Baby Sleeping Ssues

Make sure you have a bedtime routine and stick to it. Do the same thing every night - snack, story, rock, then put him in bed (or whatever you want to do for your routine). Having a routine and sticking to it is especially important during times when a baby's sleep is disrupted.

Also, make sure he's getting enough to eat before bed. This sound simple, but at this age, one of my kids went through a major growth spurt. He stopped going to bed easily and also stopped sleeping through the night, and I couldn't figure out why. Then one day I gave him a big bowl of oatmeal before bed instead of just nursing. And he went to bed just fine and slept great. Then I realized that the poor kid was hungry and ready for more food in the evening and I didn't know it.

Hi S.. Hope he is feeling 100% better now!

I am one of those moms who insisted that my children learn to put themselves to sleep. It's called self-soothing.

From your description of him pushing you away, it sounds like he actually wants to, but being a baby, still wants you around. You have to decide what part to play in his bedtime and naps. I opted for walking out the door and expecting my kids to fall asleep on their own, once I had met their needs.

We had a bedtime routine. It did not last long. No TV after dinner, period (it revs them up, and my kids didn't watch any TV at 10 months, just to let you know.) Bottle, brushing teeth, story, quiet music. Nightlight. Laying baby down, saying night-night, and walking out.

You don't have a crib, so he crawls over to the door. You cannot let him open the door. If he were in a crib, he wouldn't be able to do that. So you must let the room be his crib. Make sure it is very safe - nothing to hurt him. Then let him cry until he gets tired of it and goes to sleep.

If you cannot do this, then sit in the middle of his room with your back to him with the lights off. Do not talk to him or hold him. If he gets out of his bed, get up and put him back in his bed and sit back down in the middle of the room. He will get very bored and finally drop off to sleep. The first several nights, you might have to sit there for a long time and keep putting him back in the bed over and over. After a week or so, he should sleep quickly. It is very boring for mom to sit there like a stone and not talk or anything, so that is what you must be.

If you are taking care of your daughter, you might have trouble doing this during nap time. I would recommend leaving him to go to sleep. But make it so that he can't get the door open.

Dawn

I agree with poster Diane C.
Make sure he has a bedtime routine.
Make sure he's not hungry, cold or have a wet diaper.

Be sure he has enough activity & stimulation during the day: playing on
a blanket spread out on the foor w/baby toys, baby walker, bouncy chair
that hangs from a beam in your house or doorway!! Can't stress this
enough. Helps greatly!

Make sure he's not teething. He possibly could be. Try Hyland's teething
tablets, Baby Orajel rubbed on this gums & Infant Tylenol.

Make sure he's tired when you put him to bed. Maybe change his bedtime a tad bit later.

He could be going through a growth spurt. My son when through SEVERAL of these & I had to constantly keep up w/the changes by changing what & how "I" did things. Hang in there, roll w/the changes as best you can, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and try so.me of the things I mentioned

This is not incredibly unusual at this age, so I hope you can take some comfort in knowing that you're in good company.

Honestly, my boys were not very scheduled until after they dropped down to one nap. Prior to that I did my best to follow their lead. If they showed signs of being tired, I would shift gears and head for nap time as soon as possible. That was easier to do with my oldest, as he was my only.

Try your best to follow he lead on naps. It seems from your SWH that you might want to try starting the bedtime bottle and bath routine at least 30 minutes sooner, if not an hour. If he's that lethargic, by the time you are finished the routine, he's awake again.

Does he sleep in a crib? It sounded like maybe he does not. Could you lie down next to him in his bed or sit next to it on the floor? Sometimes this helps my youngest get to sleep more easily.

I was not great about getting them to sleep at this age. I snuggled with them or rocked or something until they were dead asleep and then placed them into their beds.

Good luck!