make the dancing hippo's stop.

[wishin'&hopin']

I am unbelievable tired...our sleep history.

• 1-8 weeks, arms reach mini, got out of bed to nurse in living room recliner. back to bed and co-sleeper (we also swaddled)
• 8 weeks-3 months, baby got a cold and outgrew mini, moved baby into bed out of need for sleep (along with the new ability to nurse side lying allowing for more sleep). No swaddle.
• 3months-4months, swaddle and in crib in room. For naps baby is sleeping great swaddled in crib (after nursing to sleep) At night, baby sleeps in crib for first sleep session. At first this is 4-6 hours long. Now he wakes up when we try to sneak into bed and ends up in our bed all night (after about 1 1/2 hours of baby sleeping in crib)
• 4 months, we sidecar the crib in hopes that our movement in night will stop rousing baby. Baby still wakes up when we enter...over the course of this week frequency of night nursings increases. Begins to nurse every HOUR all night long.

I am exhausted...and now the baby has another cold and is teething and may be in the midst of the 4 month sleep regression (the 45 minute nap monster has struck). I don't necessarily need advice (altho' if someone has a magic wand we'll take it--or perhaps another suggestion). Tonight we will un-sidecar (b/c moving him in and out of the side carred crib is killing my back) and go back to first sleep in crib in room and then moving him over to the bed (which was the last thing that got me more than 2 hours in a row). But, I am wondering, if we moved him into his own room, if the frequent wakings would calm down? I don't want him out of our room until 6 months, but I do want sleep

[curious&eager]

At that point, I told my husband to take over every other wake up and put the baby back to sleep. It actually worked and DS did great. He cried very little and went back to sleep in dad's arms. We went down to just 2-3 wake ups pretty quick that way.

[curious&eager]

Oh, as for the crib, we moved him into his crib at 7, 8? months and then he started to sleep really well in our bed . We would try the crib until we got too tired and then he'd sleep sound the rest of the night in our bed. It took some time to make the transition, but now he's 14 months and does pretty well in his crib. He just moved too much to stay in our bed. I can't handle anyone touching me in my sleep, much less laying on top of me, and he'd kick my husband way too much, plus the crawling and walking in the bed got a little crazy.

[Xerxella]

I love your title...

There's no magic pill, but we moved the kids out of our beds at 6 months and 4 months. They were just too wiggly. They did sleep better overall in their own rooms IME.

But, the next few months I was still up alot. 1-4 times a night. I guess it's just one of those things you kinda accept as a new parent. I had my husband take the weekends and that really helped alot. When we were ready (we tried at 9 months with both of them, it worked for DS, but it didn't work for DD til 13 months) we night weaned. We sent DH in there to sooth back to sleep. Once night weaning was successful they stopped waking up.

Good luck

[sapphire_chan]

What's a 45 minute nap monster?

And the person who should handle any getting up at night is the one who can go back to sleep most readily. For instance, I can stir long enough to flip me and dd to the other side and be back fully asleep in seconds, while a friend of mine would be awake for hours after that and needs her dh to listen for the baby and bring him into bed (and adjust things for nursing).

[lilysmama1124]

Since it wakes you little one when you enter the room I would say move them into their own room...at least until they get to a point where they want to be in bed with you. I think it may get to a point for some where it has to be their own room or 100% co-sleeping to the point that you have to go to bed with them. Mine are in bed with me and have never had cribs because they wouldn't stay in a pack n play even. Luckily they are pretty heavy sleepers once they are down and don't really wake up from mov't noise. I wouldn't worry too much about the exact dates (ie 6 mos) and just do what is best for you and your LO

[tangledblue]

Sleep got so much better for everyone once we were in different rooms (when DD was 5 mo). We can easily hear her if she's upset, but we don't wake her up, or assume that every whuffle is a cry of distress. (Having her so close meant that I jumped the gun and sometimes got her up when I didn't need to).