getting her to stay asleep

[akmbloom]

my 5.5 month DD is having a really hard time staying asleep... She used to go down and stay asleep for a couple hours before waking up again, but now she wakes up every 15 minutes or so when I put her down in the cosleeper. I'll either rock and nurse her, or lay down with her and nurse her, until she falls asleep. If I go to bed, or if she stays out in the living room while we watch a movie, she sleeps pretty well. But if she's alone she will not stay asleep! Last night I didn't get to eat dinner until like 9:30 because she kept waking up while I was making it and then eating it.... and I would like just a little time to read or work on something while she sleeps. I don't know what to do differently. Maybe she needs to be able to go to sleep without nursing? My DH said, maybe we should just leave her for 15 minutes and see if she falls asleep or cries, but I really don't want her to CIO. I'm also a little concerned that maybe my milk production is diminishing and that she's waking because she's hungry?? Advice please! I'm tired and frustrated!

[jerawo]

I swaddle my DS for naps and bedtime, otherwise he does the waking upevery 15 minutes thing. He cannot sleep for long periods of time if his arms and legs are loose. We outgrew all swaddling blankets a while ago, so I bought a 60" piece of cotton knit at a fabric store and made my own. The other possibility is that your daughter is teething, and having trouble staying asleep because of that. Have you tried any homeopathic teething tablets? These seem to have helped DS with his teething pain.

[mom2owen1]

it sounds like a really normal phase that she is going through. i would venture to guess that there are many things going on. first, a growth spurt. she is eating more often to boost your supply, but that does not mean your supply is dwindling. how often does she eat during the day? you could try to offer more, especially in the evening.

teething, as pp said. we use the teeting tablets from hylands and are amazed at how well they work!

and finally, seperation anxiety. this one comes and goes at such strange times you really can't dismiss it. i don't think it really works to push the issue either, so hang in there and wait it out. can you use a sling so she can sleep with you more often? for us, ds would get through these phases rather quickly, imo, when i used the sling more. since she will sleep in the living room with you, maybe just make that part of your normal routine for now.

she will get back to the stage where she can go from sleep cycle to sleep cycle without waking. be patient with her, i know it is tiring! my personal opinion is cio would not be the way to go. it worries me that she would learn that you aren't coming versus learning to sleep. i know i cannot be forced to sleep, so i don't think a baby can either.

hth!

kris
owen, 11 months

[alegna]

Sounds normal. Think about it, in the wild, if you will, babies are not safe if left alone so naturally they want to be next to or on mama.

:hug

it gets better.

-Angela