UGH!!!! This is long… sorry!
Amelia USED to sleep all night, from 7 pm to 4 or 5 am. Over the past week, she started night waking at 2 or 3 am. She wouldn’t cry, just coo and talk. We let her work it out, and she would fall back to sleep at about 4:30 and wake again at 5:30. I would feed her, and she would fall asleep on my chest for a couple more hours. Now she is not going down well at all at night, and last night she awakened at 11:45 pm. We gave her a pacifier and walked out of her room. She cried really hard at 12:30 am. I picked her up and she continued crying hard in my arms. I had to believe it was not a cry just for my attention. I tried rocking her, etc. I concluded she might be hungry so I fed her. She ate a full feed (breasfed), not a snack. She fell asleep until about 3:00 am. First just protesting, so we did not go into her room. She was in an all out cry by 4:30. Again, she would not stop crying when she was in my arms, so I fed her. Again, she ate a full meal. She fell asleep until about 7:45 am. I fed her again at 8:30 this morning. I believe she may be going through a growth spurt, but am afraid of forming a night waking habit (well, I think that’s too late).
I tried to put her down for a nap at 9:00 am. After so little sleep last night, she still would not nap at all. Total time between trying to soothe her and leaving her in her crib was 1 hour. I gave up and she is now still awake at 10:40 am.
My husband and I as a result did not sleep much at all last night. I have guests coming to stay tomorrow night, and the room they will be sleeping in is directly below Amelia’s. I know they will not get any sleep, and I feel horrible about that. I also feel horrible that my child has such a basic need (sleep) that I seem to be helpless to fulfill!!! Her sleep patterns are getting progressively worse. I have tried “no cry”, “some cry”, and “let cry” techniques. She responds to nothing. I have the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child”. In it, Dr. Weissbluth says that sleep problems are common in postcolic babies.
Interestingly, Amelia doesn’t get too grumpy! Mommy does, though, without sleep! I am exhausted!!!
Oh, she is also teething, and has recently learned to roll over. How long do growth spurts last???
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!!
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