We have sort of a...love/hate relationship with Liam's sleep schedule. As many of you know, his early-day acid reflux made it difficult for him to sleep anywhere but his swing (*I should have taken stock out in Energizer batteries as a result). But after about the second month of life, Liam settled into a good schedule and slept mostly through the night. I think at that stage in a baby's life, sleeping five hour stretches was considered through the night. By the time he reached four months old, he was sleeping 10-12 hour stretches, save the occasional poopy diaper, teething discomfort, or illness.
About six weeks ago, around the same time he started daycare, he started waking up during the night a-la the "early days of his life." We gave him a little leeway, mostly because this was the period where he was going through the tri-fecta of sinus-eye-upper respiratory infections. But after the antibiotics were finished, the waking continued. Then he went through a stage where he started randomly throwing up at night. However, this too soon ended. But it seems like the damage has since been done.
Liam is now waking up two, sometimes even three times a night. We have gone through dozens of theories perpetuated by our pediatrician, daycare teachers, friends, random Chamber of Commerce members, UPS guy, etc. So here we are, confused as to whether this is just a stage, or whether we are fostering Liam's need to wake up at night. To make matters worse, I think he has now worked his metabolism around the nighttime "comfort" milk bottles we have given him to get him back to sleep.
Last night we tried to let him cry it out. As a result, today he sounds like a baby smoker emitting that throaty pathetic cry. We are trying to balance his need to be taken care of (obviously we don't want to be unresponsive to a poopy diaper, throw up, or teething pain), with what seems like his need to start hanging with Mom and Dad at 11:30 p.m. and again at 2:30 in the morning. So I ask those around me, not for your theories (I have a plethora of those), but rather for your advice on how to break this cycle.
We keep the lights dimmed when he wakes up and we have to change him or give him water. We don't engage him. We have tried to give him water instead of milk. I would even settle for stories of HOPE (i.e. my baby totally went through that stage but soon stopped, then slept until 7:30 in the morning, and later went on to have a successful career as a doctor, etc.).
Signed,
Sleepless Mama
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2 comments:
Oh girl! Sleep training is the WORST!! I tried it all and have at least 5 different sleep books in my closet, but really the only thing that worked was letting him cry it out. It took about a week (and was HORRIBLE) but was totally worth our 12+ hours of sleep and good naps each night. Good Luck!!
I remember how awful it felt in the middle of the no/sleep nightmare. I too recommend the cry it out method. It does break your heart for about a week, but after that, he'll be a totally different baby. It worked for 2 out of the three of mine. With Kayleigh we were too afraid to do it, and she hung out with us at odd hours til she was 18 months old.. If you need me to come over and put him through baby boot camp with you, I'm here for you. I can listen to a fussy baby cry and it doesn't bother me at all anymore. :)
This too shall pass. Promise
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