HELP! My once sleepy baby isn't so sleepy anymore....

[MSSANDRA]

Just an idea.... introducing alittle teaspoon full of infant baby cereal my help with the waking up. I had to do that for Kendyll and she is sleeping through the night alot better. If you do the cereal thing....DO NOT make it thick. Make it on the watery side since babies are still learning to swallow. Also I have heard of parents adding cereal to the baby's last bottle before bed to tie them over.
It's just a thought. Good luck though

Another reminder to check with the Dr first. My DN with the 3 mo old wanted to do this and her dr said absolutly not. Introducing ceral too early can increase the chance of developing allergies later. Even keeping it very thin, untill babies have excelent head control (4+mo) choking and asperation are high risk. Starting food too early is also assoicated with obesity later in life, and an increase instead of a decrease in colic. Not a flame at all for the suggesstion as that is whatEVERYONE (except me) was telling her to do and that used to be the norm.

OP- Hope it is getting better~~~

 

[WDW1st-timers]

Another reminder to check with the Dr first. My DN with the 3 mo old wanted to do this and her dr said absolutly not. Introducing ceral too early can increase the chance of developing allergies later. Even keeping it very thin, untill babies have excelent head control (4+mo) choking and asperation are high risk. Starting food too early is also assoicated with obesity later in life, and an increase instead of a decrease in colic. Not a flame at all for the suggesstion as that is whatEVERYONE (except me) was telling her to do and that used to be the norm.

OP- Hope it is getting better~~~

YES DO check with your doctor....You should always do this. As for using cereal on my 3 month old....no unless the doctors advised it. The OP had stated that her child was over 4 months so that's why I recomended it, although I should of mentioned check with your doctor first. On basiclly alot of first try of things you should always for safety reasons just give your doctor a heads up on what your doing.

 

[Grendalynn]

... of sticking a bottle in DS's mouth to quiet him, what else should I try? With our first son, he took a nuk, but DS#2 got in the habbit of taking bottle after bottle at night as he would not take a nuk. He would go thru 5 bottle a night some nights. Anything to try with DS#3??? Looking for any words of advice! Thanks...

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Try starting a schedule during the day. Feed him when he wakes up ( try increasing the amount per feeding and give him as much as he will take) then have a playtime followed by a naptime. This routine should take up to 2.5-3 hours so that he's eating every 2.5-3 hours. Babies at this age need 14-16 hours of sleep in 24 hours. Don't feed him during the night, that will only backfire and make the problem worse. I think the problem lays with him needing more food per feeding. Also, with a schedule even a baby this young will benifit by consistancy and knowing what to expect each day.

 

[LaraK]

... of sticking a bottle in DS's mouth to quiet him, what else should I try? With our first son, he took a nuk, but DS#2 got in the habbit of taking bottle after bottle at night as he would not take a nuk. He would go thru 5 bottle a night some nights. Anything to try with DS#3??? Looking for any words of advice! Thanks...

Benedryl...JUST KIDDING!

I really think that some kids just aren't sleepers. We still are not sleeping. Is there a security item you can give him? Bear, blanket, etc? We also put a cd player with a repeat function in DS's room and we play quiet classical music all night. The other thing we've tried is playing with the amount of light in the room and left the door open. Some days what we do works, others (like the other night) my 2 year old only sleeps for 4-5 hours in a night

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Wish I could help you, but I haven't slept in four and a half years. It does sound like a growth spurt. What sucks is that they continue for so long....my 30 month old is going through one now...he's getting "growing pains" in his legs....I haven't slept through the night in a week. hope it gets better.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I just wanted to let you know that those nightime "growing Pains" may not be just that. That's what my parents used to call them too, but I still get them and I quit growing (vertically ) 15 years ago. I've had them called shin splints, and have been told it's due to a lack of calcium, but have never really had it diagnosed. Ben Gay is really the only thing that will help ease the pain....and believe me they REALLY do hurt.

 

[HelenePA]

my youngest sleeps with a fan on (pointed towards the wall so no air gets blown around while its winter!) and music, I have alot of classical music on for him along with a few of my favorite songs. maybe try that to help him sleep? He's slept with a fan on from the day he was born (of course it was june and HOT so it just worked out that way)

 

[glass slipper girl]

I don't have a solution to offer, just sympathy! My 3rd son is 3 months as well and we are having some sleep issues here too. He has nights where he will sleep 7 hours and nights where he is up every hour and a half. I never know what to expect! He is also my first that won't take a paci. With my other 2 giving them the paci and a quick cuddle and they'd go right back to sleep but not this little guy! He wants nothing to do with a paci. He's drooling a bunch so I was thinking maybe teething but no bumps or swollen gums at all. DS has pretty severe GERD and that is worse at night so that could be part of our problem. I am nursing but he does get a bottle right before bed. He would fall asleep before he was full and as soon as I'd try to move away he'd scream. This would go on all night as he'd never get full. I started giving him a bottle and he would finish that and sleep so we've been going with what works. Our ped just suggested rice cereal in that bottle because of the GERD (thickened feeds are less likely to reflux back up...common suggestion for reflux babies, we had to do this with ALL of DS #1s feedings from 5 days old untill about 9 months old). That has helped with the reflux but hasn't solved the night waking 100%.

Hopefully it's a growth spurt for both of our little guys! Just wanted you to know I feel your pain! If you find a solution, be sure to let me know too!

 

[LaraK]

I don't have a solution to offer, just sympathy! My 3rd son is 3 months as well and we are having some sleep issues here too. He has nights where he will sleep 7 hours and nights where he is up every hour and a half. I never know what to expect! He is also my first that won't take a paci. With my other 2 giving them the paci and a quick cuddle and they'd go right back to sleep but not this little guy! He wants nothing to do with a paci. He's drooling a bunch so I was thinking maybe teething but no bumps or swollen gums at all. DS has pretty severe GERD and that is worse at night so that could be part of our problem. I am nursing but he does get a bottle right before bed. He would fall asleep before he was full and as soon as I'd try to move away he'd scream. This would go on all night as he'd never get full. I started giving him a bottle and he would finish that and sleep so we've been going with what works. Our ped just suggested rice cereal in that bottle because of the GERD (thickened feeds are less likely to reflux back up...common suggestion for reflux babies, we had to do this with ALL of DS #1s feedings from 5 days old untill about 9 months old). That has helped with the reflux but hasn't solved the night waking 100%.

Hopefully it's a growth spurt for both of our little guys! Just wanted you to know I feel your pain! If you find a solution, be sure to let me know too!

Did your ped talk about putting the bed at an angle? We had to do that for DS for a while when they thought he had GERD (he doesn't, he has EE). I hated it because he'd slide down in the night and I was always afraid that he'd end up wrapped in covers, but it did seem to help some of his nighttime pain.

 

[LaraK]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I just wanted to let you know that those nightime "growing Pains" may not be just that. That's what my parents used to call them too, but I still get them and I quit growing (vertically ) 15 years ago. I've had them called shin splints, and have been told it's due to a lack of calcium, but have never really had it diagnosed. Ben Gay is really the only thing that will help ease the pain....and believe me they REALLY do hurt.

DD had the same thing. I try to get calcium into both of them, but it's a struggle. Thanks for the tip, I'll try to get some more yogurt into him.

 

[glass slipper girl]

Did your ped talk about putting the bed at an angle? We had to do that for DS for a while when they thought he had GERD (he doesn't, he has EE). I hated it because he'd slide down in the night and I was always afraid that he'd end up wrapped in covers, but it did seem to help some of his nighttime pain.

Yep, this is our 2nd reflux baby so we do all of the positioning stuff. Head elevated, sleeping on side to let gravity help keep stomach contents down, holiding upright for 20 minutes after eating etc. DS #1 was a GERDling too. DS #3 has more severe reflux but he handles it better than DS #1 did. DS #1 would stop breathing when he refluxed so management was crititical. DS #1 was a 35 weeker and DS #3 was 38 weeks so that makes the difference I'm sure. At least DS #3 breathes! He just fusses a lot and spits up everywhere.

 

[Grendalynn]

Dear Son is sleeping again! Hooray!! Not wondefully by any means - but what almost 4 month old really sleeps wonderfully? He is up a couple time a night, but we are back the the usual schedule... Down by 9:30 and up the first time at 3:30/4AM. It must have been those sniffles he had that was bothering him (and us). I know myb life is so super excited and everyone was wondering how things were going....lol... so thought I would let y'all know! actually I hadn't had a spare moment to check into the Dis, and this was the first thread on my list. ha ha

Now Dear Husband is sick.... I think I would rather have a sick infant! At least they don't whine all the time. I better be careful for what I wish for! Take care out there!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Now Dear Husband is sick.... I think I would rather have a sick infant! At least they don't whine all the time. I better be careful for what what I wish for! Tale care out there!

I know what you mean. Mine is a terrible whiner when he's sick

I'm glad to hear that your DS is sleeping and feeling better.