Not Getting Any Sleep

Hi

my daughter was the same way. so what I did was give her a bed time bath. after that a warm bottle w/some cereal. and play some soft music in the backgroung. you can also wrap her up in the blanket like you did when she was a newborn. I hope it works.. let me know!!

M.

I definitely agree with everyone about the gas (mylicon) drops. those were a lifesaver for me! also, i don't know what type of formula you have her on (or if it's expressed milk), but we had switched my youngest to soy formula because she was spitting up so much and that made her miserable!
(soy->soybean->bean->GAS! lol) as soon as we switched her back to regular formula she was a different baby. just a thought. also, when my kids got gassy the would act like they were starving, sucking down bottles which just made them more gassy. hope you find something that helps!

I believe that there is a "Developmental" spurt that happens around 16 weeks. Almost everyone I know has experienced something like this (albeit to varying degrees) when their DC hit 16-17 weeks old. It sounds like you may have found one way to get through it, but know that it will probably work itself out around 20 weeks when the spurt ends.

I know my daughter gets extremely fussy and has sleep issues whenever she hits a new development stage. I attribute it to her mind working to hard and she's not really understanding all of this new stimulus.. I could be wrong though :)

Here is an article on Sleeping Through the Night

Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night: All babies will fall asleep eventually. Some just need a little more help than others.
By Barbara Solomon

Pulling Baby out of the Crib
Up to the time he was 10 months old, my son David had always been a good sleeper. Then my family moved into a new house, and all of a sudden, all bets were off. He began waking two, sometimes three times a night. I was sure he was just unsettled by the change and would return to his old ways soon. But after we tried every trick in the book only to suffer more sleepless nights, we caved in. One night when he called out, I scooped him up and brought him into our bed. We all slept soundly, and I was feeling pretty good -- until I spoke with a friend later that morning.

"Don't you know that you've opened a can of worms?" she scolded. "Now you'll never get him back into his crib!"

Picturing endless sleepless nights ahead, I panicked, and it's no wonder. Getting a baby to sleep consistently through the night can seem like the ultimate unattainable goal. But after I spent just a few nights leaving my son in his crib when he cried for me and gently encouraging him -- "You're okay, David, just go back to sleep!" -- from the hallway, he quickly resumed his old sleep habits. And experts say that with some patience and effort, most parents will be able to solve their child's sleeping problems, too.

The Impossible Dream
During the first weeks of life, you can't expect a baby to sleep through the night. In fact, there is no typical sleeping pattern for newborns; the only thing you can count on is that they sleep around the clock for varying periods, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. So why can't they sleep consistently for long periods? Blame it all on biology. An immature brain is the primary reason.

"People have a genetic timing mechanism in their brain that controls sleep, and it takes time for that mechanism to develop," explains Marc Weissbluth, MD, professor of clinical pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, and author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (Ballantine, 1999). "Think of it like eye color: Babies are born with a genetic predisposition to a certain eye color, but it takes time for that color to be expressed."

A need to feed is another factor. Many experts believe that newborn babies have to eat frequently, particularly breastfed babies: There's no way to tell how much a breastfed baby is eating at each feeding, so breastfeeding mothers may be more likely to fully awaken a stirring baby to feed.

Bottlefed babies, on the other hand, may sleep for longer periods because formula takes longer to digest and leaves baby feeling fuller longer. "But babies who have birth defects and are fed continuously by tube for the first several weeks of life show the same process of sleep maturation as other babies," notes Dr. Weissbluth. He believes that ultimately, "Sleep comes from the brain, not the stomach."

Regardless of studies and experts, until she is at least 6 weeks old, a newborn baby will undoubtedly wake several times during the night. Around the 6-week mark, many babies show subtle signs of organizing their sleep. They may get drowsy at 6 or 7 p.m. and may sleep at night for consecutive blocks of four hours or more.

At about 3 months, most can adhere to a sleep schedule that includes a morning nap, an afternoon nap, and two or more longer blocks of sleep at night. According to a poll of primary caregivers by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), a nonprofit organization, by 9 months some 70 to 80 percent of babies are sleeping a straight 9 to 12 hours every night.

That's great news -- unless yours is one of the 20 to 30 percent of babies who don't sleep so well. "My son was a horrible sleeper!" recalls Lisa Henahan of Peachtree City, Georgia. "Until he was 15 months, he would sleep for an hour and a half and then wake for an hour -- all night long!"

If your nights sound similar, rest assured, these tips can help parents solve a range of stubborn sleep problems.

Sleep Tight, Baby
To exhausted parents it seems that there are as many sleep issues as there are children. But most babies fall into the following categories:

"My 2-month-old son sleeps all day and is up all night."
A common phenomenon during the early weeks of life, day-night reversals often clear up with a little time and a lot of daylight. Try exposing your baby to bright light or sunshine in the morning hours and keep the lights dim in the evening. It also helps to move your baby to a busy part of the house throughout the day, play with him during the daytime, and wake him for daytime feedings.

Then, keep your interactions with him quiet and subdued at night. As babies approach the age of 6 weeks, they begin to respond more to environmental cues, so it helps to have a bedtime routine such as a bath and a song. It may take several weeks, and a baby this young still probably won't sleep through the night, but he may consolidate his sleep into two large blocks at night.

"My 7-month-old daughter won't sleep through the night. Why?"
From around 6 months on, a baby should be able to make it through the night without a middle-of-the-night feeding and without waking his parents. But that doesn't mean he's sleeping all those hours. The term "sleeping through the night" is misleading, points out Lawrence Balter, PhD, professor of applied psychology at New York University, in New York, and editor of Parenthood in America: An Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO, 2000). "All people -- including babies -- wake and put themselves back to sleep several times a night without realizing it," he says. "That's something babies need to learn to do."

Some kids learn on their own; others need a little help. There are several ways to teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep. Most of them involve listening to some crying. So how do you stay focused amid the tears? Remember that crying isn't going to harm your baby. And the reward -- a good night's sleep for all -- is worth a few teary nights.

The Ferber Method
"My neighbor has recommended the Ferber method to help my 6-month-old sleep through the night. What is it?"
This method was developed by pediatric sleep expert Richard Ferber, MD, author of Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems (Simon & Schuster, 1986). He advises parents to check periodically on their baby when she awakens at night. Here's a sketch of how it works: On the first night, when you hear your baby cry, you go in, give her a reassuring pat, and then leave. If she's crying 5 minutes later, you repeat the process, but this time you wait 10 minutes before going in, increasing the time in five-minute increments. The second night, you start at 10 minutes. Dr. Ferber's system has worked for many families.

"We're trying the Ferber method for my 7-month-old, but I can't stand the crying. Is there another, less drastic way to sleep-train my baby?"
There are also ways of making gradual changes within the routine you already have, notes Jodi Mindell, PhD, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Sleeping Through the Night (HarperCollins, 1997). If you've been putting your baby to sleep by rocking her in a chair, for example, start by just sitting in the chair together. "Then choose the next step -- putting your baby in his crib and holding his hand.

"A few days later, you can sit three feet away from your child's bed," Mindell says. Within a few weeks, you should be able to work yourself out of the bedroom.

"We've tried the Ferber method. My 6-month-old becomes enraged every time we go in to soothe him. Any suggestions?"
Some children respond better to a cold-turkey approach. If your baby cries, you don't go in her room (some parents call reassuringly from the hall). This is not for the faint of heart, and, as Balter points out, is better for younger babies. An 8-month-old may be able to sit or stand in her crib, which makes it hard for her to settle down if her calls aren't answered.

More Sleep Issues
"My 9-month-old insists on a 3 a.m. feeding. How can I get her to give it up?"
For many parents, a final obstacle to an uninterrupted night is that middle-of-the-night feeding. If your baby no longer needs to be fed at night (check with your pediatrician to be sure), simply stop giving him the bottle or breast when he calls for it. Alternatively, you can use a sequence of progressive steps, which might include offering him diluted formula or breast milk for a few nights and then gradually replacing it with water. He may not find it as appealing as milk, and, subsequently, won't cry for it.

"My 10-month-old son used to sleep through the night, but lately he's been waking up all the time."
Chances are, there's been some change, however subtle, in your child's routine. Everything from a vacation to an illness to an overnight guest can disrupt a young child's sleep schedule and cause her to awaken and need comforting. Some parents report that developmental milestones, such as learning to walk or use the potty, can also upset sleep patterns.

"When a child takes a developmental leap forward, neurons are firing and there are probably connections being made in the brain," says Mindell. "It's no wonder their sleep is disrupted." Most babies are also keen on practicing their new skills; when they wake in the night, sleep takes second place to getting up on all fours or babbling.

At times like this, you may need to repeat old steps, such as sitting in your baby's room for a few nights and gradually working your way back out. But don't despair; experts say children with established good sleep patterns will return to them pretty quickly.

"How can I get my 8-month-old to go to sleep at the same time every night?"
If your baby isn't sleepy at the same time every night, her daytime sleep routine may need tweaking. "Make sure to wake her at the same time each morning, keep naptimes consistent, and avoid letting baby nap after 4 p.m. A reasonable bedtime for a baby this age is around 7 or 7:30 p.m. If she wakes from a nap at 5:30, she's not going to be sleepy enough to go to bed then," says Mindell.

One strategy to avoid, however, is shortening her naps in the hope that this will make her sleepier at night. The fact is, overtired children have a hard time falling asleep. And evidence shows that babies aren't getting enough sleep as it is. Many experts recommend that infants ages 3 to 11 months get 14 to 15 hours of sleep daily, but according to the NSF poll, most babies get fewer than 13 hours.

Even if you've succeeded in creating a great sleeper, remember that every child occasionally has wakeful periods. When this happens, reassure yourself that you're not going to be sleepless forever. Says Peggy Nona, a Rochester, Minnesota, mother with two school-age girls, "I used to worry about getting them to bed at night; now I worry about getting them out in the morning!"

Barbara Solomon is a mother of three and a writer in Scarsdale, New York.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, July 2004.

In addition to that....

A local parenting coach wrote this:

I know that Dr. Ferber is less strict than he used to be about getting kids to sleep. However, his techniques are still very useful for kids that have actually taught themselves to stay up and/or to demand/expect a parent to be with them until they actually fall asleep. Also watch one of the Nanny TV shows for examples of being firm yet loving with setting limits.

Briefly, the basic idea is that you (1) stop paying any attention to your child after their bedtime--no hugs, kisses, stories and no yelling either. Just make believe they are little critters that you are putting back where they belong. and then, if necessary (2) let them cry themselves to sleep. Also, and actually first, develop a bedtime routine and STICK TO IT! Letting them cry is very hard, and against some people's principles. What we did when my daughter was little (she is now 21) was put her to bed with the musical mobile playing. If she was still crying when the music stopped (less than 5 minutes) we would go in to her. This happened very rarely. I felt that a short period of crying was not a trauma and having her go to sleep on her own was a learned response. It worked and we had very few bedtime hassles.

Good luck,

Marion
Coach and parent
Marion C. Bloch, Psy. D.
____@____.com
www.mayaresources.com

maybe it may be because shes colicky or because she cant poop or shes uncomfertable

At four months a lot of most babies can only stay awake for about 2 hours then they need a nap. I would suggest putting your child down for a nap around every two hours. If you are keeping your child up during the day then her body is creating lots of adrenalin and it will make it really hard to fall asleep and stay asleep at night. I know it seems backwards but the more naps she takes in the day the more she should sleep at night. If you actully think she is feeling sick rule out an ear infection and other common things that might wake a baby. My son actully got teeth at four months. Im sure this hint wont make your child sleep all thru but it should help. Start establishing a pattern to your childs days based on when they seem tired/hungry and use consistancy in the way you put your child down for naps. My son is 10 months and I just began to establish that it was time to sleep without letting him fall asleep on my breast. Im nurseing him about an hour b4 he goes down and then I let him play. It was his first time last night and he slept for nine hours! He was up every 3 or 4 b4 that. Good luck sleep is such a wonderfull thing!!

I don't know if you know about remedies but if you go to your local health food store (not GMC or CVS) ask for Chamomiila in a 30 C strength or could be a 30 x strength. crush up 2 tablets and just put them on her tounge and let them desolve.. Don't touch the tablets with your hand. about 10 minutes before you give her a bottle or breast. However I am not a homeopath and if you have one to consult I would suggest calling them.

These tablets have no drugs what so ever.

Good luck.
B.

my suggestion is go with the flow...my son too slept better durring the day and i took naps with him. he cried almost non stop. course that was before we found out what was really wrong. so try taking naps with her durring the day. it helped me. its not easy being a first time mom and not knowing what to do. most of the time , i went with it! 'cause nothing i did worked, but that was all before we found out our son had brain damage. anyways, try that and good luck. glad you're out of a dangerouse relationship for you and the baby.
C.

Her tummy can't handle the cereal yet. Is she formula fed? she may be allergic, and you may need to switch to soy. consult with your phisician if that could be the problem. Otherwise maybe just colic . try soothing music or a vaccuum. believe it or not some babies actually like that. Good luck!

Hi L.,
This is my first time on here and your request popped up on my screen and reminded me of my 1st daughter who is now 2yrs. old(I am also 24) Have you tried gas med. My daughter had bad gas bubbles in her tummy when she was a baby I would give her a dropper full every couple of hours. Mylocon is what I used, it was very temperary but helped to ease your frustration at night. My husband would also hold her on his thighs(he was sitting up) and cup her head with both of her hands and bounce her head up and down, gently of course. Or even hold her whole body with his forearms. I don't know if that would help any but I seemed to comfort her. Good luck.

Hi did you think that your child may be teething. I would try tablets that they sell at the drugstore called teething tablets. You put them under their tounges and they dissolve automatically. or may be try giving her a little of tylenol before she goes to bed at night. I have a 14 month old that has been teething since he was 2 monthes old and it suck cuz nothing works. I have had to use full strength orajel or ambosol and i have had to resort to using ibprophen instead of tylenol cause it last longer. Make sure you talk to the doctor first he may be able to prescribe you something for her.

My son was very similar to your baby. I recommend that you wake your baby up every couple of hours during the day to feed them. Dont think it is cruel because you need to be the one that puts the baby on a schedule. And you must really try to wake up the baby. If the baby does wake up right away, try again in about 10-15min. Dont worry the first few months are the hardest.

I actually have two suggestions for you. Talk to your doctor maybe she is not digesting her formula right maybe you need to change it. The other suggestion is maybe she has a gas problem try Mylcion (don't quote me on the spelling) infant gas drops.
Hope these suggestions help.
A.

Hi L..

First, the cereal is probably doing more harm than good. Secondly, when she wakes up at night, are you offering her a bottle? She could be hungry. Also, trying to keep her up during the day will not really change her night sleeping patterns, it will only make her more cranky when she is up during the day.

And definately nap while she is during the day. This will pass soon enough, but you need your rest!

Also, the silliest thing just came to mind. Does she have a night light in the room? Babies have shorter sleep cycles than we do at that age, and she could be waking and seeng NOTHING and that is upsetting her. I have suggested this before here and to my clients over the years ( I am a post partum doula) and it does help in some instances.

M.

I know it seems like there is going to be no end but eventually it will end!! What I suggest you do is maybe trying Mylicon drops & no cereal in the nighttime bottle because that can be upsetting her stomach. The mylicon will help with the gas that your daughter has & you can put it in every bottle that you give her if you choose. Maybe also is she on a schedule? Sometimes babies need the schedules to help get better at sleeping through the night. I know both of my children are on one & it really helps because they always sleep through the night now. Just keep the faith :)

I agree with the first mom - sounds like gas! There's a wonderful thing called "Gripe Water." I've seen it in Korean marketplaces where they sell vegetables, fruits and Carribbean produce. Gripe Water is mainly anise seed dissolved in water with a little baking soda. I swore by Gripe Water when my kids were babies. (My boys are now 9 and 7!) If you can't find any gripe water try a tiny bit of baking soda in about half a cup of water and follow it with a little juice if she doesn't like the taste. I think she's not burbing enough before she goes to bed.

Also for you to relax there are different herbal relaxers in the major drug stores that can help like Valerian Root (pill or tea) and Kava Kava. They're are very helpful with sleep.

Also the formula that you're using may be too gaseous for her. You might have to change to a soy product - talk to your doctor about the what's available. They've got more formula variations now than when I was a first time mom.

The last thing I can think of (this one my husband didn't like but I tried it anyway) was to put a piece of clothing that smelled like me in the crib with the baby so he could smell mommie and feel like he was sleeping next to me. Of course watch they way you position it so that the baby won't suffocate.

See if you can nap with her during the day. I hated that but other mothers told me I would get more rest that way instead of trying to do other things while the baby was sleepind during the day!

Don't despair - it DOES it better!

II have an entirely different approach to parenting but having said that my first son was a terror From day one! He screamed all the time. I have a suggestion even if its not gas it seams to help relieve some of the anxiety. I only wish I had, had these techniques sooner! First like the other people mentioned are you offering a bottle? She may be hungry and all night is an awful long time when you have such a small digestive tract, I mean if you think about it they pass food as quickly as they consume it! But here is another trick. if she screams at any point.. and I don't know if you leave her in the crib or not but if you do pull her out I'd try this then too. It really makes for some nice bonding time as well. First try the colic cradle when you can, that where you put the baby on her stomach across your forearm her head at your elbow and lower torso down by your hand, its really easy to carry then like this and if feels good to them gently rock, bounce or even just walk around the house with her like this, you can even try patting or rubbing her back. the second thing I recommend is taking some time to lay her on your lap several times a day not jsut when shes fussing, her head at your knees on her back and feet down at your stomach. take her little legs and move them in bicycle motions, bring her knees up to he chest and apply a small amount of pressure then back down and repeat, do it to one side and the other, be persistent with it, I even used rhythm I would count 1 2 3 4 then switch to the side 1 2 3 4 and then do the slow steady bicycle motions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 and on and so forth. The goal here is to see if you can get her to pass gas. Also while you have her in this position try rubbing her tummy in a circular motion starting at the top moving towards the right and down. If her abdomen at any point feel tight continue with the leg exercises. Even if she does not pass gas (which honestly I think she will) it may be just what she needs. I would sit for 5 -20 minutes doing this with my 2nd son and it worked wonders. its so difficult at this age, its all guess work. but the neat thing about this is like I mentioned they love the bonding, you are staring them in the eye and talking with them, smiling, loving them and just for that moment its only the two of you in the world. I have to tell you that colic hold I mentioned is almost hypnotizing! they drool away when they are there, it takes some getting used to if they are not usually put in that position but after a while they really do love it. hope that helps some!

Is she having any other symptoms...that happend when my dtr was 14 mths old..ended up seh had a dble ear infection and no other symptoms! Also...when the molars come in it can mimic ear aches.... try giving some motrin before bed or if she seems to bot be eating etc...get her ears checked

Hi L.-
Sounds as if she may be either (like others have said) teething or having excess gas. You could try the teething tablets bought in the baby aisle in a local drugstore. They are called Hyland's teething tablets. As far as the gas goes, maybe give her some gas drops after her bottle before bed to try to prevent it before it starts. She could also have her days and nights mixed up. Sounds as if she is sleeping so much during the day and then is up all night. You could try to keep her up more-maybe get her a new toy like a playmat or something to stimulate her interest during the day or bring her out a little more. In any case, maybe try speaking to her pediatrician to see what they suggest. Good luck.

Hi L.,
Have you tried swaddling her? Does she share a room with you? Maybe if she knows you are near or can smell your scent it might help to comfort her. When I returned to work and my husband had to put our son to bed he would lay him on top of a shirt that I had worn for a couple of nights, that would sometimes calm him. Now, when he goes to sleep we give him a bath, turn on a humidifier and play soft music to help him sleep. Maybe you could try a white noise machine. Just don't give up. Good Luck.
J.