Sleep Questions

The both DS's started sleeping through the night around 5 months. Bottle, a little rocking, a song or two and in the crib awake. They'd suck their little thumbs and soothe themselves off to sleep. Occasionally one would cry, but it would end within five minutes or so.

Fast forward two months and my DH and I are pulling our hair out of our heads!! We try to put them down at seven when they start yawning a bit and the old routine has obviously worn thin. They will cry and cry and cry. Gut wrenching cries. It can go on for over an hour. Even if we go in there and pat them, or pick them up or try to rock them a little, the crying continues until we walk around the house with them. Usually, we can get them *asleep* by 8:45.

Once they are asleep, they sleep till 6-630, but getting them to bed is getting harder and harder. Naps are like clockwork and easy peasy, but night time sleep is another demon all together.

I'm feeling like a crappy mom. I've read HSHHC, but am feeling like I need some more advice. Bring it on.

 

What is their schedule, are they still on three naps a day? And what time do they wake up from their last nap? One of my DD's started sleeping through the night at 5 months and around 8 months she went through this period of staying awake longer and longer until I dropped her third nap. Then it was back to STTN. The next phase was then she started sitting up around eight months and again when she started crawling at 10 months. Each phase tends to bring on a new challenge and I have to start the whole CIO process again.

 

I agree how long are they sleeping during the day? It may be time to drop a nap, sounds like they just aren't ready for bed yet at 7pm. Try wakinn them earlier from their last nap by a half hour and see if it helps. If not, try an hour, or eliminating it completely to see if they are ready for bed easier.

 

At 7 mnths mine were taking 3 naps a day and going to bed around 7:30. It sounds like they aren't ready for bed to me as well. Maybe try moving your nighttime routine back by 20 mins might help your cause??

 

You are really just going to have to do trial and error and see what happens. Oddly enough, I found that by putting them to bed earlier worked wonders for us. It was like by the time they were showing signs of being tired they were already overtired. Try it both ways (putting them to bed earlier and later) but make sure to give each one a few days of trial.

 

They wake up between 6-630, then go down for nap around 8-830. Nap until 10-1030, back down to nap again at noon until 2-230 ish. They rarely nap after that, which is why it seems horrible for them to be up so late. I guess I will try moving it back a half hour and see what happens though.

B woke up in the middle of last night all stuffed up and coughing like he had the plague. Took him to the pedi and he said it was just a cold and it could take up to a week or two to get over it! Poor kiddo... definitely putting my dreams of an early and peaceful bedtime on hold until he's feeling better.

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

This is the point at which we did CIO. DD had been STTN since 3 months. DS was starting out in his crib and then transferring to the swing around 1 or 2 when he started to cry. Around 7 months, both started fighting going to sleep - to the point where it would be an hour or more trying to get them to sleep. Finally, one night, we just left. Turned off the monitor and let them CIO. DD was good to go after that. DS cried a little the next night and then slept through the night in his crib for the first time. It was perfect for us, and it worked because at that age, I knew they both had the ability to self-soothe. I would just let them CIO. Yes, it will be hard, but if you start CIO, you cannot go to them. Letting them cry for an hour and then going in is the worst thing you can do because, in your desire to help them, you are teaching them to cry longer. They know how to go to sleep - they are just hitting an age where they don't want to. They want to stay up and play with mommy and daddy. But sleep is what is best for them. When DS started STTN, you could see an immediate difference in his personality. He'd always been a pretty easy baby, but he was so much less fussy when he was sleeping well. It's like anything else. They are going to cry when you take things away that can hurt them, cry when you have to correct them for smacking their sibling, etc. Them crying does not mean you are doing anything mean or wrong.