Tuesday, October 14, 2008
So Brooklyn is almost 7 months old and she is still waking up 2-3 times at night and when I put her to bed she just screams and I have let her cry it out but it seems like most nights she is crying for at least an hour before she falls asleep. If you have any suggestions please please please share I am desperate at this point oh yeah and she is only taking one 20-30 minute nap a day because she REFUSES to sleep...
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5 comments:
Korbyn is a pretty good sleeper and I think it is because I read the book Becoming Baby Wise. He sleeps 9 hours at night and still takes at least 3 naps a day. The book just teaches you how to put your child on a schedule and stick to it, letting them cry if they need to. Letting her cry every night before she goes to bed is not a bad thing, and you want to do it now before she gets any older. The book will be a little harder to follow now, because she is older, but I know it has a section in the back that tells you what to do if you are starting late. I think, (at least with my little experience!) that kids need a schedule, and even though they might not like it, it does make them a happier baby in the end... Some people might say not to let them cry, but I think it is okay to let your baby cry, it is just their communication, even though it is SO hard on you, it will get better! The book also says that a baby should be able to sleep through the night from about 9 weeks, but it does depend on your baby, and that if she is still waking up, it is just out of habit, not because she needs to. So I think if it were me, I would just let her cry, and she will learn to soothe herself back to sleep, and it will get her out of the habit. I don't know everything, and I hope that I don't sound like I do! But I feel confident that these methods in the book are a really great help, and that is definitely why Korbyn does so well. I hope it helps, and please call me if you are ever frustrated and need to talk, because I know how it is to be home alone with a screaming baby! Good Luck, Luv ya!
Both of my kids were on a schedule and Carter did great and Shayla was just pure hell! The doctor gave me Tylenol with codine to giver her at night until her body got use to it. The Codine made her hyper. Come to find out she had ear infections all the time after tubes(2 years old) she slept just fine. I use to drive around for hours at nighe because we lived with my mom and she would scream and there was NOTHING anybody could do. I think it has a lot to do with girls :) A schedule is the most important thing bath bed or a good lotion rub down if a bath wakes her up and bath her in the moning (or vise verse). Shayla doesn't remember screaming and she turned out just fine. If she doesn't need anything and is not hurt let her cry she will get use to MOM or DAD not coming when she cry's and should stop. Just make sure to turn off the monitor when she starts crying. I also had this great mobile that had a remote and I could turn it on from my room. It had flashing lights and sounds so when she did start to cry she got use to the mobile calming her down instead of me. This was the best thing I ever bought maybe try something like this if you can not handle the crying. Good Luck been there done that!!
So my friend gave me this book to read and it is specifically about sleeping. It is called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.) I suggest you get on Amazon and purchase this book immediately, it is wonderful. You know Hunter has been a horrible sleeper as well, well he has slept in his bed all night for the past week which is pretty much a miracle!!!! I love this book, but when it all comes down to it you are doing the right thing by just putting her to bed and letting her cry until she falls asleep, it is hard but you just put in your earphones or earplugs and you'll get through it. They have to learn how to fall asleep on their own. The book has a few different methods you can try but I have used the cry it out because it is supposed to be the quickest most effective method and I can already say that it is working beautifully. With the nap thing the book says you obviously can't make a baby sleep longer but you just need to have a schedule. It says to put them down in the morning not to long after they wake up (probably like an hour or two) because this is the best sleep they will get because it works as kind of a continuation of the night sleep. The afternoon nap is more of just a quiet time nap which is still good but not the same as the morning. I put Hunter down at 9:30 a.m. and then at 1:00 and if he acts tired again sometimes again at like 3:30 (the third nap depends on the day) and sometimes he slepps for awhile and sometimes its a short cat nap. It's great though because I don't rock him or anything, I just lay him in his crib, give him his stuffed animal that he likes to cuddle and a blanket, kiss him, tell him goodnight and leave, and he doesn't even cry anymore he just goes to sleep. It may take longer with Brooklyn because every child is different but the key is not to cave because then you will be back at square one and all that screaming was in vain. It is hard to think of it this way but you are doing yourself and especially Brooklyn a favor, not only do you both need your sleep but sleep is important in brain development and can prevent things such as ADD. Stick with it girl!!!
First of all you're amazing for sticking with it, even though she's screaming. I know it can be so hard!!! Here's my two cents:
Schedule, schedule, schedule!!! Bed time should look the same to Brooklyn every night. Figure out what works best for you and then stick to it. Maddie nurses, has her bath, is rocked, while I read her a night night book, then she goes in her crib. (She's usually asleep by this point). If she's not quite aleep yet I stay with her a few minutes longer and tickle her face. Then I leave. The only reason I pick her up again is if she's in pain (gas) or hungry. After a week or so Brooklyn will understand that bedtime means bedtime. The only suggestion that I would add to your other friends comments is to stay with her a few more minutes after you put her down. Pat her back, give her her binky, tell her you love her. But once you leave, that's it. As for waking up in the middle of the night. It's probably just out of habit. Again, I wouldn't pick her up, Give her her paci, pat her back and then you go back to bed and get some rest! :) She doesn't need to be completely asleep before you leave. Like your friends said, turn the sound off on the moniter. you can still see her.
Also enlist Brians help as much as possible. The boys are gone all day and bed time is a great time for them to interact with their babies! They're also much better at leaving them when they're crying. We could probably learn a lot from our husbands on how to parent! :)
Good luck!!! Stick with it!!! You're doing a great job. One thing that I've learned in my few short months of parenting is to trust yourself. You're the Mom. In the long run you know what's best for you and your baby, regardless of what all the experts say. I'm here for you if you need anthing.
I haven't read Baby Wise, but I have read (and LOVE) The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. It is fantastic. I hear it's similar to Baby Wise, but a little more nurturing??? Just what I've heard. It also helps you get your babe on a routine and is really simple and easy to follow--I mean, it's easy to skim the book and get the main idea, too.
Also, she wrote another one called The Baby Whisperer Solves all your problems, or something like that. It tells you what else you can do if, for whatever reason, the first plan didn't work. Highly recommend it. Good luck!
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