my 7 month old was doing great sleeping in his crib in our room. He got to the point of only waking up once in the early morning for a bottle. recently he was waking up every two hours eating and going back to sleep. Then just this week he will wake up and screams I have tried giving he tylenol be for bed and origel when he wakes up but all he wants is to cry. I pick him up and he will fall right back to sleep. But when I put him back down on his bed he wakes instantly. I am to the point at night I lay down in the floor next to his bed and let him cry until he's done, then he will stand and make noise's for a while and eventually fall back to sleep, and I can go back to bed. If I lay him in bed next to me he will go right back to sleep and stay asleep.
How do I get him to want to sleep in his bed, I shy a way from letting him sleep with me. When he is a wake crying I just tell him its alright and that it is time to sleep. I was told talking to him alot will stimulate him into staying awake so I don't say much. Help what do I do? I have tried tylenol, Origel, putting bed time lotion on his chest, and even letting him cry. His nap times have not changed, he take two naps one at 10-11ish and the second at 1-130ish, his naps don't usually last longer than an hour.
Thank you for this post. I have a very similar situation with my 8 month old, and have been too tired to actually type my question. : )
Please know you are not alone. Hang in there.
I hear ya sister! Bedtime and any sleep time can be such a struggle! My daughter (now 1) was very similar and here is what worked for us: I started bedtime earlier; at first I was trying to have an 8pm bedtime- it seemed reasonable, but then when it was taking a minimum of an hour to get her to sleep I started earlier and earlier.
So now- bath at 6:30, bed at 7pm - like clockwork. Sticking with a routine so your son (who now is aware of his surroundings) is aware of what is going to happen next is the most important thing. Babies don't like surprises. So developing a routine that works for you guys- whether it be a special cd u put on, a song you sing, or a book u read - even if it is just a special teddy bear and some cuddling... something that represents bedtime to him at the same (or as close to the same) time as you can each night.
Thhheeeennn, once you have set up the routine - the only thing that worked for me was to "ferberize" my daughter. This is the let her cry for 5 minutes, go back in for 1, add 5 minutes (allowing her to cry for 10), then go in for one, add 5 minutes (making it 15), go in for 1.. and so on and so forth. The worst night of my life was when we got up to 19 and a half minutes, but then she finally fell asleep. Every night since has been easy breezy.
Hang in there. No matter what people tell you, do what works for you and your family. You guys will figure it out and find what works for you. Once he learns to fall asleep on his own at the beginning of the night he won't need you every two hours when he rolls over and accidentally wakes himself up!
Good luck!
K.
I always just snuggled in bed with our baby, cuddled and read her stories until she dropped off to sleep. Then dad would take her and tuck her into her bed.
It was lovely and effortless. Bedtime is now this pleasant, bonding part of our day that she looks forward to, rather than a time of tears or something she resists.
My son is 7 months as well. We had the same problem, he was waking every two hours at night and not wanting to sleep.
He also takes only two short naps a day.
I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. My son fit the description of being sleep deprived. We started putting him to bed earlier between 6:00 and 6:30pm. He slept until about 9 and we then let him cry it out, he cried for 45 mins but then slept till 5 am. He did this twice and is now sleeping 6:30pm to 5:00am. I feed him at 5 am and then he goes back to sleep for about an hour and a half to two hours.
He would wake in the middle of the night but after about ten minutes of crying would go back to sleep.
It worked for us, if you have other questions please email me
____@____.com.
Hi T. - Good for you not to pick him up and take him to your bed. I did that with my only son and he's now almost 5 and has only recently learned to stay in his own bed and own bedroom! So stand your ground. Start moving further away from his bed each night working up to leaving his room, letting him cry, but reassuring him softly he is fine just like you are. It comes down to who has more willpower - him or you. It's super hard to let them cry, but he will learn crying doesn't get him what he wants. I wish I had listened to my own advice. You're on the right track.
Sounds to me like you're on the right track! Good job. I had had a few times through the past 14 months where her sleep habits want to change and we just have to direct them back on track. Sounds like your baby is going through (one of many) separation anxieties. Being that as soon as you pick him up, he goes right back to sleep. He just wants your comfort. So that is what you have to break him of. You are doing the right thing by standing near his crib to comfort him, and not pick him up. Only comfort him for a minute or two, until he is calm again. Walk away and let him cry. If he is still crying in 5 mins, go rub his back or tummy, assure him he is okay, and leave again. Then wait 10 mins. Repeat. Extend the time intervals between your visits and he will learn. It can take a week for baby to learn, my daughter only took 3 days. And then we were back to a full night of peaceful sleep. I don't think he needs the tylenol or origel, just learning to self-soothe.
You're doing great!
Hi. From my experience with my two year old and most of the moms in my mommy group, seven months can turn sleep around. They get to a point that they don't want to sleep on their own any more and you have to teach them to fall back a sleep on their own. I had to let my daughter cry it out at seven months. It took me a week straight of her screaming and crying and me only going in once when she started crying, telling her it's okay and rubbing her chest and walking out as quick as I could. After that I let her cry to sleep and did not go back in at all. I have a video monitor that totally helped at this point to make sure she was doing okay in her crib. Some moms in the group it took them three weeks but they stuck through it and now all of the two year olds sleep 12 hours straight through the night no problem. It's worth the storm! It will drive you crazy hearing the crying and screaming but the results are wonderful.
How are his eating habits, is he still on breastmilk, formula or cereal? If you don't think he is hungry and he is sustained then it could be the way he goes to sleep. Does he only go to sleep by rocking him? Start with his naps and get him used to going to sleep on his own. Lastly, I know you need relief now but as a first time mom I read the baby whisperer and it helped me sooooooo much. Both of my kids slept in their cribs/beds in their own rooms by the time they were 6 months. Even as they got older transitioning into toddler beds and "big" kid beds were very easy. Hope this helps.
I'm going through the same with my 8month old, but she's me 2nd, so I'm much more patient with co-sleeping and nursing since I how how soon it will be before she doesn't need me, but (going on 3 hours of sleep) I just found the title of your post funny because, as all us moms know, I think there really would be something wrong with such a tiny baby who WANTS to sleep alone all night by himself. It's not natural.
Just another thought.... Have you considered moving the crib into a separate room? If you have a room that will eventually be his own room, this might be the time to move him. Most of us don't know what sort of noises we make in our own sleep, and some noise from you and/or your boyfriend could possibly be what is waking your boy up in the night... it sounds from his naptimes that he also is a light sleeper.
You might try putting a heating pad in his bed (on low) while he is up and you are feeding him (then take it out of course).This way he goes back to a warm bed. This worked with my daughter. Good luck.
