Preemies

Sleep training?

Hi all,
Not really preemie specific q but I know preemies commonly have sleep issues so hoping some of you mamas who've been here can help.
LO is 6.5 months now, 5 adjusted.
He hates to sleep, that's the easiest way to put it. Always has. Only way to get him to sleep is to nurse or rock him, or put him in car seat snd stroller around.

He is up every two hours or so all night long. Sometimes every hour,..occasionally I'll get 3 hrs out of him. He wakes up crying and wants to be held, sometimes nurses for a couple min and back to sleep. I know he's not actually hungry.

When he was 4mos there was a 3 week period where he slept from 5-8 hrs straight...then all of a sudden just stopped.

I'm not really looking for sleep advice because I've tried everything and nothing has worked. The only thing we haven't done and I won't do is CIO.

What I want to know is... Will he just figure it out one day?? Like am I hindering his long term sleep habits by not forcing him into some type of sleep training? My husband says "let him nap in the car seat, you need your rest too, he'll figure it out one day" ...but will he???
I'm exhausted all the time, I don't know how to fix it but will continue to push on as long as I know I'm not "hurting" his future sleep by catering to his needs now by rocking, nursing to sleep etc.

Thoughts?

Re: Sleep training?

  • I agree he's too young to CIO. Some other things that helped us when Anna was struggling to fall asleep on her own (I.e. waking after every sleep cycle and needing a couple minutes of nursing to go back to sleep) are:

    -Consistent bedtime routine that did NOT involve nursing to sleep the first time ( we still nurse to sleep when she wakes to eat)
    -Magic sleep suit
    -White noise machine all night

    Once she learned to fall asleep on her own, she started waking and yelling only when she was actually hungry (once or twice a night).


      Our Angel Patricia born sleeping 3/30/12 at 31 weeks
    Our Fighter Anna born early 1/8/13 at 26 weeks
    Hoping to bring home #3 due 9/9/15
  • Loading the player...
  • Oh dang it. I meant to give you suggestions from that book and then forgot with this whole moving ordeal. I just unpacked the books so I'll dig it out and reply back.
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

    imageimageimage

    Pregnancy #1 EDD 1/20/13, D&C for unexplained miscarriage at 12w
    Pregnancy #2 EDD 8/28/2013, Carson was born on 6/28/2013 at 31w - spent 37 days in the NICU
  • Okay, here is a link to their website. It hits on a lot of what is in the book. The book just goes onto tell you about letting them CIO, which we have not done and don't plan to do. Even still there are a lot of great suggestions that we have used.


    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

    imageimageimage

    Pregnancy #1 EDD 1/20/13, D&C for unexplained miscarriage at 12w
    Pregnancy #2 EDD 8/28/2013, Carson was born on 6/28/2013 at 31w - spent 37 days in the NICU
  • Came back because I realized I gave you advice when you didn't ask for it. But the truth is, you have to consider yourself as well as his future sleep. Our nights were getting so bad that I was anxious about it all evening and I could hardly enjoy my time with her during the day. I started resenting her and I knew we needed a change. I think many of the sleep "experts" will say to make a change only when what you're doing isn't working for you because sleep training, or breaking bad sleep habits, is hard. You have to want it! Lol.


      Our Angel Patricia born sleeping 3/30/12 at 31 weeks
    Our Fighter Anna born early 1/8/13 at 26 weeks
    Hoping to bring home #3 due 9/9/15
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"