Help my baby won't sleep?

Question

I need help my boy is 11 months old and hasn't slept through the night since he was 4 months old. He wakes up around 3 times a night and wants to nurse sometimes he wakes up more like every 20 minutes tossing and turning and crying ( he starts in his crib for the first 3 hours than comes to bed with me) I know I should leave him in his crib and let him cry but that is hard I have three other kids to think about( the longest I've let him cry is 20 mins) does anybody have any good ideas

Answer 1

I gave both my boys a sippy cup of chammomile tea at bed time, it does not need sweetener, as it is not bitter. Make sure he has a full belly before bed,and what ever you do, you have to stop giving him the boob at night! Give water or chammomile tea( unsweetened) There is nothing wrong with co-sleeping if both parents are up for it, but it can be a bone of contention in some reletionships. Having a baby "cry it out" is imo child abuse, Children need to learn trust, and love, by letting an infant (under 2 ) "cry it out" teaches the infant that they cannot trust. Not only that is is pure torture for the parents & other children in the house who have to listen to wailing baby hour (or 3). So try a Full belly at bed time, unsweetened chammomile tea ( sleepy time celestial seasonings) and co-sleeping . At the age of two, it's a good idea to get the child in the habit of sleeping on his own, so a mattress or futon in the same room helps get them get ready, and when they feel comfortable with that, a shopping trip is in order for their very own big kid bed... I co-slept & breastfed both of my kids and they are happy well adjusted, pleasent loving children. and they did not stay in the bed "forever" as one answerer stated... they are only this small for a very short time, savor it!

Answer 2

Well before bed i try to feed my baby so that she is full when she goes to bed. If she wakes up in the middle of the night i just give her a bottle and if that doesn't work i turn the vacuum on for a few minutes until she goes back to sleep!! The vacuum is the only thing that has really helped my baby sleep!! Good luck!!!

Answer 3

The key is a routine that is constant for the baby. You have to start with full feedings at the same time every day all day. He needs to have a bedtime routine such as a warm bath, or reading a book, or just brushing his teeth every night at the same time. It may be difficult with your other kids, but try to make each night the same. Then feed him in the dark in his room before you put hime down for the night. Don't talk to him or play, or it will get him riled up. Feed him a full feeding of breastmilk, formula, or cereal mixed with one of them, and then put him in his bed. Let him cry for 5-10 minutes, then go in to comfort him. Don't pick him up, just rub his back and hug him over the rail of the crib. Don't talk to him either. Comfort for a minute and then leave the room. Do this every 5-10 min. until he is settled down. It takes a while at first, but the crying gets shorter and more bearable after a few days or weeks. This is what We did with my daughter, and believe me it works. It is difficult at first, but it only takes a couple of weeks for them to go down on thier own once they get used to it. You can decrease the bedtime feeding time once your baby gets used to the routine and starts sleeping through the night. You can do it a little at a time, giving him a week to adjust to each new feeding length. I know this seems like alot, but it is the only way that works. Routine is the key. It will get better.

Answer 4

I would feed him something with consistency in it before bedtime, like cereal or maybe some baby food. He is waking up more out of habit than anything...then, after feeding put him to bed, if he wakes up, give him a bottle with some water in it...pat his little bottom and kiss him goodnight. Eventually he will learn that he will only get water if he wakes up...I know it's hard, but make sure he is full before going down for the rest of the night.

Answer 5

Are you staying in the room with him until he falls asleep or holding him until he is asleep? If so imagine you are with your husband sleeping and you wake up in the middle of the night to find he is not in the bed. You are going to wonder where he is and go find him. My point is is that if he has you with him when he falls asleep and happens to wake up instead of going back to sleep he is wanting you. That is the only way he knows how to go to sleep. Put him in his bed and say goodnight then walk out. This too will be hard at first but after about a week he will learn to lay down and go to sleep. Trust me I went through this with my son. I know how you feel. Good Luck!

Answer 6

The problem could be in his diet, environment, or how much he interacts with others. If this is becoming a serious problem to you see the doctor and they might be able to tell what is wrong.

Note: Take a journal on what he has eaten and how much play-time he gets in a day and see if there is a common factor in the days he is not sleeping. Over a little time the problem could pop up at you. It might just be a simple thing.

Answer 7

You may want to try elevating the head of the crib, place a cushion were it raises it some. My son hates sleeping on flat surface but will sleep with no problem being raised up some.

Answer 8

I used to have the same problem with my daughter. She is now 4 years old and goes to bed on her own, by herself, and with no lights on. We had to suffer for about 2-3 wks. to get her to do this. Start off by letting the baby cry for only 10 min. increments. By no means pick him up! Just walk in and let him know your still around and walk away. It's hard, I cried many nights doing this because I felt guilty. But when you achieve your goal, it's heavenly.

Answer 9

Maybe he's still hungry?.........Try giving him his cereal before bed to feed his tummy........and you can try to give him whole milk now by the time he turns one......

My daughter was like that also around 11 months....and she was never a sleeper anyways.....
I introduced a sippy cup of water for her before bed.....and showed her what it is......and she calls it "wa-wa".......and when she got used to the idea of it......if she woke up in the middle of the nite I would give her the water.....and in a few weeks she realized there was no reason for her to wake up anymore becuz I didn't give her the boob.....
So she slept through the nite after that....and if she does wake up even now.....(she's almost 2) she just takes a few sips of water and goes back to sleep......

that worked for me.......
you can try that!

Answer 10

make him stay up as much as possible during the day.maybe one long nap. no sleeping after 5 clock.give him a good warm bath just before you put him in bed.feed him some cereal and then give him a good warm bottle.check his bed for comfort. you may have to add a cover or a pillow.do any thing it takes to make him comfortable. try easy going music real low. and tell the house hold to be quite while your getting him to sleep. also make sure that he is warm if its cold and cool if its hot. as they have to be just right to sleep. good luck!