Zantac seems to be working, but...

FrauElyse

So the Zantac seems to be working as DS is pretty happy being put down now, but....now he wants to be awake ALL day.  I'm guessing this is the 4-month wakeful period I've heard so much about?  He isn't mad (at least not until he gets exhausted and cranky at the end of the day - he's yawning like crazy but won't give in); he just wants to play ALL day long.  Every time I try to get him to nap, he doesn't want to be still.  He wants to wiggle all over and smile and coo.  It's adorable, but at the end of the day, he turns into a nightmare because he hasn't had a nap.  Once he goes down, he's great.  But it's taking forever now because he is fighting the sleep so hard.  Does anyone have any coping advice?  TIA!  (PS - He is still sleeping great at night...thank goodness.)

Also, I should add that I have tried white noise, rocking, humming, singing, pacing, bouncing, riding in the car/stroller, and putting him down drowsy but awake. 

TiffanyBerry

We still can't put DD down drowsy but awake.  She fights sleep like crazy.  For nine months (at bedtime, 11 at nap time), we swaddled her, bounced her on a ball, while shsshing, in a nearly-pitch-dark room, giving her a finger to suck on - for an hour.  She had to be fully asleep (as in - 20 minutes after you think they're asleep, having entered deep sleep) before she could be put (CAREFULLY!) down.  Now I just need to lay with her (we nurse first), but sometimes it still takes an hour (this nap she's doing right now took that long to get her to go to sleep for).

Some kids will not put themselves to sleep.  They'll fight it for all they're worth.  It's WORTH IT for you to do WHATEVER it takes, and be PATIENT!  (Seriously, sometimes it takes two hours.  Not so much any more, and that is not common, but I'll take it - she needs her sleep.  When it took an hour every time and she was napping four times a day, it really sucked - that's a lot of time spent just trying to get her to sleep!)

One book I found very helpful was "The 90 Minute Sleep Solution".  Not necessarily all the details, but learning that sleep cycles go in 90 minutes, but some kids need to be put down BEFORE the 90 minute (or multiple thereof) mark.  DD needs AT LEAST 15 minutes (more like 30 with me) to wind down even in the dark room.

Keep trying.  It will change over time but it is soooo worth the effort.  Sleep is so incredibly valuable in their ability to develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally. 

ToastieSimons

Have you tried to really engage him physically? DS has always been one of those kids that unless he has time to really get his energy out physically, no matter how tired he is, he can't fall asleep. Then he gets overtired and can't fall asleep.  And drowsy but awake NEVER worked for us until 11months. 

He's at the age for a good bedtime/naptime routine to start though.  Pick a series of events (bath, bottle, book, bed for example) and stick to it.  Eventually he'll start winding down during it because he knows bedtime is coming. 

Make sure you create a good environment for sleeping, dark, quiet, white noise if necessary. 

JoannaJes

OP, did I miss an update? The last post I read you were talking about how DS couldn't be out down and you we thinking about sleep training. How did you come to the diagnosis of reflux and get put on Zantac? Did you get a second opinion?

FrauElyse

JoannaJes - We didn't get a second opinion.  We just went back to the pedi and I suggested silent reflux.  She gave us a prescription for Zantac and it seems to be helping with being put down.  He just wants to be awake all the time now.

I do try to engage him physically during the day.  We get on the floor and play on his play mat and read books, etc.  I think the pp who mentioned the routine was right though.  We have a nighttime routine, but we don't really have a naptime one.   

JoannaJes

FrauElyse:

JoannaJes - We didn't get a second opinion.  We just went back to the pedi and I suggested silent reflux.  She gave us a prescription for Zantac and it seems to be helping with being put down.  He just wants to be awake all the time now.

I do try to engage him physically during the day.  We get on the floor and play on his play mat and read books, etc.  I think the pp who mentioned the routine was right though.  We have a nighttime routine, but we don't really have a naptime one.   

Glad to hear he is feeling better. Insomnia can be a rare side effect of Zantac. Is it harder for him to fall asleep right after he has had it?

Or, maybe he is just feeling so much better that he likes to stay awake and play. : )

FrauElyse

I think he must be feeling better.    He goes to sleep at night after taking his Zantac fine, so I don't think it's insomnia.  He's just too excited about the world (something I don't have a problem with at all!  I just want him to get his rest.).