Sleep help PLEASE... Exhausted baby and mommy!

[JRo]

My son will NOT take naps longer than 45 minutes. He used to sleep for 2 hours, three times a day and then would sleep at least one 3-4 hours stretch and 2 hours other than that at night. MOST of this was in the swing, my own fault, but he had reflux and acted colicky, I was just trying to survive here!

Well, now the swing broke three weeks ago. Took three days to find a way to get ds to sleep. Now I can lull him to sleep in 3-5 minutes, BUT he wakes up after 30 minutes! I have tried napping with him, and that did not work, I have tired lulling him back to sleep when he wakes up, i am LUCKY if that works, and I have tried rocking him for the whole nap (still only sleep for 30 minutes). Now he is taking 4 30-45 minute naps a day and then sleeping at night, but only in 1.5 - 2 hour increments! I was starting to feel 'rested' but now I am almost as tired as I was when he was 6 weeks old! He even has bags under his eyes.

I don't mind letting him cry for 15-20 minutes but longer than that literally makes me sick to my stomach. Any suggestions? He sleeps just as long in the crib as he does right next to me... I am running out of ideas and I am desperately trying to NOT make him CIO for too long.. it just breaks my heart...

[AmandaS]

Try swaddling him to help him feel more secure. Also, I would swaddle my son and then kinda prop him up a little with the boppy (even though you're not supposed to) so it would feel like he was more upright. Seemed to help him.

[JRo]

I do swaddle. That is part of the cue to let him know that it is time to sleep... thanks though!

Oh, and the reflux has somehow almost disappeared... he does sleep propped up on a pillow sort of though... (I think it was a MAJOR over supply issue, but I am no ped)

[mamandeyuri]

Ok, no flames- pls! I had the same problem...and you won't believe this... I put ds on his tummmy after days and days of 3 hours total sleep...and DS SLEPT FOR 4 HRS!!

My poor sitter had the same prob, ds will not sleep on his back. DS1 wouldn't either and in desperation I put him on his tummy. My mom said, "You slept on your tummy and your still here!" Of course I had to fib to the ped, but I was happy and so was baby. He's still here! (You know the SIDS video in the hosp. scared the daylights out of me!)

Good luck- please remember I resorted to this sleeping position after 5 days of 3 hours of consecutive sleep!

[Bot Girl]

Originally Posted by mamandeyuri Ok, no flames- pls! I had the same problem...and you won't believe this... I put ds on his tummmy after days and days of 3 hours total sleep...and DS SLEPT FOR 4 HRS!! My poor sitter had the same prob, ds will not sleep on his back. DS1 wouldn't either and in desperation I put him on his tummy. My mom said, "You slept on your tummy and your still here!" Of course I had to fib to the ped, but I was happy and so was baby. He's still here! (You know the SIDS video in the hosp. scared the daylights out of me!) Good luck- please remember I resorted to this sleeping position after 5 days of 3 hours of consecutive sleep!

Me and my 3 siblings all slept on our tummies. My DD would wake up every 1.5 - 2 hrs until my Mom told me to put her on her tummy - she slept 7 hours. (This was at 6 weeks). She's just a tummy sleeper, and so am I.

And I lied to the pedi, too

[onelil2lil3lilpiglets]

my little one calms down on his tum tum too he has gas and stuff and he always burps really loud and then chills out after i get him on his stomach and he is good to go on his back (for some reason when we burp him he never burps only when he is on his stomach) he also sleeps well in his bouncer i know with my first i used to put him in his carseat and put him on top of the washer/dryer and he was good there too...they also have a cool thing you can put on your crib that simulates a car ride if all else fails

[JRo]

I will try tummy again... the few times I have tried he cried till he was too tired to cry... then only slept for 30 minutes! Maybe since I know how to get him to sleep easy, he won't cry.

I am a tummy sleeper, and was when I was his age!