From the day DJ was born he has always been a happy child. Dare I say a perfect baby... He was always smiling, He ate well, he slept well, when he was tired he would drift off in my arms, and I would gaze lovingly at my peacefully sleeping baby and place him in his cot in his own room. Then one day.. my darling boy got clever!!!!!
Firstly He has now discovered his voice, so he shouts at everything. Even when he is trying to talk to you, he shouts. He refuses to even lie in my arms, he wants to be up looking around. Even when he is so tired and the eyes are rolling in the back of his head, he wants to be up, not missing a thing. I have always fed him at bed time in his room, to get. A place I spent months and months on creating the perfect ambiance for him. Soothing music, lavender oil, you name it I've got it. Now as soon as I bring him in to his room he cries. Not whimpers either, full on screaming match. Even when I take him in to change his nappy he gets upset thinking I am going to put him to sleep. I've read countless books on routine and trying to get your baby used to falling asleep on his own. It seems the day I decided he should fall asleep in his cot was the day he decided he was having none of this sleep milarky!
I think he could be teething, so I have been using a homeopathic remedy called Teetha, which seems to help his gums, but this child needs a few shots of whiskey to get him to sleep!( I joke I joke)
I have spent the past few nights and days sitting by his bed as he screams and screams. I try to soothe him. and I never leave him. I sing to him and I read to him. As soon as I pick him up he stops crying, so there is nothing wrong with him.
I wish I could tell you I have found the trick on getting him to sleep but I'm stuck.. If anyone has any ideas please leave a comment below with some advice for us mummies who are suffering with a difficult baby who will not go to sleep.
I have given in after 4 hours and he is now in the bed with me, snoring softly as I type. He is totally exhausted!
Till next time....
xoxo
Tara, just an idea but have you tried the pick up put down technique. Basically you put him down in his cot, as soon as he cries you pick him up cuddle him till he stops crying then put him straight back down. You repeate this as many times as possible (it could take a while..lol..)untill he finally gets the message and gives in and falls asleep. At least this way he doesn't get chance to become uncontrollably upset. Hugs. x
ReplyDeleteA couple things that we do.... first, every day we spend at least an hour playing on the floor of his room, so he doesn't think being in his room = not being with us. Also we have a mobile over the changing table, which makes that part of his room fun as well (tho his favorite game is "steal the nappy" but that's another conversation!). On sleeping... since he is crying anyway while you are there... and knowing that this will be unpopular with some moms... what I have found is that when I put him to bed, he is fussy longer and more intensely if I hang around and continually comfort him. So what I do is first set the stage - lights off, curtains closed, soft music on, and sound machine on; then I hold him and bounce with him on a big exercise ball while I sing to him for a few minutes; then I hug & kiss him, tell him I love him, put him in his crib, give him his blankie and his bear, pat him one more time, say I'll see him after his sleep, and then I leave. Most of the time he goes right to sleep. Sometimes he cries, and those time I stand outside his room and listen to what kind of cries they are... if he's just protesting being left alone, I do not go back in. The first 3 days or so were really, really tough because it's so hard to hear him cry and not respond... but he has learned that it's nap time, and now he just goes to sleep. of course if his cries get frantic at all, I'm right in. I first roll him on his side and shush him, to see if he'll drift off. If he stays frantic, I burp him to see if that's the problem. If he's still frantic, I repeat the bouncing/singing part of our routine, then put him back in the crib as before and leave the room. One thing I read is that while it is so hard to listen to them cry hard for 3 minutes, and whimper for 3 more, if you can just get through that time, then they can get an hour of good sleep. But if you rush in, your presence stimulates the baby more, and they end up not getting that hour of sleep that they really need. Anyway - hope something in this enormous msg is helpful, lol!1 GL and hugs!! xoxo
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