Please help I need some sleep

[Eternalbear]

Quinn is a horrible sleeper. He is up 4-10 times everynight. I co-sleep but have recently moved him to the cot with the side off butted up between the wall and my bed. This has not helped.
He dosn't nurse to sleep, I don't rock him, We have a bedtime routine and then I just sit with him for up to an hour while he rolls around slowly winding down and finally drifts off. I'm there when he wakes because the cot is right beside the bed so it's not a matter of waking in different surroundings or anything like that....

He does nurse back to sleep and I think this is the problem. Day time nursings have become a play session, he sucks then comes off and plays with the nipple with his hands, squirts milk has another suck, slides off my laps, gets back on and repeat
I think he gets the majority of his milk calories at night and I am not sure how to change it, if he is not that interested in nursing through the day. I offer the breast often during the day.

Can I offer water at night to make him nurse properly though the day?

I can't cut his calories because he has been maintaining 9kg for 4 months, he only just put 200gms on in the last few weeks.... before that there was no movement on the scales for 12 weeks

crying it out it not an option because he gets severe eczema and the major trigger is heat and stress. So a CIO session would just flare his skin and then he'd be to itchy to sleep anyway...

oh and naps he has two or three half hour naps in the stroller. He won't sleep anywhere else during the day because he can't switch off. I have to put him in the stroller to pysically restrain him so he can wind down.... He's a little whirlwind. He's always been this way, even as a newborn he was super alert and awake a lot.

Sorry this is long but I just don't know what else to do. My early childhood nurse suggested sleep school and had no real other suggestions.

[Kmn]

If he's a little whirlwind - is he getting caffeine from you? My DS seems to be much more affected by caffeine than the other bubs in our Mum's group - more than one tea a day and we are guaranteed a poor night's sleep.

Can you increase his solids during the day? And really really try and offer BF in the hour or 2 before bed?

I hope it improves for you
hugs
Kate

[Eternalbear]

Thanks I had not thought of caffine. I do have a bit of it in the mornings to get me going :S
He does really well with solids. I guess I need to cut the caffine and insist he breastfeed better

[hj1981]

Can i recommend a website for u too check out - it helped us heaps with our little one!
Google Worlds best sleep solutions (the sleep store) - or its Segment Publishing : Design.Develop.Host
Hopefully that helps u!

[Kazbah]

Maybe offer him something to focus on? I found with my DS that during the day, he'd sleep really badly (not turn off) until I found out he'd zone out watching the leaves on the tree move. At night, just something to watch - a light show on the wall, even a computer screensaver would help.

Good luck!

[hj1981]

ops are we not suppose to reccomend websites? cause what is written there is not what i wrote!
I apologise everyone if we are not meant too!

[Visitor8]

sleep school is a good idea. a friend of mine went to one with her 11 month old and hasnt looked back

[Eternalbear]

Aren't sleep schools just CIO camps???

Melissa

[Lulu]

Yes they are, I've been to two and left both early.

Have you thought about the effect dairy may be having?

I'd also maybe try to stop the playtime routine. Maybe get up off the couch and make a cuppa when he slides off the boob for a play, and not be so available to him for so long. So when is boob time its lunchtime iykwim?

[Visitor8]

Aren't sleep schools just CIO camps???

Melissa

CIO?

Do you mean controlled crying?

The one here isn't They helped show my friend how to settle her little one without feeding and rocking, they helped stop her from waking 5+ times a night. She is anti CC so no it wasn't and she was happy with it