he's fine. Does anyone else have this issue? Is there really any harm in swaddling after 2 months?

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Is It Necessary to "Un-addict" a Swaddler?

Topeka, KS

My son is 4 months old. He only falls asleep if he is swaddled. I asked my doctor about it and he said he should stop being swaddled by 6 mo so that he'll be a better sleeper. Is this necessary to have him fall asleep not being swaddled and/or how do I do it? I've tried having only one arm out of the blanket and hopefully working on more appendages from there, but his arm hits himself in the face and he tears out his pacifier and starts crying. I've also tried swaddling him loosly, but he cries because he likes the tight feeling. Yesterday he fell asleep while I was nursing him and so I just layed him in his crib. Five min. later he was awake and wouldn't take his normal nap even when I tried swaddling him. Is this a battle worth fighting and how do I do it? I would love advice from others who have gone through this.

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Is It Possible to Get My Son to Sleep Later?

Minneapolis, MN

Daylight savings time has been rough on us. My husband and I are not morning people and since daylight savings time our 10 month old son has been getting up any time between 5:15 and 5:45 a.m. He goes to bed between 6:15 and 7:00 p.m and sleeps through the night, so I know I shouldn't complain. He's a great sleeper. I'm just wondering if there is anyway to adjust a sleeping pattern without sacrificing my son's sleep. We've tried keeping him up later, but he still wakes up at the same time. I'd be happy if he even just slept until 6:30 a.m!

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Is It Too Early to Try to Get My 8 Week Old to Take a Nap?

Boise, ID

My 8 week old daughter will not take naps during the day. Our nights are amazing however, we only have to get up 1 time during the night typically. I am guilty of reading pretty much every sleep book and am worried because she honestly will not take naps during the day. She will sleep in the car, in the swing or in her stroller but the moment she's in her crib she's wide awake. I tried yesterday to get her down for a nap for 3 hours to no avail. I just don't think at this point it's worth me wasting my entire day hoping for a 45 minute nap. Am I forcing the issue? Should I just wait until she's 4 months to really try to implement a sleep schedule? Any advice would be much appreciated. My gut is telling me to just let her be 8 weeks old and the sleep schedule will come.

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Is My 8 1/2 Month Old Trying to Drop His Morning Nap Already?

Chicago, IL

Hi Moms, I know there have been a lot of sleep posts recently but I did not see one like this. My 8 1/2 month old is not taking his morning nap at the same time he used to. He used to get up around 7am then back down by 10am for 1-2 hours then back down by 2pm for 1-2 hours then bed between 7:30-8pm. Now he screams when I put him down in the morning and will not stop (he used to cry when I'd leave the room then quiet down shortly after - after we sleep trained him). I have tried to go in and soothe him, etc. Then after 30 mins or so, I finally give up and get him up to play or get out of the house and then try again in an hour or two. For the past week, he has finally gone to sleep around noon for 30 mins - 2 hours then the rest of the day, I try and keep him on schedule and put him down for a nap in the late afternoon, sometimes he will sleep, others not. Once he is down for the night (thank goodness!), he is ok until the morning. This has happened since he was sick 2 weeks ago with a cold and had trouble sleeping at first. He has also just learned to stand up, which I know gets them all excited and its hard to sleep. So, has he forgotten how to fall asleep in the morning unassisted (since he was sick, he has recieved more TLC before sleeping)? Is he ready to drop the morning nap already? Is he just a normal 8 month old who is learning new things? Any suggestions? The other thing is that I also have a 2 1/2 year old who takes a 2-3 hour afternoon nap and we try and go out for activites in the morning after the baby naps. Ugh, it seems like once you fall into a schedule, these smart children decide to throw you for a loop! Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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Is This Normal?

Sacramento, CA

just looking for some input.. I have a 16 month old daughter.. She still breastfeeds and sleeps with me in my bed..She used to be a great sleeper, maybe waking up 2 times to nurse...About a month ago she started waking up 4-5 times a night.. I know she is not hungry because as soon as she latches on she falls back to sleep..Any advice..perhaps it is time she sleep in her own bed..

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Keeping 2 Year Old in Bed

Detroit, MI

My 2 year old son just realized he can climb out of his crib, and now he won't stay in it. We have a twin bed for him in his room already that he can sleep in, but we are having some trouble keeping him in bed. We got a gate for his doorway today because he kept coming out of his room and wouldn't take a nap yesterday, or go to sleep last night. That seemed to work for naptime today, but I am looking for any suggestions on how you got your child to stay in bed and in his room until you go to get him out. We can't have him wandering the house while I'm showering in the morning. Thanks!

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Keeping Toddler Warm at Night

Huntington, OH

My 15 month old sleeps in a t-shirt and a sleeper at night in his crib. Lately he's been waking up around 3am. We walked in one night to check on him and he was a little shaky like he was cold. His room gets a little colder than the other rooms. It's not freezing, but I think it's just enough to make him uncomfortable and wake him up. I don't want to put a space heater in his room because we're afraid of it catching on fire. Does anyone know a way to warm up the room a little so he can sleep comfortable all night?

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Kids Won't Sleep Through the Night

Boston, MA

Our children (3 and almost 1) do not sleep through the night. We moved this last summer and things were really hectic for awhile - although this added to the problem, it was still there before the move. I still nurse the younger one and he wants to sleep with me and nurse during the night. He seems to have a sixth sense if I even get him near his crib - he really fights sleeping alone. The older one has slept alone before (often would wake once or twice a night still) but now routinely comes into our room during the night as well. I suppose my husband and I are doing something wrong in this regard, but we do not want to be overly harsh about this, especially since he is gone a lot and I am gone fairly much during the day. Any insight/words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Letting 9 Month Old Sleep in My Bed?

Chicago, IL

My son is almost 9 month old, and he is still not sleeping through the night. He slept in his own crib pretty much since we came home from the hospital, we never co-slept or anything. I'm too afraid I would roll over him or something if I put him in our bed. Last night was a particularly bad night for us, so I took him into our bed, and he fell asleep immediately. I waited about 20 minutes and moved him to his crib. I was just curious how other people do this. I keep hearing that a lot of people sleep with their babies in the same bed. How do you make sure your baby is safe? Do you remove pillows/blankets? How do you know you won't roll over? I don't want to make a habit out of it by any means, but in dire situations, it would really be great if I could take him into bed with us and feel safe. Any suggestions are really appreciated!

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Losing My Mind Trying to Get Baby to Sleep and Nap Without Holding Her Hand!

Washington DC, VA

I have been co-sleeping since baby was about 4 months old and recently I have tried to move her from bed to crib in another room, she is now nine months old. When she starts showing signs of being tired I put her in her crib. I will put her in with a toy and she is OK for about 2 min.....than hell breaks lose.....she gets so upset and mad that I am not there to hold her hand while she goes to sleep, I come in and try to confort her every two minutes or so but it gets to the point that I can't even sit there or rub her back I HAVE TO BE HOLDING HER HAND for her to relax!! Is she ever going to out herself to sleep?? I just feel terrible when she has tears streaming down her face. At night its a little easier because she is so tired I pretty much lay her down and hold her hand for about 1 min and she is out, should I not even hold her hand at night (I can't imagine the battle than!)? I won't even get into sleeping through the night, thats a whole other problem! I just need help!

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Lost the Nap When We Stopped the Binky !

New York, CT

I recently took my 3 y.o daughter's binky away from her and since then she won't nap unless I lay down with her. Even then sometimes she won't sleep, although she's fine at night about sleeping on her own in her bed. Our pediatrician said that at this age they can start revolting against the nap and I could just have quiet time, but she went from a 2-3 hr nap/day to this. Granted prior to removing the binky she was starting to say she wasn't tired, etc., but I don't want her to be one of those kids that are sleep deprived. She doesn't seem that tired most of the time however and usually isn't too cranky as long as she gets a nap every other day or so. I am hoping/expecting to begin working FT soon and then I won't be around to sleep with her. Should I go into "battle" and enforce the nap in her own bed by herself by simply putting her back in over and over until she falls alseep (I haven't had the energy to do that yet, it's easier and nicer to take a nap with her! :) )? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

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Making the Family Bed?

South Bend, IN

My husband & I have been thinking about having our baby-to-be sleep with us, or at least give it a try, seems like it might be easier for midnight feedings etc. The thing is, what are we supposed to do with the covers? You're not supposed to cover a baby with blankets, right, because they can suffocate, but then what do mom & dad do? Put the baby on top of the covers? Wear warmer pajamas and sleep without blankets? create some kind of fenced-off baby area? Is this even possible without a king size bed? Or do I not need to worry because I'll be right there, waking up every time they make a sound anyway? If there are any co-sleepers out there who can explain how this works for them, I'd appreciate it. I've seen a lot of articles debating whether or not your sleeping baby will be physically/emotionally safe from you, but no practical advice on how to just keep the baby safe from your bedspread.

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Miracle blanket/Swaddling

Dallas, TX

I am trying desperately to keep my 7 month old from sleeping on his tummy, face planted in the mattress! Someone told me to swaddle him, but he gets his arms out easily... I am using the kidopatomus "swaddle me" that you get at babies r us. Is the miracle blanket any better or different? Any other suggestions? I know that once they can roll over they are supposed to be more out of the woods as far as SIDS goes...I just dont like the thougt of him re breathing all of that carbon dioxide with him face first in the mattress! Thanks!

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Missing Naps at Daycare Results in Grumpy Baby!

Denver, CO

My 11 month old stopped taking afternoon naps at daycare about two weeks ago. His morning nap there only lasts about 30-45 minutes, but apparently he refuses an afternoon nap. He always falls asleep in the car on the way home in the evenings which I can't prevent. I end up waking him because I'm concerned it will be too late in the day and affect his sleep at night. He then is extremely grumpy and whiny the rest of the night, but still fights us going to bed (which is also new in the last few weeks). When he's at home on the weekends, he takes 2 naps a day for 1-2 hours each time. Even on the four day weekend over Thanksgiving he was on this schedule for all four days, so I know it isn't just because he's catching up on sleep lost during the week. Also, he tends to sleep better at night when he has those good naps - and not fight us going to bed. And is never grumpy in the evenings when he has those good naps. He goes to bed every night at 8PM (although on weeknights he fights us longer and probably doesn't sleep until 8:45 most nights). Regardless of if he took good naps or not, he wakes up almost every day between 6:30-7:15 in the morning. I've tried working with his daycare to get him to nap more, but I think that with all the distractions there, he just doesn't want to sleep. But he really is incredibly grumpy in the evenings and I know he needs the sleep because he falls asleep in the car. I'm thinking of putting him to bed earlier at night to compensate, although I know that will be a struggle since he fights us going to bed on weeknights. I also am not thrilled about giving up his weekend naps to compensate - that's some good time to get house chores done! But I'd rather get him adjusted so he isn't grumpy. Anyone had any luck changing bedtime for this reason, and any advice to offer in making the transition easier? Thanks in advance!

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Mom of 31/2 Month Seeking Advice on Naptime

Denver, CO

Hi I was wondering if any moms had any advice for me about how often a 3 1/2 month old should be napping. Also how long should the naps be approximatley? He usually goes down for his naps ok with a little resistance some times but our main concern is he wakes up crying about 20-30 min into the nap. Any advice on how to keep him asleep? We do swaddle him to sleep. He is sleeping about 8-9 hours at night now.

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Moving My 15 Month Old Son to a Twin Bed.

Boston, MA

My second son is due in March and we would like to move my son into his twin bed and out of the crib. I tried with putting him in there for naps but he thinks the bed is play time, he laughs everytime we are on it. He loves his new room but he lust wants to run around and touch everything. He is a great sleeper and goes right down when we put him in the crib. Any ideas on how to get him to sleep in the twin bed?

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Much Needed Sleep!

Dallas, TX

Hi fellow mommies~ My daughter will be 6 months old on Valentine's Day. She continues to have a lot of trouble sleeping at all times of the day. I have her in a wonderful day care. The only problem is that she does not sleep. Most days at school she will only sleep 30-45 minutes ALL DAY. When she is home with me she takes 2-3 two hour naps. I know that this is in large part due to her overstimulation and inability to be put down when she is tired. So, what do I do to change it? I really hope to be home with her soon...we are still working on that...I just feel so guilty that she can't sleep at daycare. In addition to that, she is still waking up to eat at about 3 am every night. I know that at 6 months she no longer needs a night time feeding. I have read all the sleeping books, we have a fantastic routine and she can put herself to sleep when I lay her down at 7. Just not at 3 am. Last night we decided to let her cry it out and she screamed for 2 hours. Finally, I went in to feed her and she took 3 ounces. This totally confirmed for me that the problem is not really hunger. She is really small and not a big eater. She takes 5 ounces at most with each feeding...normally more like 4 ounces. She is eating every 2.5-3 hours in the day. I think that if we stretch this out she might do better at night...I really am trying but feel totally at a loss! Please help!

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Much Needed Sleep, HELP!!!

Dallas, TX

Hey good luck, maybe i could use some help on this one as well. I have a 17 1/2 mo. old who still wakes up a few times a night like 2 or 3. All she wants his her bottle and she'll go back to sleep right away. I know she should be off the bottle by now but she has to have it at night we have tried to take her off of it but she cant sleep without it one night she was up till 5 am cause she didnt have it when she finnaly got it she was out like a light in just a few mins. Any suggestions on how to take her off the bottle and let me get some sleep and to help her sleep all the way through the night would be appreciated. As it is i wake up a few times a night myself and with her and me i never get to sleep through the night sometimes i wake up 5 or 6 times a night i dont think i slept all the way thourgh the night since before she was born so i would appreciate any advice. Thanks a bunch

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My 1 Month Old Baby Won't Sleep at ALL at Night

Dallas, TX

Hello Mamas, My baby girl is one month old and for the past 2 weeks hasn't slept AT ALL at night. She sleeps most of the day, wakes up at around 11pm and won't shut an eye until 8 am the following morning. I am so exhausted that I'm going to die!! She has digestion problems but why on earth are they mostly severe at night and not during the day? She has gas and screams because her little belly hurts. I breastfeed her and my husband gives her a couple of bottles when I manage to sleep for a while (I didn't have enough milk in the beginning but things are improving now). Some people told me to try and wake her up during the day but it's impossible: she just won't! I have tried all kinds of techniques to make her sleep at night and so far, the only one that seems to work is to place her on her belly in her crib!! It's amazing how she instantly calms down and go to sleep. But then I am so worried that she may not wake up because of the risk of SIDS that I don't sleep and watch her to make sure that she is still breathing!! That's no solution!! Did anybody experience that and what did you do? Any advice would be so appreciated at this point. Thank you F.

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My 1 Year Old Will Not Sleep in His Own Crib!!

New York, NY

My one year old will not sleep in his crib at all. As soon as I put him in it he screams so bad. He crys so hard that he actually gags. He is also very stubborn...last night he cried for an hour and a half...standing up. I finally had to go get him. He needs to lay with me to fall asleep...and if I do put him to sleep then place him in his crib he wakes up in about a half an hour. He is also very attached to his pacifier. Today i tried to put him in his crib for a nap. he cried for 2.5 hours standing and screaming...i am not lying!!!! Please help, him sleeping in my bed with me and my husband is really creating a lot of problems for me, my relationship, and eventually my son.

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My 10-Month Old Is Still Not Sleeping Through the Night!

Dallas, TX

OK, I have tried and tried to have patience with this. Each child is different, but my son is now officially 10 months old and has not once slept through the night. I think that the problem is that he gets hungry. I have had to feed him up to 2 full bottles (16 oz) on some nights. I've tried putting cereal in his last bottle of the night. I've tried replacing one bottle with water. I've tried adding more protein to his daytime diet, but nothing is working. He goes to sleep at 8 then wakes up around 11 and 4 to eat. I didn't have to deal with this with my daughter. She was breastfed and sleeping through the night very early. How do I night ween a bottle fed baby? Oh, an he doesn't take a pacifier (never has) so I don't have anything else for him to "comfort suck" on.

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My 13 Month Old Won't Sleep Through the Night

Eugene, OR

Hello, I really hope someone out there has some great advice. I have a 13 month old son who for the past 3 months will no longer sleep through the night. My husband started putting him in bed with us to get him to go back to sleep, which I have never agreed with, so I started making my husband get up with our son. We tried to let him cry himself back to sleep but the crying just never ends and my husband always caves in. It seems like our son has serious separation anxiety and I don't know what to do for him. I just know I don't sleep well when he's in bed with us, but I don't sleep any better when he's screaming half the night. I don't know how much longer I can take these sleepless nights without loosing my mind. Any suggestions for a smoother transition?

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My 13 Mos Old Keeps Changing Her Sleep Habits

Boston, MA

Hi all. How are you mama's? This is my first post. I have a 13 month old daughter and her sleep habits change ALL the time. I feel so clueless. It took us until she was 6 months old to get over the catnapping phase. She was then on 3 naps a day - 2 of about an hour or so each, and then a catnap at the end of the day. Soon after she started waking around 5am, so I took away her catnap, gave her an earlier bedtime, and things started to settle down. Her 2 naps got longer, and she was waking around 6:30am. This lasted about 8 weeks. Then wouldn't you know it, her early wake-ups started to come back around 9 months. We spent the next THREE alternating between one and two naps, and her bedtime and wake up times were so completely random. Finally at 12 months things once again settled down. She has a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day, an 8pm bedtime, and wakes around 6:30-7am. Now, once again we are back to the 5:30am wake-ups! UGH. Now that is down to one nap I have no idea what to do. I can leave her alone in her crib til 6:30 when I decide to go get her, and she is fine to play by herself. BUT I can tell she is still tired. It is hard for her to make it to bedtime, and then I often use an earlier bedtime, but then get an early wake up time AGAIN. If I take her into bed with me she will often fall back asleep, but I know this is not a good habit to get into. What gives? How can I get my little girl to stop these early wakings? I am not sure why she keeps cycling back to them?

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My 14 Month Old Does Not Want to Go to Sleep Anymore!

Dallas, TX

We were doing great for a long time after we used the Ferber method. We would lay him down awake and he would drift off to sleep on his own. Now he's wanting us to let him stay in the living room and he lays down on the floor with his blanket, clearly tired. When we try putting him in his crib he says "uh oh," throws his paci, and does an "exorcist" type acrobatic move while screaming. We try to let him cry it out but he gets more upset and hoarse. Has anyone else had trouble with their indpendent-minded toddler? Or is this what toddlerhood looks like? Very sleepy and put-out mom!

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Q

My 16 Month Old Fell Out of His Crib Last Night...

Detroit, MI

I have no idea how he did it, but last night my 16 month old fell out of his crib. My husband and I heard a big thud and we found our baby on the floor trying to catch his breathe with the wind knocked out of him. In my opinion it was a pretty big fall. We checked him over real good and he seems to be fine with the exception of a rug burn on his nose and possibly a slight bruise on his nose. I'm still in shock that he was able to get the leverage to fall out because he doesn't seem tall enough to me. He still seems too little for a toddler bed, but I guess I need to consider this to keep him safe. Does anyone have any other suggestions???

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My 16 Month Old Will Not Sleep....

New York, NJ

Hi, My son is 16 months old and has always (from the day he was born), had trouble sleeping. In the beginning he would sleep 3-4 hours, then wake to be feed. It wasn't so bad b/c he would fall back to sleep. He started going to sleep on his own for a short while, without us having to rock or cradle him. But, he got very sick and it all changed from there. He usually goes to bed around 7:30-8:00. He sleeps well until around 11:30 pm, then we wakes-up screaming. At first we were letting him go to see if he could get himself back to sleep. Well, he would get so upset that he would throw-up. So, we stopped letting him work it out. We've tried the rubbing of the back but he wouldn't laydown for that. He is not a "rubbing" kind of baby. He mainly gets frustrated when you try to do it. He is a real daddy's boy, he loves his father very much and only wants him at night. I've tried my best to comfort him but it only makes it worse. My husband has tried rocking him but that doesn't work. We've put him in our bed the past few nights and he seems to get comfortable but still is restless through out the night. Needless to say I'm not sleeping at all, I worry when he is in bed with us. I know it's not good to have him in bed with us but I just don't know what else to do. He has been very cranky lately and it's getting pretty bad. I'm about to lose my mind, I need to sleep and I haven't had a good nights sleep in almost 2 years (didn't have an "easy" pregnancy). I know that it will be 21 years before I get a normal nights rest but at least 6 straight hours would be nice. Also, we think that he hates his crib, he freaks out when he wakes up from naps or when (if we can get him back to his bed at night) gets up in the morning. We are going to take the side rail off this weekend and put on a short rail to see how he does. Of course, I'm so terrified I'll probably sleep on his floor the first night. I've got my body pillow so I'll put that on the floor, just in case. Any advice on how to get my baby to sleep better would be great - I know I probably sounded a bit selfish but I'm really concerned about him not getting enough sleep. Oh, I forgot to mention he is great at napping - 2-3 hours in the afternoon. He eats really well (most of the time). He's not constipated, that's fine. He is getting plenty of fluids... Anything at all would be great. I've talked to his ped. one says "tough", (that one doesn't believe in any "method"). The second one said, "You have to get him on a schedule". Easier said then done. It wouldn't be so bad it we could get him to stop throwing up when he is so upset. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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Q

My 2 Month Old Won't Sleep in His Crib Only with Me Help I Am Going Crazy!!!!!!!

Cleveland, OH

Ladies: My son Ronan is fabulous at the sitters during the day but from the hours of 6pm-Midnight he becomes a little devil. I breast feed him and supplement with formula every day. I have put a wedge in his crib/tried putting him on his side/used gas drops/had him swaddled/put him in a swing/his infant carrier etc etc had him cry it out for 45 mins. He has woken up every morning at 3 Am from birth and can be very fussy in the evening. He has slept the longest in his infant carrier in side the bassinet or if he is sleeping in my arm or on my tummy-i do not like that arrangement due to safety concerns. he shares a room with his 15 mo sister who has slept through the night since she was 2 months old. My son is a challenge I really need at least one night of sleep again. I am working full time it is getting very old going to work on just 3 hours of sleep. I am not used to a challenging baby because my daughter was so easy. I have not tried the rice cereal yet but am thinking about it. Any suggestions or encouragment would be a help.

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Q

My 2 Year Old Is a Night Hawk!

Barnstable, MA

My husband and I have a 2 year old daughter. We are naturally night people. My husband works short night shifts and me working typical 9-5 days... so we didn't have to worry about day care which was wonderful. I tend to go to bed around midnight to 1 AM, my husband works from around then until 6 AM, and always sleeps till 11 AM or even 12 noon while I'm at work, which isn't bad considering when he goes to sleep. Then, when I get home from work at 5:30 we all have the whole night together. We felt so lucky to have such quality time together... however, my daughter is now a night hawk and rarely asleep before 11:00-11:30 PM. It works well, because she sleeps till 11 with my husband, so our schedules barely changed & everyone is getting enough sleep. For two years, this was terrific. But now, with the rest of the world, especially for little kids, running on early morning hours we find that it's tougher to get to Dr. Appointments on time, play groups, etc. We don't mind working around it, but is my little girl going to suffer when it's time to go to school? I don't want her to be tired and cranky because she isn't sleeping enough. When I have to start waking her at 7 so she can go to school, will she naturally be able to go to sleep earlier on the days she gets up early, or will she just sleep less? I'm hoping that this internal body clock she has doesn't make it harder on her in school. I'm worried that I've really screwed up here! Any advice?

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Q

My 2 Year Old No Longer Sleeps at Night!

Minneapolis, MN

Someone recently posted a similar question to this but the responses seem to focus on falling out of bed so I thought I'd post my own question.... My daughter has had absolutely no problems sleeping in her room/bed until recently. Now she won't sleep at all! We don't want to bring her into our bed to start that habbit so we've been resorting to sleeping on the floor next to her bed. Problem is that as soon as we get up to leave, she wakes up! Don't know how or why she hears us leave because she'll be sound asleep and we won't make any noise and she still wakes up when we leave. When she finds out we've left she freaks out and becomes panicked! She'll also be wide awake and sometimes want to play once she's calmed down. It takes forever for her to fall back to sleep. It's getting a little worse now as last night she wouldn't sleep unless someone was at least holding her hand. We already have a night light in her room and she already has a favorite doll and blanket that she sleeps with. My husband and I are exhausted! Any advice? Is this just a phase that some kids go through or is there something wrong? My husband asks if she's scared and she says yes but can't explain why she's scared. We need sleep!!!!!

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Q

My 3 Month Old Not Wanting to Take Good Naps

Dallas, TX

Please give your advice my 3 Month old is not taking good naps only little cat naps the longest aday is about 45 min maybe less very seldom alittle more. I hate to let her cry. I have tried the swing and the bed there is no difference. She does sleep all night from 8:30 - 9:00 pm till around 7am but in the evening she is so fussy due to not napping good and one other problem is she only wants me she will cry with my husband but once he ands her over she stops. I stay home with her I just want her to be able to let him even get her to bed or atleast hold her she always wants to be held I know she will be my last and I am ok with that to a degree there is dinner time for my other kids and hubby that I have to get done for them to eat but sometimes it is to hard because she always wants to be held I am not going to cook and hold her it is to dangerous so at those times I have to let her fuss or have one of my 14 yr olds hold her. Please give me some advice on how to get her used to everyone else......And on her naps....My now 8year old never really napped either but and my 14 year old napped very well but I do not remember what I did to help them get better reat that was a long time ago..

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Q

My 6 1/2 Month Old Daughter Doesn't sleep...and I Need To!!

Port St. Lucie, FL

My 6 1/2 month old daughter has yet to sleep through the night, actually, for more than 4 hours at a time. She is up every 2-3 hours ALL NIGHT, at nap time she will only sleep 1 hour at a time. She is on solid foods and eats well; we have also tried putting cereal in her bottle. We have tried putting her in her crib to 'cry it out' and she gets more agitated than ever, last night it went on for 30 minutes before I 'gave in'. I pick her up, she calms instantly, but when I lay her back down she picks up where she left off. Unfortunately, she has had some repertory issues and the doctor has recommended that we not let cry too much because it aggravates her lungs and causes her to get fluid in them, we use a nebulizer on her when this gets to bad. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Q

My 7 Month Old Will Not Sleep Through the Night Any Suggestions?

Phoenix, AZ

My 7 month old will not sleep through the night. He was doing great with waking only once and now he is waking every 3-4 hours. It is getting really old and he hasn't slept through the night since he was 3 months old. I have him on a schedule, but we are off by an hour or so every day depending on when he wakes up. He is starting to cut teeth again, so I don't know if that has anything to do with him waking more. He is crawling and moving more so I thought he would be sleeping better. He doesn't get to cranky or fussy during the day, but I am the tired one. Please offer any suggestions on what worked for you and your children.

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Q

My 8 1/2 Month Old Son Won't Sleep Through the Night......

Fort Smith, OK

When my son goes to bed for the night, usually he drinks his whole bottle and he is out from 10:30/11 to about 7. But, for the last week or so he won't drink his whole bottle, only 4 ounces and then he is out and then about 3 hours later he wakes up screaming because he is hungry. I will go get his bottle and then again he won't drink the whole thing and he will be out and then he will wake up after another 3 hours screaming because he is hungry. He has been waking up 2 or 3 times a night for the past week doing this. Am I doing something wrong? Is it just a stage? Is there anything that I can do to get him to sleep through the whole night again?

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Q

My 8 Month Old Still Wont Sleep Through the Night.

Dallas, TX

My 8 month old will not sleep through the night. He wakes up atleast 2 times a night. He doesnt always take naps durring the day either. When he does take a nap its usually MAYBE 30mins, and then thats it untill he goes to bed around 9pm. Ive asked that doctor about it, and she told me to feed him solid food before bed, and if he wakes up just let him cry. Well I did just that for about 1-2 months now and nothing has changed. I dont let him cry for more then 45mins because after letting him cry a while, his cry changes from like a "pick me up" cry to a "now Im scared" cry. Not only that but while he is awake durring the day he is crying and screaming unless Im holding him or giving him my undivided attention, OR letting him play with things that he shouldnt be playing with. And of course I dont let him play with those sort of things. It seems like I dont ever get a break from him. Whether its holding him, playing with him, or listening to him cry. Like he is now. Im getting real tired of not sleeping. HELP!!

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Q

My 8 Month Old Won't Take Naps

Raleigh, NC

I have a 8 month old son. He was taking naps reguraly and doing good. Well about three weeks ago he decided that he isn't going to take naps anymore. He gets really sleepy around 3pm but fights the nap. Then he getts really cranky and just crawls around whining. It drives me nuts and no matter what I do he won't take a nap. Then at about 8pm he falls a sleep for about 30 mins and won't go back to sleep till about 10pm. I don't know what to do. Please help what should I do??

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Q

My Baby Sleeps Fine Why Can't I

Tampa, FL

I have a five month old daughter who finally is sleeping through the night the only problem is, now I can't sleep. For the past two weeks I have not been able to sleep. Come 8:30 pm after putting my little girl to bed I am exhausted from the day. After doing a few odds and ends I try and go to sleep around 10pm. Finally, after tossing, turning and waking my husband I get out of bed watch TV, read or go online. It takes me forever to go to sleep and sometimes by the time I do my little girl is almost up and it is time to start another day. I also am feeling nauseous sometimes. I took a pregnancy test. It was negative of course. Has anyone else had these issues? Thanks, Jen

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Q

My Baby Wont Sleep!!!!!!!

Tampa, FL

My son Travis is 8.5 months old now...crawling, laughing, waving hello and goodbye etc. But unfortunatly we have a big problem! He has never slept through the night...NEVER! (well maybe like once) And lately Travis has been waking up multiple times throughout the night...3-5times usually. And to make matters worse the only way i can get him to go back to sleep is with a bottle of formula. Juice,water..nothing works. i have tried rocking him, massaging him, ive even tryed letting him "cry himself to sleep" and nothing works except a warm bottle. What can i do? Each nite i get more and more frustrated. I live alone with him in an apartment complex and when he crys late night im afraid of waking the neighbors. PLEASE HELP ME!

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Q

My Daughter Is Addicted to My Boob!!!

Chicago, IL

My daugher is 5 months old and she is still waking every 2-4 hours at night. She needs to breastfeed to get back to sleep. She will suck for a couple minutes and then fall back to sleep! I know that she is not hungry...she is just used to me feeding her to sleep. My doctor told me to 'ferberize' her...and I have attempted this several times over the last couple weeks...but my husband and I have been very unsuccessful. She starts out fine...messing around in her crib...then it turns to whining (which we can handle) but then she just breaks out into this heartbreaking cry, (you know the one where its like her true love just died...yeah, that one! I hate that one!) and after a couple minutes of this we just can't stand to do this to her. So, I will pick her up and either rock her to sleep or give in and let her feed for a minute or two and then she is out cold! I need some support. She is great during the day, she will lay on the floor with toys for hours and play with herself...but when it comes to sleeping, she needs me or the bottle! Is the Ferber way the only way to help her self soothe? If I keep doing what I am doing, will she ever learn to self soothe? I'm dying for a full nights sleep (and so is my husband) but I just dont have the strength to just let her cry it out! Any suggestions? Any words of wisdon? Any hope of getting sleep in the near future? Lizzy ~ a mom just trying to figure this baby thing out!

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Q

My Son Bangs His head...is That Normal?

Detroit, MI

My 15-month old bangs his head on his crib mattress when he is trying to get to sleep. He has done this since he was about 8 months old. It seems to me that he's trying to calm himself down, because he is such an active kid even up to bedtime. He rarely does it for naptime, because he usually is exhausted enough to just fall asleep; however, he will do it if he wakes up in the middle of his nap. I have yet to talk with the pediatrician about this, as he isn't hurting himself, but I just wanted to know if any Moms out there have had this experience.

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Q

My Son Is 1 and Needs to Start Sleeping in His Crib- Help!

Tampa, FL

Hello! My son has just turned one and has been co-sleeping with my husband and me. It has been going well, but lately he has just been too active during the night and has started to crawl off the bed. I always thought I was a light enough sleeper, but apparently, I'm not. He sleeps in his crib for naps successfully, but at night time, he just "knows" that he doens't want to be in there and cries hysterically. I even got a toddler mattress and put it on his floor and even laid down in there with him, but he still cried until I brought him into bed with me. Has anyone else waited this long to make the transition, and if so, how did you successfully accomplish it? Thank you for any help!

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Q

My Son Is a Night Owl

Houston, TX

My 1 year old son is a night owl. He sometimes wil not take his morning nap and if he takes his afternoon nap is sometimes at 4 or 5. His schedule used to be morning nap - 9 am - 11:30 or 12 pm afternoon nap - 4 pm bedtime between 7 pm and 8 pm But now he will take his usual morning nap ok but his afternoon nap he might go down about 2:39 or 3 pm or sometimes 4 pm depending on how tired he is. He wil sleep for a few hours then stay untill 1 or 2 am. I feed him food and a bottle and make sure he has a clean diaper before bed. I wish he would get back on his normal sleep schedule because him being up at night is h*** o* me.

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Q

My Son Is Not Sleeping on His Back at Home

Chicago, IL

HI all, I am back again. I need help, my son is not sleeping on his back again. He was doing fine, then all of a sudden it is not working. He is not sleeping that well at the day care as well. I have bought a miricale blanket and swaddled him (previous advice I recieved from you guys, wonderful advice, but not working any longer), but that is not working. I was thinking about putting him on his stomach, but I have to contact his doctor. What do you all think? I just read about a cosleeper? Does anyone have one they are selling or knows where I may get one?

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Q

My Son Won't Sleep Without Me.. HELP!!

Indianapolis, IN

Hi. I am a mother of 3 beautiful kids, I have a 7 month old son who i recently had let sleep with me because he was very sick. Now that he isn't sick anymore, i try to put him in his own bed. He is also a bed hog!! lol He does not like this at all. He screams at the top of his lungs until i take him out. He just recently has begun to cry when i leave the room and even his Daddy can't console him. What can i do to get him to sleep on his own? I've also tried letting him fall asleep with me and put him in his own bed and he wakes up immediately and starts crying again.... Help me please!!

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Q

My Son Won't Sleep!

Lewiston, ME

Okay, my now 15 month old son was sleeping soundly through the night at 6 weeks old, and I'm not exactly sure when it stopped, but believe me it has. I have from birth made the mistake of rocking him to sleep and giving him a bottle. I know, I know this isn't good. It is now the only way I can get him to sleep at night. This, my doctor says is the reason that he wakes so often at night, because he wakes and realizes he's not warm and snuggled next to his mom or dad and wants that comfort again. So, we tried putting him to bed awake. At first he'd just cry for hours before I'd give in, crying myself and pick him up. Needless to say that only lasted a few nights. Then upon my doctors insisting I tried again, only this time my son upped the anty. Now on top of just crying for hours he'll cry for about 10 minutes and then gag and vomit, and then continue to cry for hours. So, I'm stuck. I've tried to put him down drowsy, as soon as he realizes what's happening he screams and it happens all over again. If he wakes in the night I need to get to him within 10 minutes or risk needing to bathe him and change his sheets. HELP!! Is there anything I can do? Has anyone else seen this before?

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Q

My Son Won't sleep....I'm Sooooo Burned Out!!

Philadelphia, PA

My son is 6 months now and still won't sleep through the night! He goes to bed at about 9:30pm and is up aleast 2-3 times each night, and he WILL NOT take naps durning the day! Everyone says sleep when he sleeps, but the only time I have to get anything done is at night so I'm up until atleast 12 or 1am. Of course, as soon as I lay down, he wakes up. He does share a room with us (1 bedroom apt) so when he starts making any noise I have to get him right away because I don't want him to wake Daddy who has to get up at 5am. I try to rock him back to sleep which works until I put him down, then he screams even louder. The only thing that works is feeding him every time he wakes up (I'm breastfeeding) until he falls aleep and even then I have to leave him in our bed for the rest of the night. He is about 20lbs and 28in at 6 mos so he's definately not food deprived! I try to let him "cry it out" for nap time, but he just sits in his crib screaming (for hours if I let him). I love him to death, but I'm at my wits end - I don't know what to do. I need some regular sleep or I'm gonna have a break down!! Any suggestions would be appreciated!

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Q

My Sons Mommy Alarm

New York, NY

My son has a mommy alarm. I leave for work early sometimes and my mom watchs my 4 month old son. When I work late he sleeps for me, but when I have to go in early as soon as I walk out the door 5 minutes later he is wide awake and wont go back to sleep. He has this mommy alarm when I walk out the door, or he's asleep and I lay down with my husband his mommy alarm goes off. Any advice???????

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Q

My Three Month Old Is Waking up All the Time at Night

Cleveland, OH

Hi ladies, I have a wonderful three month old boy who has always been a wonderful night sleeper. He usually goes down between nine and ten, nurses between three to four, and then gets up for the day between seven and eight. He has had a bit of a stuffy nose and a cough but no fever and my ped. just told me to watch his temp and that it sounds like just a cold. Well the last few nights he has been waking up every two hours! I have given him his pacifier and reswaddled him and rubbed his head and most of the time that has put him back to sleep. This morning was really bad, after his three o'clock feeding, he woke up at 5, 5:30 and then at 6 he woke up really crying and upset. He fell back asleep after I had changed him and held him for quite a while. He is still in our bedroom in a bassinet so I am thinking of moving him into his crib in his own room to see if that will help. My husband snores so I was thinking maybe he was waking him up. Anyway, it is very strange to us since he has always been a good sleeper, but he just turned three months so maybe he's changing? Any advice would be helpful, thanks!!

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Q

Nap Refusal

Chicago, IL

I have an eight and a half month old breastfed son who has had sleep problems from day one, well maybe not day one, but definitely week one. After lots of work and consulting two sleep specialists, we finally have him sleeping through the night (for the most part) YAY! He never napped well, but we could always count on him taking at least 3 naps usually about 30 min long at daycare. Now, he refuses to nap at his babysitters at all, although he has been sleeping fine at home (meaning 1/2 hour naps, but at least it is something). He also had the bottle refusal issue at day care that was in a recent post, but that seems to have resolved itself of recent. Anyone have any ideas on the sleep issue? This happened after our babysitter was on vacation for a week and then he was sick, but he has been well and back at day care for two full weeks now. Any ideas? I am at a loss to help her, since he is doing fine at home and we haven't changed any of the routines (and she says she hasn't either).

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Q

Nap Time

Houston, TX

My son is alomost 6 1/2 months old. I read that for his age he should be sleeping about 5 hours throughout the day, but when he gets really tired and I can tell he's about to fall asleep I lay him down and he will scream. He fights his sleep so bad, sometimes he will cry for up to 30 minutes and still not go to sleep. When he cries I always make sure his diaper is dry and that he's not hungry, but it has come to the point that he only naps for maybe an hour or two if I'm lucky throughout the day. How can I get him to take naps without fighting it?

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Q

Napping Advice

Charlotte, NC

Hi! I have a 1-year old daughter and she takes really short naps and down to one a day. It ranges from 30 mins - 1 hour and different everyday. She used to sleep longer but I'm wondering if this is a phase your babies went through when they were her age. Will the nap time pick up and what could I do to make it longer? She still naps late morning through lunch hour and not ready for the after lunch nap as she gets hyper again after she eats so I didn't switch her to that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! :)

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Q

Napping in Crib

Dallas, TX

I can't get my 3 month old son to nap more than 30 minutes in his crib! He will nap on my or husband's chest for 2+ hours, so I know he is tired or needs a nap. When I put him in his swing he can put himself to sleep for approximately 30-45 minutes. But I can not get him to put himself to sleep in his crib. I've even tried nursing him before I put him down and he will then sleep for maybe 30 minutes, but wakes up soon after. Am I setting myself up for trouble down the road by a) not having him nap in his crib and b) nursing him prior to nap time? I don't nurse for the sake of getting him to sleep but it is actually time for a feeding. BTW he sleeps well in his crib at night. Thanks in advance for any help or insight.

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Q

Napping Too Long?

Dallas, TX

I have a beautiful 8-month-old daughter, who normally sleeps 10 hrs a night and then 5 hrs during the day, broken up into 2-3 naps. Is this too much napping during the day? It feels like she wants to sleep all the time, and now I worry that she is sleeping too much during the day and that is why she is starting to get up earlier and earlier in the morning (ex: use to go to bed at 8 and wake at 7, now goes to bed at 9 and wakes at 6:30). Also, I am having a hard time getting all of the reccommended formula (24oz.) plus 2-3 servings of food in a day. She isnt that hungry and I wonder if it is because she is sleeping so much during the day. Hope all this doesnt sound paranoid-hahaha.

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Q

Naps

New London, CT

Hello All, Since I have started using this site I really appreciate all the feedback that people have emailed me. Hence I have another question. My daughter is now 10 weeks old and I am finding that after I nurse her she will play for about an our or so and then will show the signs of wanting to sleep. At this point I feel like I am in my rocker half the day trying to put her down for a nap. I do not want to have her sleep in her swing, bed, etc. I am trying to instill good sleep habits by putting her in her crib. It seems to be a lot easier in the mornig to do that, but as the day goes it seems to get harder to put her down. Has anyone had experince like this with their baby?? Thanks! J.

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Q

Naps for a Nine Month Old

Minneapolis, MN

Hi Ladies! I need some mama opinons. I am a daycare mom, one of the babies that I care for is nine months old and I nap him from 8-10 in the morning and 1-3 in the afternoon. Last week his mom came and said that he could only take a one hour nap total for the day because he was not sleeping at night. I tried this on Friday and he was so crabby I felt bad for the poor little guy. I want to talk to the mom about this new napping schedule because I don't think its going to work. I did some reading and I don't think I am over napping him it's what I napped my own child at that age. Just wanted to see what other moms are doing. Thanks!

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Q

Naptime

Detroit, MI

Hi everyone! I have a question regarding my almost 5 month old son's naptimes. He still takes 5-6 a day because he won't sleep longer than 1/2 hour. I think it is because he is having trouble putting himself back to sleep so he wakes when he hits the light sleep stage and is then up. I have a hard time getting him down as well. He will often fight it and then when I try to put him in his crib sleepy, but awake, he very much protests!!! Sometimes, without even opening his eyes! The odd part is at night, we do our nighttime routine and then we put him down completely awake. He puts himself to sleep. He usually wakes 1x per night and I nurse him and again put him down awake. He puts himself to sleep...no tears. I don't think I can let him cry it out at naptime. Any ideas as to how to make this go a little smoother and how to increase nap lebgth (he still seems tired after waking sometimes...). So yesterday my husband and I both committed to the plan of putting him down sleepy, but awake and my how that backfired!!! We aren't of the "cry-it-out" mentality, so when he cried, we comforted and some naps still took 60+ minutes to get him down. We spent 4-5 hours just putting him to sleep for naps yesterday...clearly not a good plan!!!! thank you!

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Q

Naptime Battle

Tampa, FL

Three weeks ago we transitioned my son into a toddler bed. He willingly goes to bed and sleeps through the night. However when it comes to naps it is an all out battle. Even if i lay right beside the bed he crawls over me. I tried for days to just put him back in bed every time he got out. This would last for an hour. I tried putting up a baby gate across his door so he couldn't get out of his room. This greatly upset him. He screamed at the top of his lungs for 30mins. and then destroyed his room. With no nap he is miserable by 5:30 and makes everyone around him miserable. He is very active and I don't give him sugar and I know that he is tired. I have not changed anything in his daily routine. Also, when he is at his grandparents (who also have a toddler bed) he takes a nap and will sleep for a solid 2-3 hours. Please help, I am quickly losing my sanity :)

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