No Idea Why My Son Wont Sleep

Hi Mama-

It sounds like there is too much going on in your child's life to narrow it down. From what I'm reading, I'd say he is not feeling comfortable and needs you, so give him snuggles.

To figure out what's happening, let's start with the formula. Pooping every 3-4 days is a long time. A baby should poop daily or no more than every 2 days. He is probably constipated and bloated. Talk to your doctor about changing formulas again.

Changing care providers or daycare centers can be a huge issue for even young children. He may feel anxiety about the new school OR he may not be sleeping well there and over tired. Asked your child's teacher what his sleep schedule is like there. I'd encourage them to keep a sleep log for a few days to see if he's sleeping well.

He could be teething, if so, his sleep issues should pass naturally in a few days, if they do not, it's probably not teething.

Do you use soothing music to help your child to sleep? I recommend music strongly to the parents I coach, (I'm a parent coach). Music playing on repeat through the night helps tell the child it's still bedtime and they are more likely to lull themselves back to sleep if they wake.

Bottom like, I think he's feeling bad and needs snuggles. I'd bet it's due to his diet and pooping every 3-4 days. Get that undercontrol, start using music to help him lull back to sleep and things should get better soon.

Good Luck!

R. Magby

I think Rebecca's advice is good. Your son sounds uncomfortable. Have you been following a pediatrician's advice on the pooping problems? I'm also thinking that probiotics could really help his little guts normalize.

Another thought is that he's just learned a major life skill – crawling. He could be emotionally stimulated by this new ability. Many kids have trouble sleeping for 2-3 weeks when they're learning to walk, too.

I have heard that melatonin sometimes dramatically helps toddlers who can't sleep. I don't think I'd try it on a baby without medical advice, but it would sure be worth asking. This is a sleep-inducing hormone that is produced naturally in the brain.

Another possibility is that your son simply can't sleep. He may be developing an increasingly common problem in young children: chemical sensitivities. Kids exposed to common household cleaners, the residue from scented fabric softener and detergent, air freshener, bath products, etc., can get a kid's nervous system too jazzed to relax and sleep, and can also cause other unpredictable emotional outbreaks or meltdowns. I'm chemically sensitive myself, and have gone as long as four nights at a time being completely unable to sleep. It's worth considering – if you use these products, consider eliminating them for a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference. You may have to bag them in plastic to contain the scents and other volatile compounds.

New paints, fabrics, furnishings, and cotton-poly mix sheets also off-gas toxins, as do carpet glues. Have you recently redone his bedroom?

You'vw got my sympathy, for what it's worth. Lack of sleep is hard on everybody, child and adult.

So much going on!!!! 9 months is a busy time for little people. Teething, crawling and your's now has a new routine. That's a lot of change for a little guy. Just snuggle him as much as he'll let you. As soon as you find a new routine, it'll change again. That's okay, it's normal. Nap when you can.

I do agree that he's got some stomach/intestinal issues still and could also probably benefit from an abdominal massage. There are massage therapists that work with infants, it's worth looking into if he's uncomfortable. If it's stomach/intestinal related, you'll be able to feel the gas/poop move.

Hi Megan--
This makes me crazy--I can't believe your pediatrician hasn't done anything.. If your baby is not pooping every day he is having trouble digesting his food. If it's not food allergies it is food sensitivities--he is waking up all night because that is when most digestion occurs and he is in pain. Plain and simple. I went through this with my oldest and have helped dozens of people through this. However, I went an alternative route rather than western medicine (because my pediatrician wasn't helpful either), so some people aren't willing to consider my ideas. I would happily help you as well if you like. Let me know and I will walk you through how to figure it all out and what to do to get him sleeping.
J.

This is an age of extream brain activity, they are stimulated by all the new things they are learning so it's hard for them to sleep. This is also when nightmares and sleep terrors start it's hard but some of these sleep issues just have to be outgrown.

I feel your pain. My 11 month old does the same thing. He is constantly up all the time. We tried the cry it out method and that did not work. I got less sleep because I keep worying he was going to somehow hurt himself and I wouldn't know. We had our daycare provider only give him one nap, and that made him sleep longer for the first few hours but then after that he was back to waking up every hour on the hour. We tried feeding him solids right before bed but that still did not work. Someone told me to put him on a routine and that would help. So we take a bath, read a book and then put him to sleep. However this still doesn't seem to be working. Although, they did not work for us, these are some things you can try. I have not tried the music yet, so I will have to try that. Me and My husband both work full time, so a deal I made with my husband to help with me not getting any sleep is I would take care of him M-F and on the weekends he was responsible for taking care of him at night. Amazingly enough, it seems like I am getting enough sleep. Sorry I can't be of more help.