So many night wakings before I even get to bed.

anabell0920

So DH just got home from a 4 month deployment almost 2 weeks ago so needless to say our schedules have been way off wack and we moved and flew home. Anyway DS wakes up SO many times before I even get to bed ( we bedshare) but it's not just the change he has been like this for months I just notice how bad it is now that H is home and after DS goes to bed is really the only " us" time we get. Right now it's 9pm and DS went to sleep at 7 like normal and just woke for the 3rd time. It's like this every night he's usually waking at least once but usually 2-4 times. On the rare occasion I have fallen asleep while nursing him to sleep he won't wake at all. When he wakes I try rocking him and if that doesn't work I nurse him back to sleep. He has no problems going back to sleep but seems to want me there the whole time and I really need my time after he goes to bed. Oh this is on top of the multiple wakings after I go to bed. So any ideas, tips anything? I need some help please.

amnda1130

I wish I had some advice.  We are going through a very similar pattern of late with DD waking 2-3 times each night before I can even get to bed.  Needless to say it is taking its toll.  The only suggestion I have that was recommended to me was to try and dress him more warmly for bed.  I have to say it did not work very well for us as being in Singapore its already very warm so I can't really layer her up.  She does sleep slightly better when I make sure the room is between 78-80 degrees.  Even though it didn't help us I thought I would pass it along in case it helps you.

WildcatPrincess

We're going through the same thing too   And after the 2nd or 3rd waking she doesn't go back to sleep and is up for an hour or 3.  Usually more like 3.

anabell0920

WildcatPrincess:

We're going through the same thing too   And after the 2nd or 3rd waking she doesn't go back to sleep and is up for an hour or 3.  Usually more like 3.

: l I'm sorry! See I am lucky that he always wants and does go right back to bed but it's just SO taxing! PP I will try to keep the room warmer thanks it has been chilly in there.

beau2ful

same here and she still wakes up after I go to bed. Just keep saying it will get better

Kestrel84

Same here. SO frustrating. On a good night DS could go 1.5 hrs but usually he was up evey 40 mins until I went to bed.  On NYE we stayed with my cousin's family and we put DS to sleep in a pack n play in the basement where their guest room was.  Because my cousi also had 2 small kidddos we played board games quietly the rest of the evening and DS didn't wake until FIVE hours later. At home I'm usually clanging dishes, listening to music, talking to DH etc.  Last night was another good night, he went 2 hours and DH and I just watched TV quietly.  So long story short I think he has become sensitive to noise and I'm going to test that theory again tonight.  I've tried everything else!

StrawberryAlarmClock

anabell0920:

On the rare occasion I have fallen asleep while nursing him to sleep he won't wake at all.

He wants Mommy cuddles. Dez is the same way. We see him make the worst I'm-gonna-lose-it-and-cry-to-beat-the-band face on the monitor and I go upstairs. The very second that I lay beside him, he rolls over, grabs my hair, props a foot on my belly, burrows his face under mine and he's out like a light...leaving me to figure out how to worm my way out from under him and go back down for DH time. 

Like you, this happens 2-4 times before I give up and stay in bed. And, like you....I deal with eleventy-billion night wakings as well.

So.....what's the point of my post then? Hmmm...I guess just to tell you you're not alone and to stalk the advice you get from other Mommas.

anabell0920

Well glad I'm not alone. Last night was terrible I ended up holding him while we watched the rest of our movie then he was up more times than I can even count last night! Ughhhh

BelhurstBride

I am not full of good advice, but wanted you to know you're not alone. Stella does the same thing. She also often gets to a point where she won't go back to sleep unless I bring her to bed with me.

What's helped us is sending DH in to get her back to sleep. She's more likely to go down faster and easier for him and seems to get to a point where she gives up and will sleep until 1 or 2 am before waking again. I think she keeps waking up thinking if she's up she gets to come to bed with me, but when she keeps seeing DH she thinks man, screw it. 

Good luck, I hope you find something that works!

americanada

is it bad that all i really want to say is: 'whew! glad we're not the only ones!'?

LizB214

americanada:

is it bad that all i really want to say is: 'whew! glad we're not the only ones!'?

This!

yourmomwreckedmybike

Charlie still wakes at night, but here are some things we have done to cut down the amount of times he wakes.

- make sure he is getting enough food during the day. I found this one tough because he is BF, so I can't tell how much milk he is getting. I would try to get in a few more minutes on one side, or offer the other side when he was done. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. 

- making sure he gets enough sleep during the day (he still takes 3 naps during the day) 

 - getting him out of the habit of 45 minute naps. I tried the wake to sleep method, but that doesn't work anymore. So now, when it's coming up to 40 minutes, I will in the room, or close to the room so that I can calm him when he wakes up, and help him go back to sleep (without nursing him). Some days he does better if I don't "help" him go to back to sleep. When he naps for 1+ hours, his night sleep improves tremendously! When his naps are only 45 minutes long, he wakes up pretty much every 45 minutes at night. (it sounds like this might be what your LO's situation is) 

- If Charlie wakes up at night (he is usually in our bed), I just let him fuss (there is a very distinct difference in your LO's cry's) if he isn't crying in pain, hunger, etc, its more of a frustrated cry when he wakes up. 90% of the time he goes back to sleep.

Babies are creatures of habit. If you nurse them to sleep, they come to rely on that to fall asleep. Some people are okay with that, some babies will sleep on night after nursing. If you always resort to nursing him to sleep, you are teaching him that that's how he should fall asleep.

I personally was way too exhausted to be up every 1 - 2 hours at night continually. It's a slow process, but it's getting better.

 

Pinkgirly

DD still does this too.  DH and I can never finish a movie together.  She also wakes up when I am in bed with her, but she sleeps for longer periods of time.  I'm not sure what to do, I'm just hoping she can sleep longer soon. Does anyone have problems with naps? I have to hold or wear dd so she will take a good nap.  If she sleeps on her own she will only sleep 40 mins, then fall back asleep when I am holding her. 

WildcatPrincess

Pinkgirly:

DD still does this too.  DH and I can never finish a movie together.  She also wakes up when I am in bed with her, but she sleeps for longer periods of time.  I'm not sure what to do, I'm just hoping she can sleep longer soon. Does anyone have problems with naps? I have to hold or wear dd so she will take a good nap.  If she sleeps on her own she will only sleep 40 mins, then fall back asleep when I am holding her. 

Ugh, this is what we're working on this week because I just can't sit on the couch for 2 hours in the afternoon anymore, it's driving me bonkers.  Yesterday I rocked, nursed, and did pick up/put down for an HOUR to get a one hour nap.  Today she went down easy for 25 mins, rocked back to sleep, and slept another hour and 40 mins!  I'm hoping it's not a fluke.  But she's used to sleeping independently at night (she's in the PnP in our room) so that may be a factor.

finsternis

this was dd word for word four months ago. honestly, the absolute only thing that worked was getting her into her crib and her figuring out that she would be okay if i left the room at night [daytime is another story! ]. i don't know how ready you guys are for that transition, but it was the only solution for us. we tried eeeeeverything. good luck

BlondeBeachBride08

Nice to know I'm not alone!

DD only sleeps 45 minutes at a  time during the day and wakes up so happy, extending naps with rocking has never worked for me because she's ready to rock!

Last night we started trying to transition to the crib. She went down at 7:45 and woke every 45min until 11:45 when I gave up and brought her in bed with us. She then woke at 2, 5, & 8:30.

We're going to keep it up with the crib & see if we can get her in there for at least half the night. Ideally the whole night.

She didn't used to nurse to sleep during the day, she'd nurse when she woke up from naps but now she wants to nurse before naps too. I don't want her to think she can only nurse to sleep.

I used to wonder why it was so easy for her to fall asleep at naptime but difficult for her to fall asleep at night until I  realized that I'm the EXACT same way!