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Sleep!
Jan 5, 2008 20:56:52 GMT -5
Post by nathansmom on Jan 5, 2008 20:56:52 GMT -5
I am wondering from all of you post-colic mommies, when did your children finally start sleeping? Or do they still not sleep well? My son is 3 1/2 months old and we are starting to see the colic slowly fading away. We have many more happy moments, but he still doesn't sleep! He is a terrible napper, and not much better at night. He sleeps for 2-3 hours at the most at night. 3 hours usually only happens about one a week. I have heard once the colic is over they usually start sleeping better. Is this true or another myth? Thanks!
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Sleep!
Jan 5, 2008 22:05:22 GMT -5
Post by pamcrt on Jan 5, 2008 22:05:22 GMT -5
Unfortunately my child did NOT like to sleep, she woke up anywhere from 4-7 times a night until she was 6 1/2 months old. Pain in the a s s I know, but that is what I dealt with and then one night, she just slept. It was like a light switch was flipped and she slept from 8:30 pm until 5:00 am. I remember thinking that maybe I had just not woke up when she cried, but I asked my husband and even he said she didn't wake up. Glory to God we did it... for about a week. Then she decided that was for the birds and went back to waking up only 2 times a night, but hey, that was a far cry better than 7 times!! I could handle 2... not 7. So I finally had to do CIO with her on a weekend my husband was at drill for the Army, she by the way didn't like it at all, but it took about 3 days I think for her to realize I wasn't going to come at her every whimper anymore and she got it. Now she sleeps like a champ unless she is sick. Usually asleep by 8:30 and sleeps until around 5-5:30 for a bottle (sometimes none at all, just depends) and then sleeps until around 7:30. I wish it was later, but beggars can't be choosers! Now naps are a different story. She usually takes 2 naps if I am lucky and I try to get her to take them in her bed just because it is quieter in here. If she sleeps good and it is quiet in the house she will usually sleep for 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours. That's a good nap. Bad nap is 45 min-1 hour. If the girls are at home it is hard for me to get her to nap because they are so loud. She has to be super exhausted in order to take a nap if they are home though.
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Sleep!
Jan 5, 2008 22:39:13 GMT -5
Post by basy45 on Jan 5, 2008 22:39:13 GMT -5
Unfortunately, I don't think post colic babies just sleep. You have to teach them how to fall asleep on their own because of all the time you had to spend rocking, holding, and soothing them. I have been giving a lot of advice on sleep, because it was something I worked very hard at with my son while he was colicky, and after the colic subsided. I highly recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. Of the 5 books I have on sleep, it is the one that I used the most, and really what helped me to finally get my son to sleep almost 12 hours every night. It will be possible to get your son to sleep better, but be forewarned, it can be a lot of work, and it most likely is going to involve more than a little crying.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 7:57:37 GMT -5
Post by karime on Jan 6, 2008 7:57:37 GMT -5
I agree with Laura on this one. My husband and I really had to teach Levi how to sleep and overall we are very pleased at this point, but still have some kinks to work out...Also....I really don't want to jinx myself right now, but he has ALWAYS been a catnapper (NO naps over 30-40 min) and after sleep training him, he is finally extending his naps. THANK GOD. He still has some short naps for sure, but I think the fact that he has learned how to go to sleep on his own has helped him tremendously (sp?). Anyways, we waited until he was 4 months old to do anything about it (and we actually had to wait longer than that bc he got sick). Until then, we would go to him as soon as we heard him at night and soothe him back to sleep. I have also read most of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and I agree that it has a lot of great info in it.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 8:19:07 GMT -5
Post by mel5mel on Jan 6, 2008 8:19:07 GMT -5
I decided enough was enough at 2.5 mos... I was sick of juggling him to sleep. So i went against all drs recomendations and flipped him on his tummy... he was still swaddled at that time and he slept through the whole night. Super... then he figured out he could get out of his swaddle then that put an end to the whole sleeping through the night thing, now at 5 mos we still have our weeks where were up a lot but most nights he just gets up for one bottle and perhaps a hug and snuggle at 630 bc mommy is too lazy to get up and start her day.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 10:30:59 GMT -5
Post by mommyof2gurlies on Jan 6, 2008 10:30:59 GMT -5
Brooklyn is sleeping thru the night, but shes still a stinker. If something is bothering her....(just got her shots, cold, teething) she'll wake up a few times a night. Most the time she'll go back to bed, but others she will cry and want a comfort bottle. Thats only when something is bothering her though. For the most part, she sleeps from 8pm everynight...till 7-8am. THANK GOD. it took her long enough. She wasn't sleeping thru the night when they say most normal babies do. Neither was Mya at her age....they were just little stinkers that decided to make it more difficult on mommy
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 10:33:34 GMT -5
Post by mommyof2gurlies on Jan 6, 2008 10:33:34 GMT -5
OH. I forgot to add...we did a sort of CIO thing. Not based on any method...just whatever worked for us. Whatever I could handle with out crying...listening to her cry. I'd normally let her cry 15-20 mins...and if she still wasnt calm, id go in and settle her down, and leave again. It really helped. Her naps vary. Sometimes its one or sometimes two. She'll usually go down at about 10:30 or 11am...and sleep about an hour - an hour and a half. Sometimes she'll take an afternoon nap at 2:00 for an hour. But shes been dropping those lately. I think shes outgrowing them.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 11:37:46 GMT -5
Post by mel5mel on Jan 6, 2008 11:37:46 GMT -5
I dont know what i would do if P dropped either of his three naps... id go nuts
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 12:00:20 GMT -5
Post by mommyof2gurlies on Jan 6, 2008 12:00:20 GMT -5
Yah...its driving me crazy. She decided to cut the later one out. Its been rough because that means shes up...and grumpy from 1pm till bedtime. Sometimes shes fine, but on rough nights like lastnight (since she got her shots) she was REALLY grumpy. I had to hold her or entertain her all night. I just had to sit by her. If i moved 5 feet away she'd start screaming...she wanted me to sit next to her while she played.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 14:49:18 GMT -5
Post by aliki on Jan 6, 2008 14:49:18 GMT -5
Ruby sleeps pretty well at night, once we get her down (which can take hours) but she is purely a catnapper during the day..it is really hard to get her to sleep, and once she is asleep, she doesn't stay down long at all, which makes for a very cranky baby! Sometimes she also gets up early crying with tummy pains, but she can usually be soothed back to sleep. I am hoping this all gets better once she is older, but it sounds like we are going to have to work on it. I will definitely have to check out the book you guys are suggesting.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 15:23:33 GMT -5
Post by mommyof2gurlies on Jan 6, 2008 15:23:33 GMT -5
I really recommend reading those sleep training books...but then molding a plan, based on Ruby and yourself. Some of the ideas and methods that some of the books suggest just aren't realistic for certain people. Brooklyn was a HORRIBLE napper until she got older. I had to let her cry for a little bit during the day. Even nowdays, if she just DOESNT want to sleep, but I know shes tired...i just put her in her crib...and let her cry. She'll usually fuss for a few mins (5 mins top) and go to sleep on her own. When she gets a little older, its easier to let them fall asleep on their own instead of soothing them to sleep. It takes a little more effort, but in the long run its WAY more beneficial for both of you if she can soothe herself to sleep. She may be too young to start doing that though. I didnt try till Brooklyn was about 5 months...which is about when her colic was done with. I used to only be able to get her to nap in her swing, swaddled.
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Sleep!
Jan 6, 2008 16:55:43 GMT -5
Post by aliki on Jan 6, 2008 16:55:43 GMT -5
aah, if she'd only sleep in the swing..she lasts about 5 minutes...very rarely she will fall asleep if she is already on her way. She will fall asleep in the moby wrap, which is what I do if nothing else works..then I lean back and take a nap myself...hell, one time I even went across to a salon and got my eyebrows waxed while she was asleep in that thing!! Of course, she woke up and started screaming though, and I basically had to cut it short, pay, and run out of the place with many eyes staring!
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