Can't get baby to sleep!

kerriam26

i feel like my situation might be unique but I'm looking for any advice I can get!! DS suffered 3 months of colic and reflux and the only way to soothe/settle him was to cradle him in our arms and give him a pacifier. This gradually turned into how he fell asleep. Most naps were in our arms with the paci and nighttime was arms to crib. He'd been sleeping great this way - 7-8 hour stretches at night and 1-2 hour naps. Well that all changed this week when he suddenly started rejecting the pacifier! He won't even let it get near him without crying! He's never fallen asleep any other way (he can't just doze off in a swing or bouncer and screams when put down drowsy but awake) so I'm totally at a loss of what to do! I can't get him to sleep! He'll now only nap 20 mins on my shoulder after crying and wearing himself out or if I nurse him to sleep but then he wakes up with undigested milk/spit up which isn't good for his reflux condition I really don't know what to do! Any advice would be so appreciated!

hcar86

I held back from cosleeping for a long time, but finally gave in. I use dr. Sears safe cosleeping guidelines and started out with a nap with my husband keeping an eye on us. He slept so much better that we transitioned to that all the time. I realized that i was aware of where he was while I was sleeping and felt comfortable doing that. Something to think about if you're open to it! (Or even a cosleeper you don't feel totally comfortable). Good luck - I feel for you!

hcar86

Oh and I can often just get him to go to sleep by having him close to my breast without nursing. I also have had good luck with the shushing and white noise and rhythmic pats to the bottom.

justkeeptrying

You might not want to hear this, but we are sleep training right now and it's going very well. We are doing Ferber interval checks. The book I read is "solve your child's sleep problems". It's been lifesaving for me right now as I went 2 weeks straight averaging 3 hours of sleep and couldn't take it anymore.

fwhittaker

I also just did sleep training - Ferber method - and she consistently sleeps from 7:30 until we get her at 7:15. She has reflux so we have to give her meds 30 min before she eats in the mornings. She will wake up still for probably 5-10 min each night and some nights are worse, but we have our life back and she's better for it. It is really hard to go through and is not for everyone.

cgf21

Does ferber help with naps too

justkeeptrying

cgf21 said:

Does ferber help with naps too

Yes. Naps are harder for babies to get used to. But after doing Ferber method my DS is now going down for naps on his own. They still vary in length but can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours!!!!!!

fwhittaker

I echo this

newmommy2bXo

Swaddling helps and dimming the lights and constantly saying shhh

nolababybaby

Do you have one of those big exercise balls? Bouncing on it is the only way we get our babe down for naps. Sometimes we even bounce up and down while swaying her side to side. All the motion knocks her out good.

bonj212

We are doing a modified Ferber method too. I could have wrote exactly what you did, except for the problem with naps and the pacifier. He was a beautiful sleeper until he was 4months and 1 day old. He has never slept worse.

orangecurls

Baby wearing and bouncing on an exercise ball. Doing this right now.