my daughter wont sleep through the night...please read my story?

Question

my daughter, emily is 8 months old now, and still to this day she will not sleep through the night, let alone one hour. this is what we have tried.

*rice in bottle
*set schedules
*feeding more
*feeding less
*rocking her to sleep
*sleeping with her
*background noise
*more naps during day
*less naps during day
*letting her cry for 5 min then going and calming her down, letting her cry again...did that for 3 weeks, never worked
*we let her scream from 12am to 4am, she never gave in, just kept screaming, and never fell asleep.


we have tried just about every method out there. basically, all i am looking for is someone with either a similar story or something else we can try. we have talked to the doctor and he doesnt seem too concerned. we are so frustrated, tired, irritated and overwhelmed. i dont know what to do. adoption has been considered. our daughter wakes up every 30 to 45 minutes at night. we cant do it anymore. please tell me im not the only one going through this!!

Answer 1

Yes, I have been there, my son is 3 going on 4 and still doesn't sleep all night lol.. He was a preemie, when we brought him home, first it was G.e.r.d. that kept waking him up, then it was too much stimulation, watching tv, or bright lights, or loud noises a half hour to an hour before bed will keep the baby awake, Now it's sleep apnea, he awakens all the time. You really should find a new doctor the all got their own opinions, also, find a good babysitter, you need a break. there are so many reasons for not sleeping through the night. Colic, days and nights mixed up, too much stimulation, reflux, g.e.r.d., rash, too hot, too cold, feeling scared, all types of things, Just hang in there!! Make sure you try to find some outside help or you'll never make it through!
Good luck, i hope something works and you find your answer.

Answer 2

Try not to get overwhelmed (yeah right...I know). I highly recommend seeing a different doctor. It is NOT normal for a baby to sleep less than an hour at a time. Check your yellow pages under physician then pediatrics and call around and ask who is taking new patients. Or call a nurse. Are you nursing? Seriously, I know that a crying baby can be the WORST sound in the world...get help. Adoption isn't the ONLY answer. But I understand your overwhelming frustration. There ARE things that can help but she needs to be seen by a doctor who will take that concern seriously and check for any issues that could be causing it. Maybe ask a relative or a friend to take her for a night to get you a rest. Or hire a babysitter and just go to sleep for a few hours. Please try not to let it get you down though. There is a cause for this and I am sure there is a solution.

Answer 3

My kids never did stuff like that at all. I have always let them take no more then 2 naps after they turned 8 months and kept them so active during the day its not funny. I mean getting them outside and playing with toys going to the park and make them laugh so hard (it tires my kids out big time) and I just made sure that they had the food for energy and then played more and more tell bed time came around. Try taking away all but one nap maybe two and just make her so active outside (its getting great for that) and when she takes her nap make sure its smack in the middle of her day (from when she wakes to gets to bed). I am so sorry you are still going through this at this age. I know you could be so tired you pass out anywhere just about. It will get better and soon I hope for you.

Answer 4

Wow! I thought my son was an awful sleeper when he was a baby, but your daughter sounds much worse. It sounds like you have tried everyting there is to try. Does she sleep a lot during the day? If so you might want to cut those naps back. She should only be taking 2 naps a day at the most. If she is already not sleeping much during the day, I would get a second opinion because it is not normal for a baby to do this. Who knows the other doctor may know how to get her to sleep better.

Answer 5

My daughter when she was a newborn was like that, she rarely slept more than 30-45 mins and didn't sleep as often as I thought a newborn would...she only slept for about a total of 11-12 hours. I believe she had some acid reflux issues in her stomach. But luckily it went away after a few long hard months. I would check with your doctor to see if your daughter has acid reflux or stomach problems. If he doesn't want to help, then find another doctor. Also are you putting her to bed right after drinking her bottle?? If you are then you should try elevating her top half at least 30 degrees, it might help. Here is a link for symptoms of infant reflux.

http://www.infantreflux.org/user_signs_symptoms.htm

Answer 6

You could try keepng her up as late as possible then letting her nod off to sleep. Does she nap during the day? If so she may be napping too much if not she may be too overtires to stay asleep( i know it soudns silly bu tmy daughter is liek that if she doesnt get a nap) good luck and if it gets too bad get a second opinion

there might be something helpful on babycenter.com they also have forums so other moms there may be able to help you too:)

Answer 7

Oh wow! That sounds awful! But don't send her for adoption just because she doesn't sleep. I highly suggest seeing your doctor again or seeing another doctor. As far as personal experience, I don't have a kid, but I was one of those babies. My mom tells me about how she never knew a baby that didn't want to sleep, until she had me. I don't know why, but I just wouldn't sleep. I would constantly wake up also. I think it's just a phase, your baby is going through. Good luck!

Answer 8

My god, you poor woman!! And this has been going on for EIGHT MONTHS??? HOW are you still sane? Seriously, though.....that can't be normal. If your doctor is blowing you off, maybe it's time you got a second opinion. I just can't imagine that a baby who wakes up every for 30-45 minutes doesn't have a problem, even though if she is thriving it must be a minor problem. I will definitely remember you in my prayers tonight!!

Answer 9

Oh, girl! My little one went through a rough sleeping patch at about 9 months and when (on a recommendation) I added some more iron to her diet, she was able to sleep better. Weird, huh? Hey, give it a try, it may work. Best of luck, sleep is a precious commodity!

Answer 10

Buy this book! "The no-cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. I swear by this book and so do some friends of mine. Honey you need more than advice that people can give you on here. You need to really get informed and prepare for some work. Good luck!