Back when Thomas was a newborn, he slept through the night (5+ hours) very early. And I counted my blessings and thanked God for an easy baby. :)Unfortunately, he's making up for lost time now. Gabe and/or I am being awakened at night about every 1 to 2 hours. When morning comes it feels like I haven't slept at all. This is not sustainable for much longer, and I need suggestions.
Here are the facts:
- Thomas nurses about every five to six hours during the day (supplemented by solids).
- I'm nursing him about twice each night right now, about every four hours. This was a decision prompted by feeling like a human snack bar all night when these night wakings started some weeks ago.
- If he wakes before about four hours have passed, we simply give him his pacifier, re-swaddle him, and rock him back to sleep. It generally takes five minutes or less. The fact that this works leads me to think that he's not really hungry.
- The problem is not that he wakes up and stays up, it is that he wakes up so frequently that Gabe and I can't get any deep sleep.
- Thomas' naps during the day are still not quite solidified, although generally there is a morning nap and an afternoon nap. I'm working toward making those more consistent.
Ideas? Better yet, tried and true solutions?
4 comments:
When our puppy did that, we put her back in her crate with a pig's ear, and if it got really bad, we put her in the closet because it was all dark and made her feel safe in there. But I think someone might report you if you try that with Thomas. :)
Ooooh, sleep issues. Boy can I relate! My son seems to have inherited some gene where he just hates to sleep. The first 18 months of his life were extremely difficult -- dealing with sleep issues was practically my part-time job.
I'm not sure what to say in terms of this specific situation, but I thought I'd throw it out that the book I found most helpful was Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West. I tried the No-Cry Sleep Solution methods with no success. I really liked Kim West's approach because she provides a lot of good info but is respectful of parents' needs to make their own choices -- i.e. she's not dogmatic about doing it ONE way and one way only. I didn't immediately follow all her suggestions, but did get a lot of good info out of it.
Anyway, sorry I can't be of more help, but I can definitely relate!!
old wives tales would say:
feed him rice cereal just before bedtime and the bulk in his full stomach will help carry him through the night.
Dear me, linds, I do think CPS would have things to say to us if we stuck him in a closet. ;)
Jennifer, I'll look into Good Night Sleep Tight. Thanks for the recommendation!
Betsy, I'm actually trying that, although so far without much success. I've also tried avocado, since I've heard that it has lots of good calories that can help hold a baby through the night, too. Last night I tried rice cereal and LOTS AND LOTS of nursing prior to bedtime (and a later bedtime). We got a four hour stretch, which is an improvement, so I guess I'll try that again tonight.
Thanks for the comments!
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