I do a modified CIO. Do her bedtime routine and if she cries I give her 5 mins. Go in, try to calm her without picking her up (but if she's really going I might pick her up for a minute) and then put her back down and give her 10 minutes. I've only had to increase to 15 minutes once and usually if she's still crying that long it's because she's woken up and is hungry earlier than I expected. I always put her to be awake but not until she's started giving me the sleepy signs. If I get her to bed just in time she won't cry at all anymore.
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
Last night we started the Ferber method because she was not transitioning well into her nursery and even rocking/bouncing wasn't helping. Took about 45 minutes for her to fall asleep (we waited no longer than 5 minutes before comforting her each time). I was shocked that she slept until 5. I nursed her and put her back in her crib awake and she went to sleep without any crying and slept until 9. It was honestly unbelievable. However she developed a slight fever today so she might have just been feeling poorly (which makes me feel super guilty). We are going to suspend training until she's feeling better. Overall though, I think we are doing the right thing.
I do a modified CIO. Do her bedtime routine and if she cries I give her 5 mins. Go in, try to calm her without picking her up (but if she's really going I might pick her up for a minute) and then put her back down and give her 10 minutes. I've only had to increase to 15 minutes once and usually if she's still crying that long it's because she's woken up and is hungry earlier than I expected. I always put her to be awake but not until she's started giving me the sleepy signs. If I get her to bed just in time she won't cry at all anymore.
Yea, this is pretty much what we do. It works for us and he is usually asleep by 15mins. Every now and then he goes to 30min but not often.
Has anyone here done CIO? Preston has started refusing to sleep again and the sleep consultant. We have exhausted all known methods except just letting him cry alone. I feel like such a failure. It was going so well but he goes through these phases where he just does not want to go to bed. She said we could let him sleep with us a few days to see if it's just a phase but even then he doesn't sleep well and I can't sleep like that so I'm sleep deprived more than when he was a newborn.
Essentially this is what we did in the beginning. We feed him, burp him, change his diaper and in the crib he goes. He has been in his own room since day 1 so we haven't had to deal with transitioning him.
Now at almost 6 months we say goodnight , put him in the crib and shut the door. He doesn't cry and just lays his head down. No music, talking, rocking etc. He's been on this nap/bedtime "ritual" for about 2 months now. I feel for the mamas who have such a hard time getting LO to sleep . Hopefully it gets easier!
Has anyone here done CIO? Preston has started refusing to sleep again and the sleep consultant. We have exhausted all known methods except just letting him cry alone. I feel like such a failure. It was going so well but he goes through these phases where he just does not want to go to bed. She said we could let him sleep with us a few days to see if it's just a phase but even then he doesn't sleep well and I can't sleep like that so I'm sleep deprived more than when he was a newborn.
I did CIO with my boys and it sucked! It's so hard to hear your child crying for you and makes you feel like a terrible mom for not going in there and taking care of them. It worked for a bit with my oldest until I had my second LO and then he wanted to sleep with us and we tried to get him to sleep in his room but gave up. You could try it but I found it very hard mentally. If you have no other options then I would, you also don't want your LO sleeping in bed with you because he may decide he likes it and then stay till he's 5/4. That's what happen to us, we just got our bed back after moving Charlotte to her room. My boys were like oh the baby is sleeping in her own room?! I took that opportunity and ran with it!
We tried to last night and after 20 min I couldn't handle it so dh went in and picked him up till he was calm. Then put him back down and he went right to sleep, then he had a 2am waking which took about 10-15 min of dh calming him in the crib and a 4:30 one that was on and off for 45min and he started calling for me so we fed him and we went right back down and is still asleep bit he will wake soon cause he starting to stir a little.
We tried to last night and after 20 min I couldn't handle it so dh went in and picked him up till he was calm. Then put him back down and he went right to sleep, then he had a 2am waking which took about 10-15 min of dh calming him in the crib and a 4:30 one that was on and off for 45min and he started calling for me so we fed him and we went right back down and is still asleep bit he will wake soon cause he starting to stir a little.
Ultimately you have to do what you can be consistent with. I think the consistency is the important part. If you can't stick to the time you have in mind, start shorter and build up. And I've been told after 3 consistent days they should get the hang of it. So it sucks now (but seems like it started to get better) but it'll be over soon. You can do this!
DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
What's weird is that for naps one and two he doesn't put up any fight and he goes to sleep by himself. It's the third nap and bedtime that has been horrible. Its like having two totally different babies.
Ugh! LO had been sleeping through the night, but woke up last night wailing at 3:00am. He had gotten his vaccines earlier that day, though I'm not sure that was the issue. He was dressed lightly and hubs said that as soon as he lay on the air bed in the nursery and wrapped him in the blanket, he went right to sleep. I do not know if he's having separation anxiety or he was cold. He'd been STTN for over a month now.
Just had to share this unbelievably cute moment! LO and I took a long nap this afternoon so I was surprised that she was fussy and seemed ready to go to bed at her usual time. Well I put her down and she vocalized herself to sleep! For like 45 minutes I got a very loud "Ahhhh ahhhh ahhhh" lullabye through the monitor : ) so precious!
Just had to share this unbelievably cute moment! LO and I took a long nap this afternoon so I was surprised that she was fussy and seemed ready to go to bed at her usual time. Well I put her down and she vocalized herself to sleep! For like 45 minutes I got a very loud "Ahhhh ahhhh ahhhh" lullabye through the monitor : ) so precious!
Damien does that too, it's absolutely adorable. He doesn't do it for long though. Usually when he starts doing that, he will be out in 5-10mins. Some day I will try to record it for memory's sake.
Just had to share this unbelievably cute moment! LO and I took a long nap this afternoon so I was surprised that she was fussy and seemed ready to go to bed at her usual time. Well I put her down and she vocalized herself to sleep! For like 45 minutes I got a very loud "Ahhhh ahhhh ahhhh" lullabye through the monitor : ) so precious!
Damien does that too, it's absolutely adorable. He doesn't do it for long though. Usually when he starts doing that, he will be out in 5-10mins. Some day I will try to record it for memory's sake.
My son does that while kicking the crib furiously, because he finds it funny as opposed to being upset, he falls asleep after he wears himself out.
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
This must be a phase bc our LO just started doing this the past few nights. She is really tired, I put her down, and it's almost like she gets a second wind. I'm not sure what to do. I usually don't try to force her to sleep before she's ready, but in this case I think she really is tired.
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
I don't feel like our boys ever lost trust in us and they both went thru this one early like your LO and the other one later. Try not to stress about it to much, easier said then done I know. I wish I had some magical trick but I don't, but I'll send some good vibes your way!
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
I don't feel like our boys ever lost trust in us and they both went thru this one early like your LO and the other one later. Try not to stress about it to much, easier said then done I know. I wish I had some magical trick but I don't, but I'll send some good vibes your way!
I need all the good mojo I can get. He is crying so hard and he cries all the time for sleep. It's just not fair! When he's awake, Jes super nasty and hyper no matter when I put him down and I just can't for the life if me find his sleep cues!!!! I feel like a horrible mother and my stress is so bad I've been skipping meals and feeling sick to my stomach. The whole cry it out thing is supposed to teach then to self soothe but he already knew how before this. He was STTN and took great naps until leap 5 then all went to shit and hasn't gotten better at all. I'm just so confused and even my sleep consultant is at a loss. She gives us things to try but nothing has helped till she finally said to let him cry cause we've tried everything else but it's been almost a week and no change! If anything it feels worse cause he wakes up 10 min after going to bed screaming the past 3 nights and sometimes for his naps he wakes up fussing between sleep cycles. I don't know how much I can take and I've even had regrets.
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
I don't feel like our boys ever lost trust in us and they both went thru this one early like your LO and the other one later. Try not to stress about it to much, easier said then done I know. I wish I had some magical trick but I don't, but I'll send some good vibes your way!
I need all the good mojo I can get. He is crying so hard and he cries all the time for sleep. It's just not fair! When he's awake, Jes super nasty and hyper no matter when I put him down and I just can't for the life if me find his sleep cues!!!! I feel like a horrible mother and my stress is so bad I've been skipping meals and feeling sick to my stomach. The whole cry it out thing is supposed to teach then to self soothe but he already knew how before this. He was STTN and took great naps until leap 5 then all went to shit and hasn't gotten better at all. I'm just so confused and even my sleep consultant is at a loss. She gives us things to try but nothing has helped till she finally said to let him cry cause we've tried everything else but it's been almost a week and no change! If anything it feels worse cause he wakes up 10 min after going to bed screaming the past 3 nights and sometimes for his naps he wakes up fussing between sleep cycles. I don't know how much I can take and I've even had regrets.
Maybe a dr visit? Sounds like something could be bothering him possibly?
Man I can't keep up with these changes! Preston is really having a hard time with falling and staying asleep, especially for bedtime. As soon as we put him down he tries to spin around to follow us out and will cry (just the "wait cone back" cry but it still hurts to hear). The last two nights he cried on and off for almost 45 min before he wore himself out. At no point was he hysterical but he sounded sad but last night dh made the mistake of going in there and as soon as Preston was picked up, he was happy as a clam. Then when dh tried to put him down the crying was way worse and lasted longer. He is basically forcing us to do CIO cause it's not that he wants to sleep with us but he just doesn't want to sleep at all. He wants us to play and take him out of the room. Like everything else he does, I hope it's a short phase cause I don't know if I can handle a child that has to cry every night/nap to let off steam. I don't want him to lose trust in us because we aren't going back for him.
I don't feel like our boys ever lost trust in us and they both went thru this one early like your LO and the other one later. Try not to stress about it to much, easier said then done I know. I wish I had some magical trick but I don't, but I'll send some good vibes your way!
I need all the good mojo I can get. He is crying so hard and he cries all the time for sleep. It's just not fair! When he's awake, Jes super nasty and hyper no matter when I put him down and I just can't for the life if me find his sleep cues!!!! I feel like a horrible mother and my stress is so bad I've been skipping meals and feeling sick to my stomach. The whole cry it out thing is supposed to teach then to self soothe but he already knew how before this. He was STTN and took great naps until leap 5 then all went to shit and hasn't gotten better at all. I'm just so confused and even my sleep consultant is at a loss. She gives us things to try but nothing has helped till she finally said to let him cry cause we've tried everything else but it's been almost a week and no change! If anything it feels worse cause he wakes up 10 min after going to bed screaming the past 3 nights and sometimes for his naps he wakes up fussing between sleep cycles. I don't know how much I can take and I've even had regrets.
Maybe a dr visit? Sounds like something could be bothering him possibly?
I agree, maybe a doctors visit. Are you a SAHM? I ask because if you're having to do this all day and don't get a break it could, if it hasn't already, really wear on you emotionally. That's not a fun place to be I've been there and it's part of the reason I bake so much. Baking is my escape even if I have to wear Charlotte or put her on the floor on her blanket with some toys. It gets better, at some point it does get better. You need to find something that help recenter you, i write list and try to write down somethings that I accomplish that day. Doesn't matter how small, I got my tub clean and now I can take a bath and let the day wash away and restart tomorrow. I really hope it betters soon!
@adiaz132003 I also think paying the dr a visit could be worthwhile, maybe there is an underlying issue. I'm really sorry you are going through this and you seem to be feeling very much how I did the first 3 months of Damien's life. I read an article one day that helped me change my perspective and once I did that, it made handling the situation much more doable. I will try to find it! It was basically about coping with a high needs baby (for my case, a colicky one) and wasn't just the typical "how to" article. At that point I was so sick of reading and trying every tip and advice out there since absolutely nothing was working and I felt like I was at my wits end and such a bad mom. The article just really struck a chord with me.
I so hope this phase passes soon. That's something I find so tough with these kiddos, they are constantly growing and changing, which is awesome in the grand scheme of it all, but sometimes the changes are unexpected and super difficult to handle.
Lately I've been waking up at around 3am and I go out into the living room or the bathrom and just spend 10-15min pondering or reading. I know it doesn't make sense to carve out time in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping but I find it so peaceful. I like to have that "moment of zen" (as ridiculous as that sounds). It wouldn't be doable if Damien was waking up during the night but for now it is. Maybe finding your own "moment of zen" whatever that might be, can help a tiny bit.
@adiaz132003 any chance you've been giving him cherry flavored Tylenol lately? Abby went CRAZY when we gave it to her. Hyper and super easily agitated. Apparently some babies react poorly to the red dye or something. I hope he starts feeling better soon!!
I haven't given any Tylenol in weeks. Apparently that hyperactivity is common in fast moving (advanced) 6 month olds. His mind and body want to do so much bit he can't quite keep up so he gets frustrated. Our OT said it should get better as he gets more mobile cause he will because more independent, then I just have to worry about baby proofing. This sleep issue could possibly be that he is already ready to drop a nap which is why he fights the 3rd nap and bedtime so much, because he's not tired for the nap and if I force the nap then he's not tired for bedtime. He slept in today cause I gave him a 6am feed and out him back down so he will only need two naps today so we will see if maybe bedtime will be easier.
We were just at the ped yesterday and I did bring this up bit she wasn't concerned at all. She said it simply sounds like he doesn't want to sleep either because he doesn't need it or its his personality that he just wants to constantly engage in his surroundings and doesn't want the fun to end.
I woke up this morning so f****** sick too. I've got a puke bucket nearby. I hope it's not a bug cause we can't have him getting sick too, not during all of this. Could be the stress.
I wish I have a caretaker nearby but unfortunately I am all alone.
I haven't given any Tylenol in weeks. Apparently that hyperactivity is common in fast moving (advanced) 6 month olds. His mind and body want to do so much bit he can't quite keep up so he gets frustrated. Our OT said it should get better as he gets more mobile cause he will because more independent, then I just have to worry about baby proofing. This sleep issue could possibly be that he is already ready to drop a nap which is why he fights the 3rd nap and bedtime so much, because he's not tired for the nap and if I force the nap then he's not tired for bedtime. He slept in today cause I gave him a 6am feed and out him back down so he will only need two naps today so we will see if maybe bedtime will be easier.
We were just at the ped yesterday and I did bring this up bit she wasn't concerned at all. She said it simply sounds like he doesn't want to sleep either because he doesn't need it or its his personality that he just wants to constantly engage in his surroundings and doesn't want the fun to end.
I woke up this morning so f****** sick too. I've got a puke bucket nearby. I hope it's not a bug cause we can't have him getting sick too, not during all of this. Could be the stress.
I wish I have a caretaker nearby but unfortunately I am all alone.
I'm sorry you aren't feeling well! Is there a teenager you might be able to hire for an hour or two so you can read or do a project in the house while they play with him?
I haven't given any Tylenol in weeks. Apparently that hyperactivity is common in fast moving (advanced) 6 month olds. His mind and body want to do so much bit he can't quite keep up so he gets frustrated. Our OT said it should get better as he gets more mobile cause he will because more independent, then I just have to worry about baby proofing. This sleep issue could possibly be that he is already ready to drop a nap which is why he fights the 3rd nap and bedtime so much, because he's not tired for the nap and if I force the nap then he's not tired for bedtime. He slept in today cause I gave him a 6am feed and out him back down so he will only need two naps today so we will see if maybe bedtime will be easier.
We were just at the ped yesterday and I did bring this up bit she wasn't concerned at all. She said it simply sounds like he doesn't want to sleep either because he doesn't need it or its his personality that he just wants to constantly engage in his surroundings and doesn't want the fun to end.
I woke up this morning so f****** sick too. I've got a puke bucket nearby. I hope it's not a bug cause we can't have him getting sick too, not during all of this. Could be the stress.
I wish I have a caretaker nearby but unfortunately I am all alone.
I'm sorry you aren't feeling well! Is there a teenager you might be able to hire for an hour or two so you can read or do a project in the house while they play with him?
No, plus a teen may not be able to handle him cause he is so high needs and wants constant entertainment and stimulation until he sleeps.
Day 4 of CIO. WORST ONE YET!!! He cried of just short of an hour. This is a kid that even during initial sleep training, cried at most 30 min and it was an on and off cry in the middle if the night, getting him to fall asleep was the easy part. I used to be able to out him down wide awake and say goodnight and walk out. Every now and then I got some fuss but it was a minute or two max. What happened to my baby? He's completely changed in both sleep and personality since leap 5. I contacted the sleep consultant, who has been offering advice for free cause if what's been happening, and begged for more thorough help where she cone to the house at bedtime and watch what happens. I'll sell my kidney, I don't care what I have to do.
Have you considered letting him use a pacifier? I think I remember that you don't use one or stopped using as you didn't want the crutch (though maybe I'm confusing you with someone else) but they can help soothe babies when otherwise inconsolable. If you're at your wits end it may be worth trying.
Have you considered letting him use a pacifier? I think I remember that you don't use one or stopped using as you didn't want the crutch (though maybe I'm confusing you with someone else) but they can help soothe babies when otherwise inconsolable. If you're at your wits end it may be worth trying.
We weaned off the pacifier at 4m. He doesn't even really remember how to use them. If I offer one, he grabs it from his mouth and chews on it
Is it the witching months for our LO? My LO has been waking up again during the middle of the night after having slept through the night at 5 months. He isn't hungry. He just yells a lot and then sometimes settles back in or needs a diaper change. I hope this wont persist for months.
@adiaz132003 I'm sorry you're going through such a tough time!! I wish I had advice but my little monster never got to STTN so I don't have much to offer
Day 4 of CIO. WORST ONE YET!!! He cried of just short of an hour. This is a kid that even during initial sleep training, cried at most 30 min and it was an on and off cry in the middle if the night, getting him to fall asleep was the easy part. I used to be able to out him down wide awake and say goodnight and walk out. Every now and then I got some fuss but it was a minute or two max. What happened to my baby? He's completely changed in both sleep and personality since leap 5. I contacted the sleep consultant, who has been offering advice for free cause if what's been happening, and begged for more thorough help where she cone to the house at bedtime and watch what happens. I'll sell my kidney, I don't care what I have to do.
I feel like I can relate a bit. Bennett is going through something similar although to a lesser degree. About a week ago, which is around when leap 5 started, his sleep got so much worse. I think it was last Wednesday night that we had the worse night ever...so much worse than when he was a newborn.
He is 5 1/2 months right now, but around 3 1/2 months, we did a bit of sleep training (shoosh/pat), transition to the crib, and transition out the swaddle all at once. There were about 3-4 nights that sucked, but like Preston, it took him about 30 or so minutes to fall asleep, and i could tell that his crying was from frustration, and he would eventually calm down little by little until he was asleep. After those few hard nights, I could put Bennett down drowsy after he was done eating (sometimes even wide awake), and he would be fine. He would either go straight to sleep or fuss/talk to himself for a minute before sleep. If he would wake up during the night, I would hear him quietly fuss for a few minutes and go back to sleep.
Enter leap 5. I want to preface by saying that the previous 4 leaps really didn't affect him. His sleep didn't change, and maybe he had a few cranky days, for some of them, but it was never bad. Well, last Wednesday, he had been a bit cranky that day, but I knew he was going through a leap, so it wasn't like I was surprised or worried. We went through the normal bedtime routine, and everything seemed fine. He went down without a fuss. About an hour later he woke up screaming bloody murder. He wouldn't settle down at all. Inconsolable crying no matter what we did. Even nursing which has never failed me before didn't work too well because he would unlatch and start crying again. Eventually after about 45 mins to an hour, he calmed down a bit but wouldn't let us put him down. Since it was still early in the night, we tried to just "reset" everything and go through the routine again. It seemed to work, we put him down and once again, about an hour later, he started crying so hard again. Took about 2 hours to get him down. This continued until about 6:30 when my mom came over to watch him so DH and I could go to work.
The biggest thing I noticed was that his crying has changed. I used to be able to tell his hungry cry, tired cry, the "I need you" cry,etc, and honestly, he really didn't cry that much to begin with so it was manageable. Its like he discovered this whole new cry that is 1000% worse. Its hard to describe, but it's so much louder and it's like he is straining so hard at times and full of anger. It's really difficult to listen to and it doesn't stop. Totally out of the norm for him, and I'm really hoping this is just a phase!
sorry this is so long...I guess I needed to vent, too. I just want to let you know you are not alone! And leap 5 can go to hell.
Day 4 of CIO. WORST ONE YET!!! He cried of just short of an hour. This is a kid that even during initial sleep training, cried at most 30 min and it was an on and off cry in the middle if the night, getting him to fall asleep was the easy part. I used to be able to out him down wide awake and say goodnight and walk out. Every now and then I got some fuss but it was a minute or two max. What happened to my baby? He's completely changed in both sleep and personality since leap 5. I contacted the sleep consultant, who has been offering advice for free cause if what's been happening, and begged for more thorough help where she cone to the house at bedtime and watch what happens. I'll sell my kidney, I don't care what I have to do.
I feel like I can relate a bit. Bennett is going through something similar although to a lesser degree. About a week ago, which is around when leap 5 started, his sleep got so much worse. I think it was last Wednesday night that we had the worse night ever...so much worse than when he was a newborn.
He is 5 1/2 months right now, but around 3 1/2 months, we did a bit of sleep training (shoosh/pat), transition to the crib, and transition out the swaddle all at once. There were about 3-4 nights that sucked, but like Preston, it took him about 30 or so minutes to fall asleep, and i could tell that his crying was from frustration, and he would eventually calm down little by little until he was asleep. After those few hard nights, I could put Bennett down drowsy after he was done eating (sometimes even wide awake), and he would be fine. He would either go straight to sleep or fuss/talk to himself for a minute before sleep. If he would wake up during the night, I would hear him quietly fuss for a few minutes and go back to sleep.
Enter leap 5. I want to preface by saying that the previous 4 leaps really didn't affect him. His sleep didn't change, and maybe he had a few cranky days, for some of them, but it was never bad. Well, last Wednesday, he had been a bit cranky that day, but I knew he was going through a leap, so it wasn't like I was surprised or worried. We went through the normal bedtime routine, and everything seemed fine. He went down without a fuss. About an hour later he woke up screaming bloody murder. He wouldn't settle down at all. Inconsolable crying no matter what we did. Even nursing which has never failed me before didn't work too well because he would unlatch and start crying again. Eventually after about 45 mins to an hour, he calmed down a bit but wouldn't let us put him down. Since it was still early in the night, we tried to just "reset" everything and go through the routine again. It seemed to work, we put him down and once again, about an hour later, he started crying so hard again. Took about 2 hours to get him down. This continued until about 6:30 when my mom came over to watch him so DH and I could go to work.
The biggest thing I noticed was that his crying has changed. I used to be able to tell his hungry cry, tired cry, the "I need you" cry,etc, and honestly, he really didn't cry that much to begin with so it was manageable. Its like he discovered this whole new cry that is 1000% worse. Its hard to describe, but it's so much louder and it's like he is straining so hard at times and full of anger. It's really difficult to listen to and it doesn't stop. Totally out of the norm for him, and I'm really hoping this is just a phase!
sorry this is so long...I guess I needed to vent, too. I just want to let you know you are not alone! And leap 5 can go to hell.
Sounds like you are in a very similar situation. I had heard that the crying styles change around this age and I definitely noticed.
Day 4 of CIO. WORST ONE YET!!! He cried of just short of an hour. This is a kid that even during initial sleep training, cried at most 30 min and it was an on and off cry in the middle if the night, getting him to fall asleep was the easy part. I used to be able to out him down wide awake and say goodnight and walk out. Every now and then I got some fuss but it was a minute or two max. What happened to my baby? He's completely changed in both sleep and personality since leap 5. I contacted the sleep consultant, who has been offering advice for free cause if what's been happening, and begged for more thorough help where she cone to the house at bedtime and watch what happens. I'll sell my kidney, I don't care what I have to do.
I feel like I can relate a bit. Bennett is going through something similar although to a lesser degree. About a week ago, which is around when leap 5 started, his sleep got so much worse. I think it was last Wednesday night that we had the worse night ever...so much worse than when he was a newborn.
He is 5 1/2 months right now, but around 3 1/2 months, we did a bit of sleep training (shoosh/pat), transition to the crib, and transition out the swaddle all at once. There were about 3-4 nights that sucked, but like Preston, it took him about 30 or so minutes to fall asleep, and i could tell that his crying was from frustration, and he would eventually calm down little by little until he was asleep. After those few hard nights, I could put Bennett down drowsy after he was done eating (sometimes even wide awake), and he would be fine. He would either go straight to sleep or fuss/talk to himself for a minute before sleep. If he would wake up during the night, I would hear him quietly fuss for a few minutes and go back to sleep.
Enter leap 5. I want to preface by saying that the previous 4 leaps really didn't affect him. His sleep didn't change, and maybe he had a few cranky days, for some of them, but it was never bad. Well, last Wednesday, he had been a bit cranky that day, but I knew he was going through a leap, so it wasn't like I was surprised or worried. We went through the normal bedtime routine, and everything seemed fine. He went down without a fuss. About an hour later he woke up screaming bloody murder. He wouldn't settle down at all. Inconsolable crying no matter what we did. Even nursing which has never failed me before didn't work too well because he would unlatch and start crying again. Eventually after about 45 mins to an hour, he calmed down a bit but wouldn't let us put him down. Since it was still early in the night, we tried to just "reset" everything and go through the routine again. It seemed to work, we put him down and once again, about an hour later, he started crying so hard again. Took about 2 hours to get him down. This continued until about 6:30 when my mom came over to watch him so DH and I could go to work.
The biggest thing I noticed was that his crying has changed. I used to be able to tell his hungry cry, tired cry, the "I need you" cry,etc, and honestly, he really didn't cry that much to begin with so it was manageable. Its like he discovered this whole new cry that is 1000% worse. Its hard to describe, but it's so much louder and it's like he is straining so hard at times and full of anger. It's really difficult to listen to and it doesn't stop. Totally out of the norm for him, and I'm really hoping this is just a phase!
sorry this is so long...I guess I needed to vent, too. I just want to let you know you are not alone! And leap 5 can go to hell.
Sounds like you are in a very similar situation. I had heard that the crying styles change around this age and I definitely noticed.
Damien's cry changed too or at least he added one to the roster. It's definitely his angry cry! His "I'm uncomfortable/in pain" cry has changed too. We noticed it recently when he had a few bad gas nights.
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
I'm at a loss here. My LO has been waking up at night again since last week when he got his vaccinations. One night he woke up twice! He goes to bed fine, no fussing at all. Anywhere between 5-6 hours later, he will cry out (not scream). Sometimes he'll settle back in, sometimes not. This was NEVER an issue before, as he's been STTN since month 5. Now he's up a lot. He was transitioned to the crib last month and adjusted very well. He does not appear to be crying for us, as we wake up, change his diaper and he goes back to sleep. Could the vaccines be the issue? He got the flu shot along with the other vaccines. Last night, he had a fever of 100.8 but now it's gone.
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
Once he fell asleep after the 40 minutes, did he stay asleep? Is it the same for MOTN wakings?
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
Once he fell asleep after the 40 minutes, did he stay asleep? Is it the same for MOTN wakings?
For us she told us not to bother with MOTN cause he doesnt wake up. The only time he wakes is early morning but it's just fussing and he goes back to sleep then is up for the day at like 6:45-7. How long do you wait before going in? You don't wanna accidentally create a new expectation for him. i.e. if I wake up, it's ok cause they will come in and say hi. These kids are smart man. I wait at least 5 min if he's just fussing. If he's full blown crying then I would go in but he hasn't woken up crying in the middle of the night in weeks.
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
Once he fell asleep after the 40 minutes, did he stay asleep? Is it the same for MOTN wakings?
For us she told us not to bother with MOTN cause he doesnt wake up. The only time he wakes is early morning but it's just fussing and he goes back to sleep then is up for the day at like 6:45-7. How long do you wait before going in? You don't wanna accidentally create a new expectation for him. i.e. if I wake up, it's ok cause they will come in and say hi. These kids are smart man. I wait at least 5 min if he's just fussing. If he's full blown crying then I would go in but he hasn't woken up crying in the middle of the night in weeks.
It depends. On a typical night, he will either sleep till around 5am at which point I will feed him because I know he's hungry, so I wont hesitate to pick him up. He goes right back to sleep for another hour or two after he eats. If he does wake up (usually between 2 and 4), it's usually because he pooped and needs a diaper change, so his fussing will escalate quicker. I can usually gauge pretty quickly if he actually needs something vs. just trying to get back to sleep. The only time I pick him up is if he is legit crying.
Thanks ladies for all the support. Today was day one of dropping the nap and he has taken two of his best naps ever. No fussing, woke super happy and has been very content during his wake tines. I'll let you know what happens at bedtime which is in an hour. Our sleep consultant, god bless her for helping us for free, said all the signs point to bad naps/too many too close. She told me to start the 2,3,4 schedule as long as the naps are over an hour each. Please cross you fingers for us that he doesn't cry for a whole hour. I'll be ok with 15-20 min but the full hour is too much for my soul.
That makes sense, Damien is nearly ready to drop a nap as well. I so hope tonight is better!
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
Once he fell asleep after the 40 minutes, did he stay asleep? Is it the same for MOTN wakings?
For us she told us not to bother with MOTN cause he doesnt wake up. The only time he wakes is early morning but it's just fussing and he goes back to sleep then is up for the day at like 6:45-7. How long do you wait before going in? You don't wanna accidentally create a new expectation for him. i.e. if I wake up, it's ok cause they will come in and say hi. These kids are smart man. I wait at least 5 min if he's just fussing. If he's full blown crying then I would go in but he hasn't woken up crying in the middle of the night in weeks.
It depends. On a typical night, he will either sleep till around 5am at which point I will feed him because I know he's hungry, so I wont hesitate to pick him up. He goes right back to sleep for another hour or two after he eats. If he does wake up (usually between 2 and 4), it's usually because he pooped and needs a diaper change, so his fussing will escalate quicker. I can usually gauge pretty quickly if he actually needs something vs. just trying to get back to sleep. The only time I pick him up is if he is legit crying.
Sounds like there isn't really an issue then cause it sounds like legit reasons to wake up. If he wakes up and you can't find an issue then out him right back and put him back to sleep. If he cries you can sit there and give comfort and support. The idea is they should always put themselves back to sleep each time. They may start thinking hey you should out me to sleep every time I wake and not just when I need a new diaper. Have you tried dream feeds? That will at least let you know if the 5 am wake up is die to hunger or habit.
Re: Baby Sleep Questions
Now at almost 6 months we say goodnight , put him in the crib and shut the door. He doesn't cry and just lays his head down. No music, talking, rocking etc. He's been on this nap/bedtime "ritual" for about 2 months now. I feel for the mamas who have such a hard time getting LO to sleep
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
I so hope this phase passes soon. That's something I find so tough with these kiddos, they are constantly growing and changing, which is awesome in the grand scheme of it all, but sometimes the changes are unexpected and super difficult to handle.
Lately I've been waking up at around 3am and I go out into the living room or the bathrom and just spend 10-15min pondering or reading. I know it doesn't make sense to carve out time in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping but I find it so peaceful. I like to have that "moment of zen" (as ridiculous as that sounds). It wouldn't be doable if Damien was waking up during the night but for now it is. Maybe finding your own "moment of zen" whatever that might be, can help a tiny bit.
We were just at the ped yesterday and I did bring this up bit she wasn't concerned at all. She said it simply sounds like he doesn't want to sleep either because he doesn't need it or its his personality that he just wants to constantly engage in his surroundings and doesn't want the fun to end.
I woke up this morning so f****** sick too. I've got a puke bucket nearby. I hope it's not a bug cause we can't have him getting sick too, not during all of this. Could be the stress.
I wish I have a caretaker nearby but unfortunately I am all alone.
Baby #2 Due 3/7/20
He is 5 1/2 months right now, but around 3 1/2 months, we did a bit of sleep training (shoosh/pat), transition to the crib, and transition out the swaddle all at once. There were about 3-4 nights that sucked, but like Preston, it took him about 30 or so minutes to fall asleep, and i could tell that his crying was from frustration, and he would eventually calm down little by little until he was asleep. After those few hard nights, I could put Bennett down drowsy after he was done eating (sometimes even wide awake), and he would be fine. He would either go straight to sleep or fuss/talk to himself for a minute before sleep. If he would wake up during the night, I would hear him quietly fuss for a few minutes and go back to sleep.
Enter leap 5. I want to preface by saying that the previous 4 leaps really didn't affect him. His sleep didn't change, and maybe he had a few cranky days, for some of them, but it was never bad. Well, last Wednesday, he had been a bit cranky that day, but I knew he was going through a leap, so it wasn't like I was surprised or worried. We went through the normal bedtime routine, and everything seemed fine. He went down without a fuss. About an hour later he woke up screaming bloody murder. He wouldn't settle down at all. Inconsolable crying no matter what we did. Even nursing which has never failed me before didn't work too well because he would unlatch and start crying again. Eventually after about 45 mins to an hour, he calmed down a bit but wouldn't let us put him down. Since it was still early in the night, we tried to just "reset" everything and go through the routine again. It seemed to work, we put him down and once again, about an hour later, he started crying so hard again. Took about 2 hours to get him down. This continued until about 6:30 when my mom came over to watch him so DH and I could go to work.
The biggest thing I noticed was that his crying has changed. I used to be able to tell his hungry cry, tired cry, the "I need you" cry,etc, and honestly, he really didn't cry that much to begin with so it was manageable. Its like he discovered this whole new cry that is 1000% worse. Its hard to describe, but it's so much louder and it's like he is straining so hard at times and full of anger. It's really difficult to listen to and it doesn't stop. Totally out of the norm for him, and I'm really hoping this is just a phase!
sorry this is so long...I guess I needed to vent, too. I just want to let you know you are not alone! And leap 5 can go to hell.
Well tonight was interesting. Sleep consultant was basically on standby. We out him down, he was nice and tired but still cried for a total of 40 min. She had me go in and check on him after 30 min cause I was so clearly upset. I went in and he instantly stopped but was still awake, so i left and he cried again. Her final word?... CIO isn't working for us. She said he will most likely cry the same or maybe a bit less if we do the chair method. Basically sit by the crib while he falls asleep and work my way out over the course of a week or two. It's a variation on what we did for sleep training a while back only this time it's more about him seeing we are there for support rather than coaxing him to sleep. He still needs to fall asleep on his own, just not alone. DH has a stash of earplugs so I'll use those and hopefully it's less crying with me there. It's not a good feeling when a professional says they have no idea what possibility could be the cause of the sudden hatred of bedtime.
My LO has been waking up at night again since last week when he got his vaccinations. One night he woke up twice! He goes to bed fine, no fussing at all. Anywhere between 5-6 hours later, he will cry out (not scream). Sometimes he'll settle back in, sometimes not. This was NEVER an issue before, as he's been STTN since month 5. Now he's up a lot. He was transitioned to the crib last month and adjusted very well.
He does not appear to be crying for us, as we wake up, change his diaper and he goes back to sleep.
Could the vaccines be the issue? He got the flu shot along with the other vaccines. Last night, he had a fever of 100.8 but now it's gone.