Sleep help!

DS is 4 months old. Yesterday he skipped a nap, and last night he woke up at 3am and was up until 6am!!! He normally goes to bed at 8:30pm, wake up around 5am, and is up for the day at 8:30.

He's really overtired, but he will not go to sleep right now! I have been doing his bedtime routine since 7:30pm!!! Every time I put him down he wakes back up. I have the white noise going, I've been rocking him until he's in a deep sleep before putting him down, etc. How in the world can I get him to bed? He won't even fall asleep while nursing!!!

Please don't suggest CIO, because he's too young.

Re: Sleep help!

Someone posted this a while ago, its what I did with DS at 3m. Its a version of Ferber but without the crying. It gently teaches your baby to soothe themselves. It worked great to teach him to fall asleep for naps and bedtime. I read about it a sleep training book. It took about 2 weeks for it to stick.

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a3820995/how_to_sleep_train_without_cio?cpg=1&csi=2138450549&pd=-1

BUT, its not working anymore at 6m.

DS now falls asleep on his own at night, but waking up in the middle of the night, and I have no idea why, I'm in the process of full blown CIO. I usually give up by the second night, but I hope I stick with it tonight.

Re: Sleep help!

Posted by mommyIam


I usually give up by the second night, but I hope I stick with it tonight.

Re: Sleep help!

Crissy,
Is it his teeth? Or maybe a growth spurt? I remember Gene had a growth "spurt" around 4 months that lasted for like 4 weeks! Can you sit down with him and pat his back while he is laying on you? Then lay down with him on your chest, then transfer? It's such a pain, I know, but sometimes that's what we had to do with Gene. I also sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star every night at bedtime and at nap times so he knows that's the cue to go to sleep. Does he need a new cue maybe?
Good luck!!

Re: Sleep help!

At this point I would put him in the car like suggested and go for a drive. That will knock him out and hopefully get him out of the overtired state.

Ugh, I forgot that there's a monsoon out there - do it if it's not raining by you!

Things that worked for my first son at that age were just rocking him to sleep and literally holding him for the entire nap. When he was so cranky and overtired I didn't care where he slept, just as long as he slept.

ETA: I just remembered what I would do with Tyler at that age. I would put him in the swing, sit on the floor, and give him a bottle while the swing was moving. He almost always passed out like this.

Message edited 9/30/2010 8:08:15 AM.