Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child - Brighton,CO

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. It saved my life and worked like a charm with my kids. I give it as a gift to all my expecting friends.

This book SAVED MY LIFE!!! Read it, soak it all in, and use it as your bible for sleep! I have 2 daughters and my oldest one was a wonderful sleeper, napper, and I never had one issue. Then along came her sister. Up all night, cat-napped 15 minutes, cranky, tired, and never slept well at all. I became a living Zombie from this child until a good friend gave me this book when she was 4 months old. I started reading it and saw myself and my situation in that book and realized I was not alone. I did exactly what the book said to do and after one week of pure hell with my then 4 month old baby girl, she became the best sleeper on the block! Today is no different. She is now 13 years old and sleeps soundly, peacefully, knows her limits and has a bedtime routine. She is a super sleeper! READ THIS BOOK and in one week or so, you will have a baby that naps twice a day for 2 hours at a clip and also sleeps completely through the night. I also just sleep-trained my new niece at five months old. Goes down at 8:00 and sleeps until 7:30. Takes a nap from 9:30-11 and then another one from 2:00-4:30. It's a dream come true!

Awesome book, was very helpful for us. My son at 4 months had about the same routine you mentioned. As with feedings, if your son is hungry, still feed him even if it's "off" schedule. They go through growth spurts and need the food. As for the 4-5 hours stretch, won't happen till maybe about 6 months or so ( I can't remember, I was by then used to the "lack" of sleep already), but every baby is different. Some sleep through the whole night and if you breastfeeding, that would mean you need to wake up anyways and pump instead! Also some continue to wake up in the middle of the night a few times to eat. A friend of mine is still nursing her 13 month old and he still wakes up in the middle of the night to feed a few times.

Oh about growth spurts, the "growing hormone" is most productive when they sleep, so especially at nap times if they sleep longer than usual - let them.

Lastly, with using this book a year ago, we have no problems putting our toddler to bed and for naps. I even cosleep once in a while and it doesn't put a "kink" in the routine!

Every child is unique! HOWEVER, based on my experience with the book, it sounds like his naps are not long enough. From what I remember, he should be having a nap that is at least 45 minutes long. What may be happening is he is that he is at a point in his sleep cycle after 45 minutes where he wakes, but if he is soothed back to sleep, could easily sleep longer. My 3rd child is also 4 months old, and I have been popping in the pacifier or letting her fuss (not cry) a little bit till she finds her thumb, and she will go back to sleep and end up taking a 2 hour nap.

According to the book, sleep begets sleep, so if you can get in 2-3 good, solid naps during the day, he will sleep better at night. I'd also recommend putting him down when he is drowsy so that he gets used to putting himself to sleep, rather than soothing him till he is in a deep sleep. It makes a HUGE difference for great sleep habits. I did this with my 2nd and 3rd children without "crying-it-out" and they both go to sleep very easily and happily. I can just put them down and walk out of the room. My habits of nursing my first child all the way into a deep sleep and then inventing yoga moves in an effort to extract myself from her without waking her taught me some valuable lessons. : )

Last thing -- the book recommends bedtimes between 6 and 8 pm, so I would experiment with that and see what that does for you.

Good luck!!!

Try BabyCalm. You can find it online.

I loved this book. I only wish I had read it for my first child and earlier for my second. It taught me when to put them down for the first nap which helped tremendously. I highly recommend you read it.

How much does he weigh?

Are you sure he *needs* to eat at night? Could be a routine for him, and a coping method for you to get him to quiet down.

Does he sleep in your room?

I ask this because he was in your body for 9+ months and depended on you entirely for his comfort, nourishment, and protection. Some children don't fare well sleeping alone.

The comforting is certainly nice, and a good way to bond. I think it's a great way to get a new baby to sleep. However, as he ages he will grow to depend on the stimulation/attention/affection to fall asleep. When he wakes (depending on his weight), he may be moreso startled to wake up somewhere he did not fall asleep.

Why does he go to bed at 9pm? How long does he sleep?

Ideally, he should sleep a 12 hour stretch without much waking by the time he weighs 11lbs. If he's fitfull and moody during the day you make need to pay more attention to his sleep cues. It's possible that you may be trying to force him to conform to your schedule. Unfortunately, you may need to conform to his. I would also recommend taking him out in the early morning sun for about a half hour. No sunglasses. The sunlight helps regulate seratonin and melatonin production in the brain, which, in turn, regulates sleep patterns.

Also- make sure he gets adequate movement throughout the day. Depending on his height he may be tall enough for a walker, and possibly big enough for a bouncer/play stand.

Good luck

- oh - if you don't have the book or can't justify buying it- try your local library. It is an awesome book.

Have you tried cereal yet? Try feeding it to him right before bed time. Do you nurse? If so, see if your husband can go in to soothe him back to sleep without offering a feeding time. After 3 days, he should sleep thru. Try keeping him up longer so that he'll nap longer. Best wishes to you. Once you figure out a schedule they tend to change it on you.

Have you run into teething yet? If you haven't, I have some sad news to tell you. You may be sleeping less through the night before you sleep more. It's not your baby's fault. Teeth can just be disagreeable when they're coming in. Sorry to be such a wet blanket, but you may be asking about the teething business pretty soon!