Restless Babies

[channy]

I have a 7mth old who has never slept through for more than 5hrs! It is taking its toll. He does not wake to be fed anymore. He sometimes wakes with wind and sometimes because of his reflux. Other times we do not know why he wakes, habbit maybe. This week we have stopped wrapping him so I know it will take some time for him to adjust. It is taking up to 40min to resettle him sometimes though, meaning very little sleep. He seems to be waking every couple of hours and sometimes less. Sometimes it is only for his dummy. I guess I just wondered if anyone else is in the same situation and has a restless sleeper. Or if anyone has been in the same situation and found a way to get bubs to sleep better. Thanks.

[Snugglepot]

Hi Channy,

Does he wake up crying/screaming or just talking/moaning/fussying a bit? I know it sounds like controlled crying etc, but I leave my ds if he is not crying a big cry because he is usually just putting himself back to sleep. He "talks" a lot day and night. So I feel it is just him to carry on vocally a bit when other babies may not.

Before I worked him out I used to go in a re settle him and really just woke him up more than is I had left him. Now he talks and sometimes grizzles a bit and then goes back to sleep himself. Of course reflux is terrible and if that is what is waking him then I am sure he is waking up screaming. What do you do for his reflux?

[channy]

Sometimes he does just wake up and talk and grizzle. He is in the room next to us so we do wait a little bit and see if he goes back to sleep. A couple of times a night he will settle himself. Other times if he starts to get really upset we have to get up to him. He is on Losec at the moment for his reflux. At this stage till he is a year old. Then we have to try taking him off slowly.

[Harmony83]

I know how you feel - (sought of?!) I have a pretty restless sleeper also and some nights he wakes up, upto 6 times (although the last 2 nights he has slept through - yee hah!) My DF or myself normally go in there straight away to put his dummy in as soon as he stirs otherwise he wakes up fully and decides its play time! Plus I can't sleep if I hear him playing?! I don't have any suggestions for you, but I do hope you sought it out soon, I know what its like to be sleep deprived and it is actually quite painful!! ;)

[JanetF]

Five hours is technically "sleeping through". That's what is considered sleeping through for babies in sleep studies. It's pretty normal. If you want to sleep better yourself, why not put his cot in your room so you don't have to get up to him but can comfort him immediately? Sidecar the cot and never get out of bed in the night! I'd have loved a baby that slept 5 hours but my son woke every 2 hours for a feed until he was 10 months old. He's now 2 and we get 5 hour bursts now. It's perfectly normal.
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

[Snugglepot]

Hi Channy,

He is such a gorgeous baby, fancy such a cutie keeping you up half the night!

It is just an idea, but have you tried taking him to an osteopath or Chiro or something like that? Maybe his back is out a bit and thats why he finds it hard to get back to sleep. Reflux babies have such random symptoms it is hard to know what the real problem is sometimes. It did help DS with his reflux and day naps.

It is so hard to know, but if you are up every few hours you must be exhausted. Perhaps you could stop the dummy and the wrapping together and take a little bit longer before you go into him each night, teach him to sleep without either of them?

Other than that could the matress be a problem, my friend was using an old mattress and her bub slept better on a new one.

Sorry it is just ideas and you have probably tried them all, I hope one helps...

[channy]

He is a gorgeous baby. :)

I am not too keen on Chiro's, I know it works for some people but just the thought of him being so fragile.

We are weaning him off the wrapping at the moment. He has not been wrapped to sleep since Saturday. I don't want to do too much at a time. We sit beside his cot while he goes to sleep. If we walk out he gets really upset, will look at that next week. We have considered weaning off the dummy but it helps with his reflux. The mattress we have was farely new when we got it but if it doesn't get better will consider a new one.

JanetF - I said the most he has ever slept was 5 hrs and that was once. That is not normal, if it was I would be coping fine! We have had his cot in our room and have only had him in his own room for a month, but we have found he sleeps better in his own room. He wakes even more in our room as sometimes we watch T.V before we go to bed or we read. Not too mention it is nice for my DH and I to have time alone.

[lil monkey]

Hi There,

I agree with Lez&Kyle!

Tayla has been really restless and unsettled the past few months - started at 7 months. SHe also had really bad reflux from birth!

So, yesterday I took her to an Osteopath - she got a head massage type thing for half an hour and she slept through the night last night and has been more settled and happy since!

I would highly recommend seeing one. Tayla has a flat back of her head which was impacting her jaw bone and teeth development and also affecting her nervous system and digestive system. She won't need another treatment for 4 months but it was the best money I have spent on her yet!

[belinda]

my bub has been not sleeping well either and would love to try a Osteopath does anyone know any in brisbane??

[lil monkey]

This website gives you your local osteopath. That's where I got mine from!

http://www.osteopathy.com.au/

[channy]

Kez have you been to an Osteo? If I ended up trying that I would like to go to someone recommended. I live in south east melbourne.