Crazy crazy nights- is this normal?

[Buzzer Beater]

I'm posting this here because my dh is getting close to done with anything resembling family bed or nighttime parenting. DD is 4 months old and a maniac at night. Waving arms, whipping head, honking, writhing, snorting. We have tried her in the bed with us on her side, back, swaddled, not swaddled. Also tried the cosleeper all the same ways, also head elevated as she has reflux (which seems under control- before Zantac she was huffing and coughing all night as well). My main concern is comfort and sleep for my babe. The big thing is she has club feet and boots and a brace on 23 hours a day. She bangs her brace in the cosleeper but not in the bed. In both places her arms go crazy if she is not swaddled, and when we swaddle her head whips back and forth.

Do a lot of babies do this, or do you think she's uncomfortable? Brace? Reflux? I don't want dh to leave the bed but he needs his sleep and I will sleep with dd. He said "crib" and "in her own room " the other day and my heart sank. Any ideas?

[jsh7809]

Sorry to hear about all the wiggling and wildness! We narrowly escaped having a harness/ brace for my DD too (for hip dysplasia) so I'm sorry that's an added frustrating component for you guys.
I don't have much help, other than to say my daughter has been wiggling and sleeping badly since about 3.5 months (she's now 5.5 months ) and it's still pretty rough. But, before that, when she was only 1 month old, she was so wriggly and wiggly at night that I finally tried putting her in her own room and in her own crib, and she thrived in there for a few months! We both slept better, although it was so sad for me to let her go there so early. Things have since changed, and I'm back to holding a wiggly baby all night but those few months were amazing. I still fed her 2 or so times per night, but she seemed to be one of those babies who just needed to be alone to sleep... otherwise we wake each other up all night.
So, I feel your pain, but is it possible that your baby wants to sleep alone?

[sahmmie]

Sounds like she's in pain. I had two reflux babies and I can tell you that Zantac did not help. It is a very weight sensitive drug and babies quickly outgrow their dose, and eventually they plateau on it and can no longer get relief, even with dosage increases. My poor dd suffered terribly from reflux and never slept more than 20-60 minutes at a time because she was in pain. When I had my second reflux baby I did more research and found out that Zantac is rarely helpful. PPI medications are more effective. My son took Prevacid and he did much better. Here's a website that explains PPI meds for infant reflux.

www.marci-kids.com

And here's a website designed to help parents with reflux babies.

www.infantreflux.org

[kinley]

Crazy nights are normal. If it not crazy then you have to be worried. A baby wakes up a lot of times. So forget sleeping long hours. It needs to be fed every two hours. And when the baby gets sick all hell break loose. It is not easy being a parent. But at the end of a smile from the baby makes it all worthwhile. Not all nights are crazy, try to cherish those nights.

[raelize]

it sounds to me like she is uncomfortable or in pain. is she too hot? when my babies are too hot they thrash and cry and wiggle and its horrible. with winter time here we often think we need to put them in a onsie, then a fleece sleeper, then under the covers tucked in with us.
if she is sleeping with you, she only needs a thin onsie on. she will be heated well tucked into your arms. i'd try that and the reflux stuff posted above before i go for the seperate sleeping.

[Friday13th]

DS2 is a month younger than your DD and is a crazy wiggly sleeper. DS1 wasn't nearly this crazy. There's a lot of arm wiggling and head tossing. He just figured out how to roll over and still isn't very good at it so I think this might be an extension of that, like trying to get himself comfortable but not being physically able to get himself into the position he wants. I find a lot of the time if I pick him up and move him so he's laying on his other side he settles down and goes into a deep sleep. That or moving him so his head is on my shoulder and his body is tucked up against mine.