Help.. I need ideas about sleeping!

[Enchanted]

I need some help and ideas please!!

A little background...sorry this will be a bit of a rambling!! When Oscar was 4 months old he started sleeping through the night. He would go to bed between 8-9pm and sleep till around 8am. At 5 months he stopped sleeping through and was waking twice a night Last week he started sleeping through again BUT now he doesn't go to bed till around 11pm!!! I have tried getting him to bed at 8,9 and 10pm but he won't have it. Even if he has a sleep he wakes up at around 10pm for a play and a bottle then goes to bed for the night. This doesn't worry me too much as I don't go to bed until 11-12 but this means I really get no time to wind down on my own. He doesn't wake up until around 8.30-9.30 am and I sleep until then too most mornings but do you think I should wake him up earlier in the morning say 7-8am and then see if he will go to sleep earlier?!

[JordieC]

I'm sorry I can't give any advice but I'm just starting to go through the same thing so would LOVE some help too!! DD slept through most night for about 3 weeks when she was 3 1/2 mnths old. Now she's nearly 5 mnths and is waking every 3-4 hrs again! she sleeps during the day so isn't overtired and alway self-settles but doesn't STAY asleep!

Sory Oshani for jumping in on your thread!!

[mickyndan]

Ooooh, a tuff one.. LOL. I think that I would be waking Oscar at about 7am, it might take a few days to get into a little bit of a different routine but maybe then he will have a sleep (or two) during the day and then go down at about 7pm. It is certainly worth a try. Good Luck.

[shellbell3]

What time is he waking from his last day sleep? Maybe that is affecting his nighttime going down.

You could try waking him earlier in the morning and then follow on by moving his naps earlier too so eventually he'll be tired by a time that is more suitable.

[Pretty Butterfly]

I get Kane up at 7, and dont let him sleep later than 3 in the arvo. Feed at 6.30 and bed at 7 and he'll sleep through. Hope you find something thats works for you!!

[Jas]

Hey,

Just wanted to say I use a really great book Babywise it's actually a series of books that go right up to teenage wise and thewhole first book is pretty much based on sleep its really great

[blue daisy]

hey oshani

it is a developmental behavior for a baby to sleep thru at 3-4 months (lots of growth which needs sleep and lots of yummy mummy milk). Then at 4-6 months they have a growth spurt and start requiring milk feeds at night again, unitl your milk supply catches up, so this can be a week or 2 (or longer depending on your baby )

children and babies get the most beneficial sleep patterns between 8pm-midnight, deep and restful.

perhaps he is overtired and gets his second kick in...overstimulating him and therefore hard for you to settle him

plus as he is used to going to bed later, you would need to 'retrain' his bed time
start simply and without pressure on you or your baby

Here are some tips I give in my mother and baby classes

Identify what your baby?s tired signs are
Jerky movements, eye rubbing (in older babies), grimacing, crying, clenched fists. Once you have identified your baby?s tired signs, act on them and set about putting your baby to sleep. A tired baby can easily be distracted for a few minutes, until the tired signs reoccur. Distracting your baby when they first show tired signs will result in your baby becoming overtired and they will be harder to settle.

Learn your baby?s self settling signs
Soft staring, quiet stillness, soft face, relaxed breathing. Not all babies will exhibit obvious self settling signs. You may notice, however, a few minutes prior to your baby showing tired signs that he or she may become quiet or stare at an object.

Sleep promotes sleep
Allow your baby to sleep during the day. Overtired babies (and adults) find it hard to relax and unwind, releasing into sleep.

Be consistent with a bedtime routine
Create cues for sleep for the evening, such as bath, breast feed, bed, no play and quiet time, a quiet comforting cuddle, putting into PJ?s or sleeping bag. Babies thrive on consistency, as the pattern of the day gives them clues as to what is going to happen next, this in turn promotes feelings of safety and security for you baby.

Put your baby to bed relaxed and drowsy but awake
Which can help encourage to your baby to self soothe, and with development of sleep maturity (which is different for every baby), self settle to sleep.

Give your baby time to relax and unwind prior to sleep.
Just as we need to unwind after a days work, before relaxing and then drifting off to sleep, so do babies. Give your baby some quiet play or cuddle time before their sleep.


I hope this helps

x

[Snacks]

Oshani, I think it is really your call...
I have friends whose babies went to bed later and woke later (I think they went around 9-10pm, then woke around 9-10pm. This worked well with their lifestyle, so they stuck with it. IMO there's no point waking your baby at 7am if you don't want to be awake at 7am too!
Personally, I am cactus by 10pm, so that's my bedtime. That's why I've always made sure Natty is asleep by 8pm unless we're out. Like others have said, for us her night bedtime depends on when she woke from her afternoon sleep. She needs to be awake by 4pm, otherwise it is very difficult for her to go to sleep at night until closer to 8.
Does Oscar sleep well during the day?
Jordie, I'm sorry but I don't have any suggestions for you, other than it would seem that's a fairly common theme among 4mo babes! Hang in there.

[Mollygirl]

Oshanie - I have found with two bubs that they did the sleeping through at 3-4 months and at 4.5 months (to now) my dd is waking 2-3 times during the night, no matter how much she feeds or sleeps during the day so I think it is normal for a number of babies.

You could try changing the waking time, but be prepared it may not work, and that you would have to continue it for a few days to make it a new habit which could be tough with him still going to sleep late and you getting him up earlier.

You could just wait it out a bit longer and see if he changes his pattern by himself - they seem to change what they are doing week to week to me.

I'm not much help, but sending you lots of support and best wishes that you find what works for you and bubs.

[Rouge]

The older Seth got the earlier I'd put him down. I'd start 10 minutes earlier, and then after a week bring it down another 10 minutes. Yes he started getting up earlier but that was fine as Paris had Kinder & then school anyway. Now he can got to bed at 7 on a school night and he's fine. When Paris was a baby we didn't care so much as we had no obligations, but she would definitely be in bed by 9.

[~*Niadalla*~]

Just an idea, but maybe you could take DS to bed with you at 9pm. Have him lay in your bed, with the lights off and nice and quiet. If you do this over a few days, he may start to realise that 9pm (or whichever time you chose), is quiet time and time for sleep.

I personally have let Lach decide his own sleep routine. He has decided to go to sleep between 8 and 9, wakes up around 3am, and then 6am, and sleeps until 9am. He likes letting mummy have a sleep in
I am not too worried about him waking a few times a night. He's only 6 months old, and I know that I get thirsty during the night and need a drink. I just figure that he won't truly 'sleep though' the night until he is around 5 or 6 years of age, when he realises that sleep is good. lol
I am so fine with Lach waking twice a night, rather than every hour and a half like he did for the first 2 months. LOL I find I am always trying to think back to those days
Good luck
I would be very very happy with Lach going to sleep at 11pm and sleeping through till 9 without waking.

xxoo