i think i'm losing it

[blairinargentina]

i am absolutely at my wits end here with isa and her lack of sleep during the day. i can't do this anymore. she just won't sleep.

for every half hr that she might sleep, she spends an hour screaming. we've tried everything... the bouncy chair, the swing, rocking, nursing, wearing, laying down. nothing is working. it's been in the negative digits here for weeks so strolling and walking are pretty much out.

i feel like i am losing my mind. its like this every single day.

is there a point where babies just start learning to take naps? are we just doomed until she gets too old for naps?

throw me a friggin' bone here!

[ColoradoMama]

Ah, I'm sorry hon. Is she teething by any chance? When ds1 was teething he was absolutely miserable. There was no consoling him. We rocking him, walked him, sang to him, bathed him, nursed him - nothing worked. He did eventually cut a tooth and was better though.

[veganf]

I'm gonna guess teething too. Or a virus or some discomfort making her upset...tummy trouble?, earache? But most likely the teeth. I have no idea why some babies are so bothered by teething though.

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by veganf

I'm gonna guess teething too. Or a virus or some discomfort making her upset...tummy trouble?, earache? But most likely the teeth. I have no idea why some babies are so bothered by teething though.

It's strange the huge variation in reaction. My first got a little cranky and had a runny nose - then popped out four teeth in a week. My second was horribly miserable for two week and then a tooth would pop out - then we'd start the cycle again!

[blairinargentina]

yeah, she has been teething off and on for weeks but nothing has come through. i think it's a general sleep issue though (with teething to top it off!) and i just dont know how to go about fixing it.

i just ordered the "no cry sleep solution" so maybe that will help. she just cant seem to let her sleep fall asleep.

[2 in August]

I was going to guess tummy aches. Have you tried Gripe water or symethicone drops? When Ian is having one of his screaming fits it is usually his tummy or his mouth. The Hylands teething tabs work sometimes too. It is so hard when they cry and cry and you try everything and nothing works. Ian's been up at 3am screaming for the past week or so and it is so frustrating. I'm sorry that it's all day, every day for you.

[taradt]

I agree with what everyone suggested. Colic tablets could help if it was gas or teeth.

Have you tried white noise? Or some background nature cd?

It is hard when they are tired but won't fall asleep, I hope she figures it out soon

tara

[ColoradoMama]

There's also the possibility that she is reacting to something you're eating. What does your gut tell you? Isn't that book by Elizabeth Pantley? I heard her speak at our last LLL conference. I liked what she had to say.

[JenMidwife]

oh mama-

has it always been like this for isa?

Originally Posted by ColoradoMama

Isn't that book by Elizabeth Pantley?

yes, it's wonderful!

[eleven]

I'm so sorry to hear that the two of you are having a rough time.

Zoe has been kind of funky about naps lately, too. Wearing her on my back in a mei tai while bouncing/swaying/making coffee/whatever always seems to do the trick. Some days it seems like the only way to get her asleep, Now if I could just figure out how to keep her asleep for longer than 20 minutes after I put her down.....

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by peace

Zoe has been kind of funky about naps lately, too. Wearing her on my back in a mei tai while bouncing/swaying/making coffee/whatever always seems to do the trick. Some days it seems like the only way to get her asleep, Now if I could just figure out how to keep her asleep for longer than 20 minutes after I put her down.....

she stays asleep while you take her out of the mt? how do you do that?! :

[radiogirlgr]

I've had some luck with Baby Oragel. Just a little bit helps. Maybe try a dose of Tylenol or Motrin? That can make her a little more comfortable too.
I hope things get better for you!

[blairinargentina]

[QUOTE=JenMidwife;7081241]oh mama-

has it always been like this for isa?
QUOTE]

no, not really. its super hit or miss really. some weeks she is an easy napper and is content to just fall asleep on her own. this week she screams for an hour just to get a hafl hour of sleep. i think the cumulative (sp?) affect of so much sleep fighting just makes the day get harder and harder for her. by late afternoon she is exhausted and angry.

we have tried teething tabs (which do calm her sometimes) and gripe water, but i dont think its a medical issue. maybe it's developmental? she has gotten good at yanking out her pacifier (and then trying to put it back in her mouth!) and will sometimes hit herself in the face, which wakes her up again. today i am trying to swaddle her at naps to see if it helps.

it just breaks my heart to see her so upset for so much of the day. :

[peilover010202]

mama, I'm sorr. It's so tough. ds1 was a horrible sleeper for a long time. i read so many books (including the one you just ordered.) I got crazy about it and even starting writing down every waking. Here are my thoughts...

Are you trying to get her to sleep BEFORE she gets really tired? The book I read says there are cues to look for and usually once they get to the point of eye rubbing, they are beyond tired and it will continue to get harder to get them to sleep because they get a 2nd wind (adrenaline rush) and can't get to sleep until that has stabilized.

I going by memory because I don't have that book anymore, but ideally it suggests the following:

When babes wakes in the am, expose to bright light (sunshine or turn lights on in house). Change babe, play with babe, feed yourself, (after approx 1 hour) take babe into a dimly light or dark room and feed babe. You will probably find she'll drift off. If she starts to wake when you lay her down, feed her again. (keep doing this until she's been asleep for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours (long term goal). Of course, this may take a few days to a few weeks to accomplish. but, keep going to her right away to feed (or better yet stay in bed with her if you can that way you catch her when she stirs.) Over time, the authors claim that babies get better about sleeping longer if you do this. It worked for us, but it took work and time. Repeat this again for afternoon naps (starting 2 hours after waking from am nap). Then, adjust bedtime to when she's tired (authors say to look for cues, but aren't clue what those cues are.) For us, ds1 would start to slow down and kind of gaze out into nowhere land. That's when we'd do bath, nurse, bed. For us, it was around 7-7:30. But, with ds2 it's more like 8-8:30.