Help Please!
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
What do you do with a baby that doesn't sleep? We cannot get her to fall asleep until after midnight! We try putting her to bed early by following the same routine. We bathe her (we only use soap every other day), then I nurse her, then when she falls asleep we put her to bed. But then she wakes up and cries until you pick her up again and hold her or feed her yet again (sometimes she's supper-hyper and can't calm down). This whole thing starts about 7pm and goes on for hours and hours, until she finally falls asleep for good. Well, not for good, but for a few hours. She usually gets up around 4 or 5 to eat and always wakes up at 6am for the day. She hardly naps during the day. I just don't know how a baby can survive on this little sleep! I'm hardly surviving!
So, I need advice from all you mothers who have been through this (or didn't go though it because you did things right!
posted by Avorie @ 9:43 AM,
9 Comments:
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At 10:14 AM,
Kristin said...
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Oh Avorie, I'm so sorry. It sounds terribly difficult. Logan was (somtimes still is, like last night) similar, but not as extreme as Lilly. We've done everything that you stated. Routine, bath, nurse, rock & cuddle. I was getting fed up with it all & one of the new moms at Bill's gym said that she drank a glass of wine before bed because it helped her baby sleep better.
I was skeptical about this & did a ton of research. It was pretty inconclusive. I gave it a shot. It really didn't help Logan sleep any better, but it sure helped me to relax & it made it easier to deal with his midnight madness.
I'm not really suggesting that you start drinking, but one glass on those most difficult nights really helped me stay calm.
I hope you get some sleep soon! -
At 11:57 AM,
the boyd girls.... said...
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I am sorry you are having problems with your little baby. I have a little girl, born in Dec and we had that issue early on. We just followed "her signs" at bedtime. For instance one night we started getting her ready for bed around 7pm and she did what you are saying Lilly does. Then the next night we started her night time routine (which is pretty much like you said) at like 10 pm. The later we started the easier it was. Now, she is 4 months and we start about 8 - 8:30 getting her ready for bed. Hope that helps.
keri
jeffandkeriboyd.blogspot.com -
At 2:06 PM,
Corinne said...
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This sucks, because we've been going through some of the same stuff with Shepherd. How long are you letting her cry? I know this sounds awful, but after lots of trouble getting shepherd down, I read the book, Babywise, and he suggested letting them cry it out. I know people are strongly for or against this... I see both sides. But the last few times we let Shepherd cry (never more than 10 minutes), he's fallen asleeep into a very, very deep sleep.... in fact, last night, he slept the longest he's slept, 4 1/2 hours! If nothing else works, I'm with Kristin... cept I'll have a Mai Tai, please!!! lol!
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At 2:58 PM,
ezri.blue said...
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When we can't get our daughter to sleep in her own bed - in that when we put her down she begins wailing like a stuck pig - I bring her to bed with me, and lightly stroke the sides of her face and make soft audible sighing sounds. (I read somewhere babies find comfort in that, so I tried it and by god it works!) She's usually out like a light within five to ten minutes, and I'll wait about a half an hour to an hour before I pick her up and put her in her own bed.
I also agree with Keri & Jeff. The later you start it, the easier it is. Our daughter doesn't get put down for sleep until anywhere between 10pm-12am but this allows her to sleep all the way through until 6am, and sometimes 7am. -
At 4:25 PM,
AnnaBana said...
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Ummm, I have absolutely no advice, but it's good to hear everyone else's! I'm sure I'll need it with my own in a few months!
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At 11:08 AM,
Isabel said...
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I'm with Annabana...
I have no advice (at this time).
But dang it...that kid is cute. More pictures, please! -
At 2:14 PM,
Reesh said...
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We haven't been able to put our Lily down before midnight and usually not til 2am. I figure if this is what works best for her, then we're willing to work with that. We have also found that she is really in tune with our energy and I really do believe that if we are trying too hard to put her down at night, she senses it and won't go down. So now we just turn off all the lights, try not to stimulate her and we don't put her in the bath until 10:30pm. Do you get in the bath with her? If you do then you can stay in longer and that tends to tire her out too. As well we've been feeding in the bath and I really think that calms her down and then she is more sleepy when we get out.
Anyways, keep us posted, I hope something works soon for you... -
At 3:41 PM,
tgk said...
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my baby is 5 months old and we are still struggling with sleeping at night. I highly recommend reading what Dr. Sears has to say about sleep and nighttime parenting in the Baby Book. when max was two months he sounds a lot like lilly--we have made great strides since then. I would abandon the notion of a bedtime right now and let her eventually set it herself. it has helped me to see the nighttime wakeups as something fleeting, a blip in his overall life, and to try to enjoy that time with him. doesn't always work, but it helped.
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At 5:02 PM,
Jezer said...
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The two things that have worked for us are:
1) Happiest Baby on the Block DVD for naptime tips (This video Saved. My. Life. No lie), and
2) Co-sleeping for nighttime sleep.
Granted, we will have to wean from our current sleep props (or cues? or crutches?) at some point, but for now, we're all rested and happy.
I hope you find something that works for you and your beautiful Lilly. Good luck!
