Aa
Some tips to help my son sleep better
My son is only 2 months old but i will tell you what is going on. He used to be a very deep sleeper and now he is a very light sleeper waking to the slightest sounds. He is constantly getting woken up from his naps and doesnt get sufficient sleep. He will sometimes only sleep for 15 minutes before waking up. At night he is getting up every 2 to 3 hours. Mostly he becomes so over tired that he will cry and cry until he falls asleep from us holding him and walking with him or rocking him. Any tips for him to get longer and more deep sleeps?
Also....at night when he does wake up to eat he will only eat like 1 or 2 ounces before he falls back asleep...is that ok or should I wake him up until he eats more?
Oh and when is it ok to stop burping after a feed? A certain age or when he burps himself?
Also....at night when he does wake up to eat he will only eat like 1 or 2 ounces before he falls back asleep...is that ok or should I wake him up until he eats more?
Oh and when is it ok to stop burping after a feed? A certain age or when he burps himself?
My son did have a hard time sleeping through the night but what helped us was using a noise machine. We would put it on a sound like waves and this would help block other noises out. He had colic in the beginning and that made it hard and gas was also another factor. If you are breastfeeding you can change what you eat and that sometimes helps. If you are feeding formula then I know many people had success when changing types. There are natural drops that work for these things such as gripe water and mylican drops. Good luck to you.
I wasn't offended at all by what you said just wanted to better explain because I don't like to let my baby cry either and had a very hard time with it the first time I let him fuss for those few minutes. But, it does work for him (not for every baby) if I just let him be for a few minutes. Also, I notice that when he is upset during the day (he gets easily frustrated if he cannot reach a toy ect he is 4 months old) he only likes to be swaddled and rocked... if you try to talk to him or offer him toys it will just further upset him...he just likes the quiet if he gets worked up. Every baby has such a different personality... and I am sure my parenting techniques will even be different for baby #2 in a few years depending on his/her personality.
Swaddle and white noise machine.
My baby was a terrible terrible sleeper. The swaddle and white noise got us from having her wake every 15 minutes during the night (crying out, from both reflux and she had sensory issues) to getting a 1 to 2 hour stretch, sometimes even 3 hours. Sounds bad to most, but for me, that stretch was heaven. She wasn't waking to play or eat, she wouldn't even open her eyes. She wasn't looking to get picked up. She was just waking and NOT happy about it. She did eventually outgrow her sleeping issues, although I won't tell you how long it took...
My baby was a terrible terrible sleeper. The swaddle and white noise got us from having her wake every 15 minutes during the night (crying out, from both reflux and she had sensory issues) to getting a 1 to 2 hour stretch, sometimes even 3 hours. Sounds bad to most, but for me, that stretch was heaven. She wasn't waking to play or eat, she wouldn't even open her eyes. She wasn't looking to get picked up. She was just waking and NOT happy about it. She did eventually outgrow her sleeping issues, although I won't tell you how long it took...
Swaddle Swaddle Swaddle!! I had the same problem Kaelynn was sleeping 8 hours eating then another 4 hours and then she started waking up ever 2-3 hours. I was co sleeping since she was waking up so much and then I realized I wasn't swaddling her since our bed is so warm. I bought a Swaddle wrap since she's out grown all the receiving blankets and they won't stay wrapped around her. The first night I swaddled her again she slept 6 hours and ate then another 6 hours. She's back sleeping her normal 8 hours then 4 again.
thank you everybody for your advice! I will definately be trying some of your tips! I know he is still very young but i definately want to instill good sleeping habits from early on!
My 10 month old son was the lightest and most infrequent sleeper up until this last week. I can't say too much for advice, as the methods I've been using that have been working have only been doing so consistently for four days so far...I can only hope that this keeps up, because I'm running on 10 months of sleeping only 2-4 hours each night, lol, and I'm a full time working mom, so the whole idea of "nap when baby does" is not an option for me.
Anyway...onto the advice.
First of all, get the baby on a set routine each night. My son's routine is: get home, eat dinner, playtime, bathtime (or vice versa, depending on how messy he got from dinner), get jammies on and lay in the bed with me to nurse, lights dimmed, quiet background noise.
Okay, here's where I've come across something that may or may not work for your baby, but thankfully, these things have worked for my lil' guy.
- Rub down with a bedtime lotion with lavender scent, or put a *very small* drop of lavender oil on the forehead and one on the bottom of each foot (a homeopathic soothing method). If you use the oil itself, you do not need to use very much at all, because it's extremely potent. For your baby being so young, I'd recommend sticking with the scented baby lotions.
- This may sound crazier than crazy, but I swear there's something to it--get some Vick's VapoRub for Babies and rub it onto the bottom of his feet, then put socks or booties on. This is another homeopathic "trick" that I learned...apparently the soles of the feet absorb and circulate into the body faster than anywhere else? I dunno...but I can't speak against it! The VapoRub method was something I came across a couple days ago as I was reading about ways to soothe a cough and create a relaxed state of breathing. Figured it couldn't hurt to try even if my son didn't have a cough.
I'll tell you what, between the lavender oil and the VapoRub, he has slept deeply for four night straight now AND gone to bed with little to no crying or fussing! Just lays down and goes right to sleep, it's amazing.
- Another thing I've used is a microwaveable, heated teddy bear. My son really liked the physical contact and having a warm body next to him, as we co-slept with him for the first seven months of his life to breastfeed. The teddy bear I got has a microwaveable heat sack that is scented with lavender and chamomile. He LOVES that bear. You may want to wait until later to use a heated toy for your son, as he's only two months and still has a higher risk of SIDS when sleeping with a stuffed toy. But for future reference...
- Also, swaddle if you can. The SwaddleMe blankets...are a miracle, lol. I swaddled my son until he was seven months old and outgrew the blanket and was also strong enough to wiggle out of it anyway. But up till then, he could just not sleep without it. He'd sleep really well while swaddled; he wasn't as light of a sleeper. He'd still wake up a few times a night though, but that was to nurse. When I was no longer able to use the SwaddleMe blanket, he became the world's lightest sleeper and from seven months to now, he was waking up every single night 2-7 times.
- Make sure he falls asleep where he'll wake up. Don't rock him into a sound sleep in your arms, then put him in a bed in another room, as then he'll likely be more disoriented when he wakes up and probably want more security from you (such as holding him and walking him around).
- My pediatrician said it's psychologically safe to let your baby cry for up to 15 minutes before going to comfort them. He also said that after six months old, it is no longer nutritionally necessary to feed the baby during the night. I weaned my son for nighttime when he was seven months old.
These methods have worked for me so far, so I hope at least some of it can be useful advice for you. Believe me, I struggled long enough just to be able to get this far for *me* to sleep through the night, lol. Now that I've found something that's working, I'm over the moon! I've gotten *four days* of 6+ hours of sleep in 10½ months! I'm ecstatic, lol.
Anyway...onto the advice.
First of all, get the baby on a set routine each night. My son's routine is: get home, eat dinner, playtime, bathtime (or vice versa, depending on how messy he got from dinner), get jammies on and lay in the bed with me to nurse, lights dimmed, quiet background noise.
Okay, here's where I've come across something that may or may not work for your baby, but thankfully, these things have worked for my lil' guy.
- Rub down with a bedtime lotion with lavender scent, or put a *very small* drop of lavender oil on the forehead and one on the bottom of each foot (a homeopathic soothing method). If you use the oil itself, you do not need to use very much at all, because it's extremely potent. For your baby being so young, I'd recommend sticking with the scented baby lotions.
- This may sound crazier than crazy, but I swear there's something to it--get some Vick's VapoRub for Babies and rub it onto the bottom of his feet, then put socks or booties on. This is another homeopathic "trick" that I learned...apparently the soles of the feet absorb and circulate into the body faster than anywhere else? I dunno...but I can't speak against it! The VapoRub method was something I came across a couple days ago as I was reading about ways to soothe a cough and create a relaxed state of breathing. Figured it couldn't hurt to try even if my son didn't have a cough.
I'll tell you what, between the lavender oil and the VapoRub, he has slept deeply for four night straight now AND gone to bed with little to no crying or fussing! Just lays down and goes right to sleep, it's amazing.
- Another thing I've used is a microwaveable, heated teddy bear. My son really liked the physical contact and having a warm body next to him, as we co-slept with him for the first seven months of his life to breastfeed. The teddy bear I got has a microwaveable heat sack that is scented with lavender and chamomile. He LOVES that bear. You may want to wait until later to use a heated toy for your son, as he's only two months and still has a higher risk of SIDS when sleeping with a stuffed toy. But for future reference...
- Also, swaddle if you can. The SwaddleMe blankets...are a miracle, lol. I swaddled my son until he was seven months old and outgrew the blanket and was also strong enough to wiggle out of it anyway. But up till then, he could just not sleep without it. He'd sleep really well while swaddled; he wasn't as light of a sleeper. He'd still wake up a few times a night though, but that was to nurse. When I was no longer able to use the SwaddleMe blanket, he became the world's lightest sleeper and from seven months to now, he was waking up every single night 2-7 times.
- Make sure he falls asleep where he'll wake up. Don't rock him into a sound sleep in your arms, then put him in a bed in another room, as then he'll likely be more disoriented when he wakes up and probably want more security from you (such as holding him and walking him around).
- My pediatrician said it's psychologically safe to let your baby cry for up to 15 minutes before going to comfort them. He also said that after six months old, it is no longer nutritionally necessary to feed the baby during the night. I weaned my son for nighttime when he was seven months old.
These methods have worked for me so far, so I hope at least some of it can be useful advice for you. Believe me, I struggled long enough just to be able to get this far for *me* to sleep through the night, lol. Now that I've found something that's working, I'm over the moon! I've gotten *four days* of 6+ hours of sleep in 10½ months! I'm ecstatic, lol.
only you as his mom can make any desicion for him! I mean no offese to you but I am one of the mamas who do not agree with that method. I was never implying that you let him cry on end or are a bad mom at all. I also do understand where you are coming from. But as what I believe gave my two cents which are only worth something to me maybe but maybe not. WHen giving advice you read everything then make your own decision waht you feel good doing. There are always two sides to every thing.
No mom is the same or we would have some pretty boring kids:) haha and no one would ask questions or learn anything!
No mom is the same or we would have some pretty boring kids:) haha and no one would ask questions or learn anything!
Just wanted to clarify that I used to not let my baby cry at all... any little fuss and I would run in. But, he would stay up all night wanting to play everytime I went in. The five minute thing I just started a few weeks ago when he was suddenly waking again during the night and he usually fusses for the first 3 minutes then right to sleep. If not I go back in and hold him again and rock him, but me not letting him fuss a little was keeping him awake all hours. It makes sense we as their moms are their favorite people, so of course they are not going to want to sleep if we are in their room.
This has seemed to help him know that when it's night time... it's time to sleep. It's OK to wake up sometimes we as adults do it too for whatever we need. But, it's back to bed when it's over no play at 3am =)
This has seemed to help him know that when it's night time... it's time to sleep. It's OK to wake up sometimes we as adults do it too for whatever we need. But, it's back to bed when it's over no play at 3am =)
Oh and babies do not usually tend to get overly tired but overly stimulated at that age. If he is having trouble sleeping it might be that he was over stimulated before bed and having trouble releasing the stress. SOme people call it colic which shows up around 2 months but I do not believe in it at all. I would jsut say you need to try to find what he needs, change of position, white noise, burped, potty ( I ec my little guy, look up the ec store to know what it is) When babies have to go potty they will not sleep and will constantly wake up till they go, formula fed babies tend to be constipated and have more trouble from what I have seen. Try holding under his thighs with legs up to his chest out to the side and make a pisssss sound. or try holding him across your arm on his belly. some babies just need to change postion. Also make sure he is comfy in his clothes, not to tight or toes can move freely, not cold or hot. Babies can be hard to learn what they are wanting but babies do not cry for no reason and crying to sleep is not a good thing! If it keeps up talk to his dr about it. Try the swing too.
sorry I know this is bits and pieces and long but I am tired and trying think with half a brain;) hahaha
sorry I know this is bits and pieces and long but I am tired and trying think with half a brain;) hahaha
Babies will go through spells where they sleep lighter and or less, like when they go through a growth spurt. But at 2 months is when he is going to start to come alinve and more aware of his surroundings. It is impossible really to know what kind of sleeper he will be. I was able to have a schedule with my first three but my last one I can not. Once he gets used to the noises more he will start sleeping through things. I would get a routin of bath, quiet and dimmer lights when he gets sleepy though and it will help, and no lights just night lights when he wakes up. LIke the other poster put I also never turn on any light or talk much, Henry has always been wide awake and smiling when he wakes up no matter what time it is! I do tell him I love him and kiss him but not much talking and very quiet talking. Then When I rock him I do not sing to him at bed time or during the night, only for naps in the day. He dose not like naps and is not a napper by any means. He will go to bed aorund 7 and get up around 5-7am. He does however get up still at almost 6 months 4-6x a night to eat. Usually in 1 hour then every two hours to eat, then goes right back to sleep. Babies that age need to eat at night still and have full bellies to sleep good! If they wake up in less then an hour then you can try to rock them but they need to eat no matter how much! You don't have to worry about waking them to eat at night unless they are premature.
Even if they have enough during the day after an hour for breastfed babies and 2-3 hours for formula fed babies their bellies are empty. So they need to be fed! Again it does not matter what they eat during the day, it is the fast thier belly is empty then after that long when waking they need to be fed!
You can try the things above but ultimatly baby will decide, I am not a big fan of letting baby cry or having them fall asleep on their own as when tehy are little the need comfort and to know you are there! Letting them cry will just tell them that you are not there and did not come to their crys even if it is for just a few min of crying! They have NO IDEA of time! They need assurance and comfort! They have no clue what you are trying to teach them! Babies communicate by crying if you do not listen to thier cues or learn them so if baby is crying they need picked up. Sorry but as it was posted above I do not want you to think that is an OK method. I know lots of moms do it but studies show that it can be detrimental to babies health and those babies tend to have more health issues and stomach problems and are not as adjusted as abbies who are picke dup right away.
Also he will need to be burped till he can walk around and climb and move, around 9-12 months old! Babies especially when falling asleep can not move the air around to burp and it will get uncomforatble. Even if they burp on thier own does not mean they don;t need burped.
Even if they have enough during the day after an hour for breastfed babies and 2-3 hours for formula fed babies their bellies are empty. So they need to be fed! Again it does not matter what they eat during the day, it is the fast thier belly is empty then after that long when waking they need to be fed!
You can try the things above but ultimatly baby will decide, I am not a big fan of letting baby cry or having them fall asleep on their own as when tehy are little the need comfort and to know you are there! Letting them cry will just tell them that you are not there and did not come to their crys even if it is for just a few min of crying! They have NO IDEA of time! They need assurance and comfort! They have no clue what you are trying to teach them! Babies communicate by crying if you do not listen to thier cues or learn them so if baby is crying they need picked up. Sorry but as it was posted above I do not want you to think that is an OK method. I know lots of moms do it but studies show that it can be detrimental to babies health and those babies tend to have more health issues and stomach problems and are not as adjusted as abbies who are picke dup right away.
Also he will need to be burped till he can walk around and climb and move, around 9-12 months old! Babies especially when falling asleep can not move the air around to burp and it will get uncomforatble. Even if they burp on thier own does not mean they don;t need burped.
oops sorry that last sentence I meant to add that I will only give him maybe 2 ounces if he wakes in the middle of the night. He hasn't done this in at least 2 weeks (knock on wood hehe). Hope some of that helps =)
My son has been sleeping all the way through the night since around 1-2 months old. First it was he would only wake up twice, then that went to once... then he would just wake up early and not get up at all during the night. Once in a great while he will wake in the middle of the night at 4 months old now, but not too often. He is not much of a napper like your son will sleep for 20 minutes to an hour here and there. But, he sleeps 10 hours plus all the way strait. Here is what I have done from the beginning:
-During the day keep everything bright and loud. Vaccum, listen to music, turn up the TV. This let's him know it's day time... and if he gets tired he just sleeps through it. Same thing when we are out and about somewhere he will fall asleep during whatever.
-Establish a good bedtime routine. For my son it's a bath at 7:30pm, and a warm bottle afterwards. Typically, he doesn't even make it through the bottle before he is out if he is awake when it's done he is usually sleepy so I put him in his crib. I don't heat the bottle for him any other time except bed.
-If he does wake during the night I do not speak to him. I do not turn on any lights (we have dim night lights all through the house). I simply change him, feed him, and rock/snuggle him until he is drowsy then put him back in the crib. I will only let him cry for 5 minutes.... normally is asleep before that. If he is still crying after the 5 minutes I go back in and rock him again or calm him down and walk out again. I think keeping it dark and not talking helps him know it's night time and time to sleep.
-Make sure he is getting his daily intake of formula during the day. My son is suppose to get 32 ounces in a 24 hour period. He wakes up at 6am... so I make sure he gets the 32 ounces before his bed time so he is not hungry (or close to it usually it's 5 6 oz bottles).
-During the day keep everything bright and loud. Vaccum, listen to music, turn up the TV. This let's him know it's day time... and if he gets tired he just sleeps through it. Same thing when we are out and about somewhere he will fall asleep during whatever.
-Establish a good bedtime routine. For my son it's a bath at 7:30pm, and a warm bottle afterwards. Typically, he doesn't even make it through the bottle before he is out if he is awake when it's done he is usually sleepy so I put him in his crib. I don't heat the bottle for him any other time except bed.
-If he does wake during the night I do not speak to him. I do not turn on any lights (we have dim night lights all through the house). I simply change him, feed him, and rock/snuggle him until he is drowsy then put him back in the crib. I will only let him cry for 5 minutes.... normally is asleep before that. If he is still crying after the 5 minutes I go back in and rock him again or calm him down and walk out again. I think keeping it dark and not talking helps him know it's night time and time to sleep.
-Make sure he is getting his daily intake of formula during the day. My son is suppose to get 32 ounces in a 24 hour period. He wakes up at 6am... so I make sure he gets the 32 ounces before his bed time so he is not hungry (or close to it usually it's 5 6 oz bottles).
no dont stop burping. Do you swaddle him? IS it gas? try mylicon.... It can easily be gas, thats keeping him up, or you not swaddling him. My daughter fussed DURING swaddling, but once she was asleep SHE STAYED asleep.
babies dont have to eat at night. each baby will have their own demand and i think any amount, or none, is okay.
as far as burping. i stopped when my daughter could burp herself, at about 5/6 months.
i recommend a swaddleme blanket to assist in sleeping. my daughter sleeps very lightly without one and is still in it and she's almost 7 months.
as far as burping. i stopped when my daughter could burp herself, at about 5/6 months.
i recommend a swaddleme blanket to assist in sleeping. my daughter sleeps very lightly without one and is still in it and she's almost 7 months.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Pregnancy Community
Get information and tips on how to help you choose the right place to deliver your baby.
Get the facts on how twins and multiples are formed and your chance of carrying more than one baby at a time.
Learn about the risks and benefits of circumcision.
What to expect during the first hours after delivery.
Learn about early screening and test options for your pregnancy.
Learn about testing and treatment for GBS bacterium.
