Anyone else's LO have trouble going to sleep/staying asleep? « Back to Group Discussions

[livelovelaugh]

My little guy is proving to be like my others...very hard to put down, has to be swaddled and nursed to sleep, and has a lot of trouble staying asleep.  Right now it is feeling like I am spending the entire day doing the routine over and over and over...going a little stir crazy...

[FaithHopeLove29]

I totally understand! Mine sleeps alright at night, usually - from the first time he goes down after 7pm (sometimes it's 8, sometimes it's 10 or 11), until at least 4am, he'll wake up when hungry, and usually go right back to sleep swaddled or not. He's stopped sleeping longer than 2 hours, but he sleeps so it's ok.

However - He has not taken a daytime nap since Wednesday. Last week, the only day he slept not in a carrier or in arms during the day was Wednesday for about 90 minutes. I spend hours every day rocking/bouncing/soothing to sleep, nursing to sleep, swaddling, trying so many things and he just.does.not.sleep. On days that he wakes up for the day at 4am, I try to nurse him to sleep in bed around 8am and nap with him for an hour or two, and on really long days I nap with him in the afternoon too. Either he'll nurse while I nap or he'll actually take a nap with me after nursing.

Pretty much, my days are nursing, playing during wide awake times, and soothing to sleep. He'll nap in my arms, so I'm reading a ton on my nook, it's the only thing keeping me sane. Days I put him in a carrier are more productive, but still pretty frustrating (and much more exhausting).

[TenzinsMama]

My DD is having trouble staying asleep during the day as well... I don't have a clue as to why this is happening, but I'm going a little nuts some days!  I'm curious to know what is behind all of it at this age/stage... I don't know how I'm going to get through this, because I have a high needs 2 year old and sometimes, there are days when honestly all it seems I'm doing is putting out fires, and not getting anything done for myself.  It's so draining.  Especially when both kids are crying at the same time.  I want to cry too.

[FaithHopeLove29]

Just wanted to ask if others are finding their LO's sleep habits to be hard to anticipate... Today, I put C down for a moment (awake) to start a load of laundry, fully expecting him to scream. Instead, he put himself to sleep and slept for 20 minutes. I mean, short nap, but 20 minutes is 20 minutes. I spend most days wondering - do I put him down, do I not put him down, do I try to have him put himself to sleep, do I rock him to sleep or nurse him to sleep and just hold him, and on and on... so hard to know what the right thing to do is, when it changes daily!

[livelovelaugh]

Impossible to anticipate.  All over the map right now.  It is so frustrating.  Cannot get this little guy to go to sleep and stay asleep.  At a loss.  All of my kiddos have been like this, and I feel like all of my friends have babies who fall asleep on their own, are "easy babies," etc.  Never had one of those...feel badly for LO and DH and I are going NUTS!

[Momo123]

Yes, me too! This baby does not sleep during the day, I spend the time between nursing trying to get him to sleep using various methods but it rarely works. He starts to nod off at the end of nursing but as soon as it's over, he's wide awake again. He takes about two short catnaps per day, about 30 minutes. My other DS was not a great napper either, and did not take long naps (like 2 hours) until he was almost 1.

[eirual]

May I suggest just not putting him down?

It's natural for him to want to be close to mom. It's easiest to accept that and work with it instead of trying again and again to do something that feels so foreign to him.

I find my little guy naps peacefully if he's in a wrap or mei tai and I just go about my day instead of trying to put him down and sneaking away and being disappointed when he stirs a minute and a half later.

[livelovelaugh]

eirual - I know, you are so very right...and most of the time that is what I do...more than anything I try to "put" him down because my other three need the snuggles and full attention, too.  Tonight, he sleeps...and I am sure he and I will be snuggling in bed before too long!   
 

[phathui5]

Swaddling definitely helps our youngest too. Have you read The Happiest Baby on the Block?

[Nicole730]

Is a swing a possibility?  My first would nap in a swing, but not really anywhere else, but on me.  (Somehow I lucked out with my next two being able to nap on their own and I am constantly amazed and impressed by it!)

[livelovelaugh]

Yup, read the books, swaddle religiously, etc.  He is napping in the swing quite a bit these days, because the motion helps him...he loves moving, just like when he is on me, he is out.  Sleeping well with us in bed lately, doing a better chunk in his seat in his crib before I bring him in...so hopefully it was more of a growth spurt type thing during that intense spell there.  My 2 year old is quite the noisy little one, too, so that doesn't help him!