Ol'Line Rebel
07-30-2008, 08:26 PM
Hi all, I have troubles with my 4-mo old baby sleeping. Or rather, not.
As I'm sure you've seen me post sometimes, he basically does not sleep "through the night" - rarely. Even by definition of "5 hours straight".
Usually, in fact, his total for a "night" is about 6, broken in the middle by a waking for maybe an hour, more or less.
Often during the day his napping is totally erratic. He'll sleep much some days, and hardly at all others (or so it seems). In any case, it's often broken up also into small naps. Usually 1 can count on him napping a "long" nap around lunch time, but that is a huge window I'm talking about, like 3 hours in which he might start.
He seems to be averaging a total of 10-11 hrs a day, usually very broken up.
Anyone know if this is that bad, and if there's anything to do for it? He seems as if he must not be sleeping enough. He's a very "nice" baby, so I don't have evidence he is truly tired, but I suspect he just is and is so pleasant that he doesn't usually have an "attitude" along with it.
As I'm sure you've seen me post sometimes, he basically does not sleep "through the night" - rarely. Even by definition of "5 hours straight".
Usually, in fact, his total for a "night" is about 6, broken in the middle by a waking for maybe an hour, more or less.
Often during the day his napping is totally erratic. He'll sleep much some days, and hardly at all others (or so it seems). In any case, it's often broken up also into small naps. Usually 1 can count on him napping a "long" nap around lunch time, but that is a huge window I'm talking about, like 3 hours in which he might start.
He seems to be averaging a total of 10-11 hrs a day, usually very broken up.
Anyone know if this is that bad, and if there's anything to do for it? He seems as if he must not be sleeping enough. He's a very "nice" baby, so I don't have evidence he is truly tired, but I suspect he just is and is so pleasant that he doesn't usually have an "attitude" along with it.
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JenW67
08-01-2008, 09:32 AM
Hey Rebel,
Are you sure that you and I don't have the same baby? ;)
I have a 4.5 month old who sleeps much like your baby. He went for his 4 month check up last week and I was all prepared for the doc. to tell me that I could let him cry at night for a few nights to get him on a sleep pattern. ( We did this with my older son at this age and it worked like a charm.) Lo and behold, the pediatrician told me that it is normal for some kids to still need to eat once or twice at night:( He is a little on the skinny side (25th %ile) and is very tall so he is growing a lot.
It is a bummer and I am so tired I can barely see straight. I have been on maternity leave since he was born but go back to work in 3 weeks. I don't know how I am going to function. I am a high school teacher and I am afraid my students are going to eat me alive.
Sorry I don't have any solutions; just tales of someone in the same situation.
-Jen
Are you sure that you and I don't have the same baby? ;)
I have a 4.5 month old who sleeps much like your baby. He went for his 4 month check up last week and I was all prepared for the doc. to tell me that I could let him cry at night for a few nights to get him on a sleep pattern. ( We did this with my older son at this age and it worked like a charm.) Lo and behold, the pediatrician told me that it is normal for some kids to still need to eat once or twice at night:( He is a little on the skinny side (25th %ile) and is very tall so he is growing a lot.
It is a bummer and I am so tired I can barely see straight. I have been on maternity leave since he was born but go back to work in 3 weeks. I don't know how I am going to function. I am a high school teacher and I am afraid my students are going to eat me alive.
Sorry I don't have any solutions; just tales of someone in the same situation.
-Jen
Ol'Line Rebel
08-01-2008, 10:15 PM
Hi, thanks Jen. I do plan on the Ferber method (and basically my ped recommended it, besides), but I've been waiting for a "clear" schedule. Had thought this weekend, but my husband works tomorrow morning, so I can't count on him as it'll be like a normal weekday/night. Next weekend, looks like.
Anyway, my son is not small - he's been in 95% weight as well as off the charts tall, so we don't think he's truly hungry. In fact, I've been "weaning" him off the night feeding - in fact, tonight will be "fewer than 5 min" to eat, then none after that. I don't think he should be hungry, anyway, since he hardly sleeps at night and only usually has 1 waking. It's not the same as someone saying he still wakes once - but in the middle of a 10-hr sleep! Mine is at best 6 hrs.
I don't even have to work - I quit - but still, I would love to have solid sleep! It's starting to affect my brain, I can tell. Last week at the store, even alone without my son (gramma was caring for him), I started having those weird feelings in my head and sometimes I would lose balance or stumble around or whatever - not simply from sleepiness, but as if something isn't connected in the brain. Hard to describe, but it's like something's really wrong.
And I just hate getting up to crying in the night! It's so depressing and lonely and a little scary!
Anyway, my son is not small - he's been in 95% weight as well as off the charts tall, so we don't think he's truly hungry. In fact, I've been "weaning" him off the night feeding - in fact, tonight will be "fewer than 5 min" to eat, then none after that. I don't think he should be hungry, anyway, since he hardly sleeps at night and only usually has 1 waking. It's not the same as someone saying he still wakes once - but in the middle of a 10-hr sleep! Mine is at best 6 hrs.
I don't even have to work - I quit - but still, I would love to have solid sleep! It's starting to affect my brain, I can tell. Last week at the store, even alone without my son (gramma was caring for him), I started having those weird feelings in my head and sometimes I would lose balance or stumble around or whatever - not simply from sleepiness, but as if something isn't connected in the brain. Hard to describe, but it's like something's really wrong.
And I just hate getting up to crying in the night! It's so depressing and lonely and a little scary!
JenW67
08-02-2008, 09:54 AM
I started having those weird feelings in my head and sometimes I would lose balance or stumble around or whatever - not simply from sleepiness, but as if something isn't connected in the brain. Hard to describe, but it's like something's really wrong.
And I just hate getting up to crying in the night! It's so depressing and lonely and a little scary![/QUOTE]
Oh Rebel,
I feel like I am on drugs most of the time. I ran over the stroller the other day; thank god the baby wasn't in it!
I have a headache every day and I am drinking too much coffee.
Good luck with the CIO method. In our house we say, "Dr. Ferber is coming to visit tonight!"
-Jen
And I just hate getting up to crying in the night! It's so depressing and lonely and a little scary![/QUOTE]
Oh Rebel,
I feel like I am on drugs most of the time. I ran over the stroller the other day; thank god the baby wasn't in it!
I have a headache every day and I am drinking too much coffee.
Good luck with the CIO method. In our house we say, "Dr. Ferber is coming to visit tonight!"
-Jen
Sillygirl554
08-03-2008, 01:24 AM
The best thing that my hsband and I found that worked for us was a night time routine. Every night around the same time we give our daughter a bath, rub her down with Johnson and Johnson night time bath, put on her jammies, read her a book and feed her a bottle, when she is done with her bottle we lay her down in her crib and she falls asleep. WE starting doing this when she was 3 months old, it took about 3 weeks and then our daughter finally realized that when we did all of these things that it meant it was bed time and she no longer fussed. She has been sleeping from 8pm to 6:30am everynight from about 4 months.
So my advice is to pick a routine that works for you and stick to it, you baby will eventually figure it out.
Good Luck
So my advice is to pick a routine that works for you and stick to it, you baby will eventually figure it out.
Good Luck
simplyheather
08-06-2008, 06:03 PM
I agree, a routine works best. I would also suggest trying to keep him awake during the day as much as possible. This seemed to help my DS.
junemommy17
08-07-2008, 12:55 PM
I remember posting a reply a while back when you said your little one was not sleeping. I said neither was mine. Well my little boy will be 6 months old in a few days and is still not sleeping through the night. He also naps very erratically. Some days he will take these really great naps and get my hopes up and then he goes back to 30 minute naps.
My husband wanted to ferberize a long time ago but I'm still holding out. I've not had a full nights sleep since February and most days I feel like I'm moving in a slow motion daze. I also have a 4 year old who's very active so it is a challenge.
My husband wanted to ferberize a long time ago but I'm still holding out. I've not had a full nights sleep since February and most days I feel like I'm moving in a slow motion daze. I also have a 4 year old who's very active so it is a challenge.
Ol'Line Rebel
08-07-2008, 04:02 PM
Hi, thanks for the replies.
I have gradually tried doing some routine at night. Really seems to help him get to sleep. Several days we've had technically (>5 hrs) good nights, in some cases pretty good. I even suspect he's awakened, made some noises, then gone back to sleep himself. I hope so.
In any case, I intend to start the "program" this weekend; hoping my changes the last few weeks will help it go easier (gulp). He'll be 5 mos next week, in fact.
I still have questions and I'm going to start another thread about them.
I have gradually tried doing some routine at night. Really seems to help him get to sleep. Several days we've had technically (>5 hrs) good nights, in some cases pretty good. I even suspect he's awakened, made some noises, then gone back to sleep himself. I hope so.
In any case, I intend to start the "program" this weekend; hoping my changes the last few weeks will help it go easier (gulp). He'll be 5 mos next week, in fact.
I still have questions and I'm going to start another thread about them.