[rankrank55]

Well guys, little Lia Pea is 5 months old and having some sleeps issues that I need advice on. Here's the low down:
Our bedtime routine starts at about 4:30(this seems to be when she starts getting fussy so it helps doing it this early). We eat, bath, read, and then I put her bed. We've been co-sleeping since she was a newborn and she would just fall asleep while she nursed. This has came back to haunt me I believe. If I lay her on my bed, most of the time she can fall asleep on her own. It's after that that we begin to have issues. I've also been trying to make the transition to the crib since it's much safer now since she it quite the roller. Anyway, after she goes to sleep around 6 she will usually wake up around 7 wanting reassurance and she goes back to sleep fairly easy. Then she wakes up around 9, 12:30, 3:00, and then stirs and roll a lot between 4:00 to 6:00 when she wakes up. Between 9 and 3 is hell for me... Each time it takes me about 30 minutes to help her back to sleep and then she's usually awakened and upset again right after that. She CAN fall asleep on her own. She does it a lot during the day with naps and she does it very frequently when she goes to be and sometimes with the 2nd wake up. RankRank is tired and in need of some advice and poor Lia needs a better quality of sleep. Thank you for taking the time to read this and help. It's very appreciated!! :(

[stevetcg]

Our daughter did something similar. We got a book called the 90 minute sleep program or something similar to that. Now, on her 10 month birthday she is taking a 2 hour morning nap, a 1 1/2 afternoon nap and sleeping 9-10 hours straight at night.

Of course now that this is working she starts teething... but the sleep plan works. Its worth the investment of $15 in my opinion.

The other suggestion - when she wakes up in the middle of the night - let her cry - she'll go back to sleep without you. The crying won't hurt her. She will learn that night time is sleepy time and will soon stop waking up at night. When you get up with her you are just teaching her that night time has no meaning to her.

[DoulaLC]

I'd try bumping back her bedtime routine a bit and see what results you get. She may simply not be all that tired since she is napping quite a bit in the day as well. Watch how long she is napping during the day... you may find if she has a bit shorter naps during the day, she will go a bit longer at night. Maybe let her have a short late afternoon nap, but then have her back up until later in the evening before actual bedtime. It won't happen over night, but you can help to encourage better nighttime sleeping.

Also, it is very common for babies to wake more when they are learning or practicing a new skill so this may be part of the issue.

Expect changes in sleep patterns in the first year. They are developing very quickly and along with this, their sleep needs will change as well. Often, you will have them on a workable schedule and they decide to change it up on you!

[ang8318]

My son starting sleeping through the night when he was 3 weeks old. But when his 5 month birthday rolled around, he decided that he was not going to sleep through the night anymore. We he woke crying we would go check on him to make sure he was OK, then we would leave him to cry himself to sleep. It was torture for me but it only took about 1 week and he was back to sleeping through the night. I hated doing it, but it did work.

[tata85usa]

I had a same problem, I can't make her sleep too, and I decide let her cry, it was really difficult but after 3 days she was OK

[rankrank55]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

Doula: Lia takes about three 30 min naps per day. Usually she takes her last one around 3:30 or 4 but I bumped it to 2:30 and she seems to fall asleep faster at bedtime. The Ferber method just isn't for me... I just CAN'T let her cry... soooooo I'm thinking about getting the book, The No Cry Sleep Solution and putting that to works. Has anyone had any luck with this? Thanks again ladies.

[DoulaLC]

Different methods will work for different families... hence the wide variety of books available for getting babies to sleep. No Cry Sleep Solution is based on what many parents sometimes forget to do: things like having a consistent bedtime routine... maybe a bath, fed, rocked a bit, and put down to sleep. Understanding that baby's "sleep through the night" is not the same as most adults!
Get the book (check it out at the library if you can) read through and try what makes sense to you... see if it helps give you a game plan.

[rankrank55]

Library is a great idea! We already have a wonderful routine and so forth so this book might help but if that's what it is based on then... hum... might try something different. Great thoughts! Thanks again DLC