he won't sleep!!!!

[JordanKX]

I realize we've been over and over the sleep thing... but this is unbelievable. The past 3 days have been completely off, and the last 24hrs lil man's maybe slept 9hrs (including cat-naps). Normally he goes down 7-8pm... the past 3 nights, not so much. More like 11pm. Same pattern, waking up around 5 to nurse, up at 7:30-8, bright eyed and ready to play.

Last night he took a few 10 minute naps, finally went to SLEEP a little after midnight. Up at 6am to eat, Really awake by 7. And all day, I've tried everything. Swaddle-bottle, OUT... 10 minutes later, Awake. Mobi-Walk-OUT... 10 minutes later, awake. In the car, no nap. In the mobi shopping, 10 minutes barely sleeping. I just kept walking around, hoping he'd at least get a longer nap, but No. Tonight the eyes were really getting heavy, I'd been wearing him for over an hour just doing chores, gave him a nice long warm bath (he loves baths and really exercises a lot... hoped that'd tire him out a bit). Afterwards he pitched a little fit and I thought, Yay!! He's sleepy!! Swaddle-immediately out. 40 minutes later, awake. Another hour wearing him. Then I swaddled him and have been rocking and singing to him. He's just awake and looking at me. It's now 11pm and I had to hand him over to DP for a break.

Thing is... he's not grumpy. He's just awake. Wearing him, he's just staring at me smiling, babbling, jumping around with his lil legs. He's not screaming tired or frustrating or anything. He's just not sleeping. I mean...I'm Tired!! Why isn't he??? What am i possibly doing wrong? This is day 3 of crazy no-sleep, and he's never gone 24hrs with this little of a nap.

am I missing something?!?!

[JordanKX]

I just have to update and say he finally went to sleep, again, after Midnight. Up at 6:30, awake at 7:30. His morning clock is amazing. So... now we're awake and playing and he's had, again, 7hrs of sleep. And no matter how much my mother says, "well, if he's happy, then he must not need anything"... just doesn't seem OK with me. I feel like I'm doing something wrong?!?

[cristeen]

I dunno that you're necessarily doing anything wrong. He may just be in a stage where everything is just SO *fascinating* that he can't stand to close his eyes. When my little guy is obviously tired but refusing to sleep, I lay down in a dim room, lay him on his side facing me so all he can see is me, and try to feed him to sleep. If that's obviously not working, I can stroke his forehead gently, from the hairline to the eyebrow repeatedly (while he's eating), which encourages his eyes to close. And if even that doesn't work, I'll cover his eyes with a burp cloth (again, while he's eating).

If he's actually tired, these are my no-fail resources. They won't work if he's not tired, though.

[StrongFeather]

I think you should just go with it. I like cristeen's suggestions as well. I do my own versions of the face stroking when i am trying to get Sam to sleep, it seems to work. Also I hold his hand and that has put him to sleep the past 3 nights, works well when he's thinking of waking too, it seems to settle him back down, shows him I am there.

I *totally* get your worry. I was completly worried about the sleep thing last week, and not that I fixed it, by any means, but have decided to just go with Sam's lead right now. I was making myslef (not to mention DH) nuts to be so worried about it. NOt that this helps you, but it does sound like you are doing all you can to help encourage sleep in you LO.