We are still having major sleep problems around here. Dominick used to at least take 2 naps, but for the last 3 days he hasn't wanted to take a nap. It feels like I spend the whole day trying to get him to take a nap. He gets tired and fussy but won't fall asleep. On top of that, he wakes up a few times during the night, once for a bottle and the other times it seems like he's having little night mares or something because he just wakes up from a dead sleep crying. Dominick's doctor told me that I need to let him "cry it out" and DON'T give him a bottle. He said that at 9 months there is absolutely no reason for him to need a bottle in the middle of the night and that he has to learn to fall asleep on his own. Well, for those of you who are or have adopted, you know that all the professionals say that you should never let an adopted baby "cry it out" because of attachment issues and so on. But I was considering trying it in a few weeks. Well, last night Dominick woke up screaming and would not calm down. I tried a bottle and rocking him and everything and he wouldn't stop crying. So finally I just put him in his bed and let him cry. Then I would try to pick him up a few minutes later and he continued to cry. After doing this a few time, I figured why even pick him up because it doesn't help. I finally just let him CRY IT OUT. He screamed and cried for 45 minutes and finally went to sleep. He never woke up again for a bottle and I had to end up waking him up at 7:45 this morning, which has NEVER happened before. He is always up at 5:00 AM. And he woke up smiling and very happy, which made me feel like I did the right thing. I don't know if I'll be able to do it again tonight, but I wish I could. The doctor said if I do this every night, he'll be sleeping through the night in about 4 days. That would be so awesome!!!Yesterday I tried all day to get Dominick to take a nap and he wouldn't. So around 5:00 PM, he was just jumping away in his Jumperoo and fell asleep. It was soooo funny, he fights his sleep so bad I didn't think there was any way he would fall asleep while playing. He fell asleep and then would suddenly pop his head up and start jumping again without even opening his eyes for a few seconds and then fall asleep again. I was dying laughing. So after his bottle last night, he wouldn't go to sleep again. I stuck him in his Jumperoo and what do you know??? He fell sound asleep again!!!
Nap Time
Night-Night Time
And guess how I got him to fall asleep for both of his naps today...Yep, in his Jumperoo. I'm desperate!!!
5 comments:
Oh my gosh, Lynn, those pictures are cracking me up. When you're desperate for them to sleep, you do what you can, don't you? Hey, if the Jumperoo works, I'd be all over that.
Not that you have any time whatsoever to read, but if you're interested in a really good book on sleep, you might want to pick up "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." That book is my sleep bible. It has a lot of really good information on baby sleep physiology and some practical tips on helping your kid to be well-rested.
Call if you get any free time! Next time Dominick's snoozing in his Jumperoo, right? Hee.
-Betsy
Been there done that!I was with JB in Guatemala the last 5 weeks of our adoption journey. Sleep was sacred! I would love to email you about some of those issues - mine is
McKenzieplumber1@aol.com
By the way - he looks like an angel sleeping in his jumperoo:):)
JUlia
If it works, right??? I have some of those same exact pictures except Gia tucks her arms down into the seat:)
I'll tell you what, sometimes I think Gia is in the Jump-A-Roo more than she is out of it. She loves it.
Looking forward to your sleeping-through-the-night-post.
Hey Lyn! Dominick is so adorable! I say do whatever it takes to get them to sleep/nap. Ann Marie wasn't much of a napper either at that age.... so I did whatever worked to get her to nap. You are doing awesome mommy!!! Talk to lots of moms of babies his age. That helped me more than any doctor!!!!
Love,
Christine
Post a Comment