HELP! Suddenly he won't go to sleep!

[nox]

I have posted this on another thread as well, but being soooo desperate I thought to try here as well...

I am not sure what is going on!
My DS is just over 4mths. Suddenly he won't settle at all in his cot or anywhere flat (including in my bed). He can be fast asleep in my arms or DH's arms and as soon as he touches the mattress, he rolls over onto his tum and screams and screams ... this goes on for HOURS!
He is very strong and I am not worried about the tummy rolling but he just won't sleep!
We keep a good routine and he is extremely tired!

Any advice? I am heartbroken ....

[ShootingStar]

You can get things to stop them from rolling at baby shops.. theyre like a padded thing. Not sure how safe they are or not but might be something to look into?

[Jac]

Could he be suffering from reflux, or something else that is causing pain? Babies with reflux may cry when placed on a flat surface. Could you try raising his bed so that his head is up a bit, JIC this is the problem?

Try rolling him onto his side, away from you, and patting him on the bum or shoulder and see if this settles him - may take some time though. This would settle my DS who suffered from reflux around the same age.

:hugs: to you.

[nox]

I have heard mixed things about those wedges.
I am not sure if he is rolling and that is waking him or he is just waking because he is on the mattress! This JUST started ... before he was fine!
Now of course (an hour of trying to settle him) he is constantly hysterical.
I pick him up nad he's calm, put him down and he screams. I can make him sleep in my arms, but as soon as he touches the mattress he screams.

[nox]

It doesn't seem like reflux, if that makes sense. There's no spitting up or anything and has only just started ...

[Evie76]

They're called sleep positioners. Safe'n'Sound make one, so do "the First Years" (which is the one I have). I still use it.

Daniel did the same thing as your DS at about the same age. I did this and it worked, you can try it and see how you go.

I wrap Daniel under his arms (so his bottom half is wrapped and his arms are still free). Then I put him in the sleep positioner (which you don't necessarily need, it's just what I have) and put him on his side, facing away from me - the important thing is facing away, so there is no eye contact. I stick his dummy in and while holding his shoulder firmly (so he remains on his side despite his best fighting efforts) I pat his back. I do this for about 10 minutes and if he is still upset, I'd pick him up and cuddle him for 5 minutes, talking to him nicely so he would calm down. Then I'd do it again. I'd find that after about the third go-around, he'd fall asleep. Daniel also had a dummy, which I would put back in when spat out.

If, after the third time, he doesn't go to sleep I'd take him out of the room and read him a book in a quiet place with dimmed lights until I saw him rubbing his eyes again. I came to the conclusion there's no point in flogging a dead horse (so to speak), if he wouldn't go to sleep, there was no point in me upsetting him further (to be honest there were times I was so tired, while he was crying so was I, so I was getting upset too) - it's all about relaxing him.

It is to the point now that when I put him in bed (by wrapping his bottom half) that he rolls himself over on to his side and goes to sleep. Something I have also noticed is that he won't sleep anywhere else except his cot (Eg: won't sleep with us holding him or in our bed). So, with persistence - A LOT - we have succeeded.

My only problem now is that he wakes up at 5am!!! All very well if you're a rooster, which I am not.

Try it and see how you go. Although, someone else may have come up with some better advice. I reckon it's just matter of taking the time out and relaxing the baby - which is really hard and sometimes futile, but it will pay off in the end.

Rant ended.

[nox]

also what's happening is now when DH goes into room, he clams down and as soon as he leaves, the screaming starts again ....

[nox]

lestypuss -- i use a gro bag ... we have just changed to a bigger size (because he is a very big boy for his age) so we are now in 6-18mth gro bag. it had occurred to me that maybe it is too big ....
My DH is going to read to him now ....

[Evie76]

good luck nox. Hope my suggestion is of some use. Consistency is key. I had to show my husband how I was doing it, so we were both doing it the same way - if you know what I mean.

Re: the calming down. Your son is doing EXACTLY what Daniel was doing before I did this putting on the side thing. Cunning little people!! Heh, heh.

[nox]

yes, i think you are right we'll have to discuss what we do and how ...
the story didn't work for him this time. I am changing him out of the gro bag and into a sheet as you suggest. I have previously done the on the side patting -- never worked for us!!!
I am now going to pretend we're starting again and will feed him to see if that will settle him!
I will try anything!

[Evie76]

Poor nox. I wish I could come and help you. I know how you're feeling.

I'll send vibes - "go to sleep mini nox!!"

[nox]

Gd what a drama!
I have re-fed him one side and just sat and sat and sat ... then delicately moved him into cot. I have also increased the light in the room b/c DH thought that he was freaking because too dark.
Don't know if its because he's out of the gro bag, the extra feed, the extra light or pure exhaustion, but he is still asleep it seems!
Best I rush to have a bit of sleep while he's quiet! Can't believe he's doing this.

[Evie76]

Have a sleep nox. Hopefully you won't see him again tonight!! (not that you don't want to, but it would be nice to get some sleep). You never know.

PS. Sounds like he is being what I like to refer to as a "poo head".

[nox]

Well the little poo head slept until 2am for a quickie then until 6am for another quickie then 8am final wake up!

We just had some of the same probs tonight but I was quicker giving him an extra feed when he cried as opposed to trying to settle him and it seems to have worked ... 20mins and he's fast asleep!

Hoping for the best!

[Evie76]

Oh, 20 mins is pretty good.

PS. Note the time of this post and the reference to rooster in one of my posts in this thread. Ridiculous.

[Paisley]

Yeah, what's the deal with protesting when they're going into the cot? My son, 8mths, now fights going into the cot, the pram, and even the car seat and high chair!! The pram used to work for giving him quiet time where he'd get all dopey without realising we were trying to "settle" him. Now he's onto us, the little so-and-so, and he twists and turns and cries out as we're trying to put him down (or "in" as the case may be).

"Just close your eyes and lay still!! It's very very simple! If you just shut up and lie there for a few minutes you'd save yourself and us alot of this grief!" is what I wish I could convey to him. There was once a time when he'd get dopey and we'd place him in the cot where he'd just roll over onto his right side (always his right side for some reason, now he ends up on his belly regardless of how we place him down...and his head can end up facing any direction) and would go straight to sleep.

You're not the only confused and frustrated parent, nox. Small comfort, I know, but hopefully it's some comfort at all.

[Evie76]

It would be nice if they could just get it. "If you just go to sleep you'll feel much better and I'll see you in the morning........" nope. Not that easy. Why, why, why??