I've posted about sleep in the past with previous kids, and since I still remain baffled, I'm going to "vent" again. First of all, I have to say that baby #4 (Isaac) is overall a very *good* baby. I use that term loosely, because it doesn't mean that other babies are bad, per se, but that they just are harder to figure out and harder to please. He's overall predictable and keeps a pretty consistent routine.
Since I discovered babywearing 4 months into Elise's life, it became a world of difference in happy baby vs. fussy baby. My back felt way better, and my baby cried way less; so how can you complain when Mom and baby are both happy? She still didn't sleep better, but I could at least get something done while she fussed, or else she fussed less because Mom was holding her, even if she was tired. With Isaac, I started babywearing from the start. I used a wrap, then have been gradually working towards a maitei and Ergo as he's gotten older. He sleeps wonderfully in them, right next to Mom. If he starts to wake up, then I just jiggle him up and down and he drifts back off (usually 1 hour in the morning, 1-2 hours in the afternoon). This created a very happy baby, because he got proper naps. The problem is now starting where he's 4 months old and getting very heavy, even though the carriers are awesome. And...I'd like to get a break when he naps (to give my other kids some attention mostly, but also occasionally to lay down and rest). So, I've began trying to train him to sleep on his own, which is going well....umm...we'll see in time.
What I'm figuring is wrong is that he goes through one sleep cycle, slightly rouses, and then wakes up when he's not ready to get up yet. (after 20 min or so) Then 10 minutes later he starts fussing because he's still tired. But not tired enough to go back to sleep yet because of his previous "pikku nukkua" (my dad's Finn words for "little sleep"). When he's in the carrier, my jiggling him gets him through that stage back into deep sleep again. So, I'm trying to teach him to do that on his own, and am not sure how exactly that is done!
According to "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley (which, by the way, is my best recommendation for sleep books) she says that is likely what is happening, and keeping them asleep is the key. She claims about 1 week of doing this every nap should do the trick. So, I have to sit by him as he sleeps and then when he starts to rouse, quickly get him back to sleep. Today I've done that, and he slept 1 1/2 hours the first time and is now sleeping going on 40 minutes (yay!) The trouble has been figuring out how to get him back to sleep, as he doesn't take a pacifier very well, and nursing him creates burps that wake him up in a few minutes too. Today I just jiggled him until he settled again (about 5 minutes) and that seemed to work.
So, I'm hoping we're on the right track. I think my main frustration is not knowing how long to try something before putting the kibosh on it and trying something new. Usually I just go around in circles and never get anywhere but then the baby gets bigger and the problem finally solves itself. But, that would mean another 8 months of this until he's 1, and I'd really like to not go there if I don't have to!
Anyhow, he's awake and he's pleasant, so I'll close.
BTW, the books I've read are:
-The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley (recommend)
-Nighttime Parenting by Dr. Sears (recommend)
-The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (recommend)
-Sleeping Through the Night by Jodi Mindell (various cry it out methods, don't recommend)
-The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg (can't remember it being helpful at all)
-On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo (tried it, but couldn't make it work for us with #1 & #3 kid)
Since I discovered babywearing 4 months into Elise's life, it became a world of difference in happy baby vs. fussy baby. My back felt way better, and my baby cried way less; so how can you complain when Mom and baby are both happy? She still didn't sleep better, but I could at least get something done while she fussed, or else she fussed less because Mom was holding her, even if she was tired. With Isaac, I started babywearing from the start. I used a wrap, then have been gradually working towards a maitei and Ergo as he's gotten older. He sleeps wonderfully in them, right next to Mom. If he starts to wake up, then I just jiggle him up and down and he drifts back off (usually 1 hour in the morning, 1-2 hours in the afternoon). This created a very happy baby, because he got proper naps. The problem is now starting where he's 4 months old and getting very heavy, even though the carriers are awesome. And...I'd like to get a break when he naps (to give my other kids some attention mostly, but also occasionally to lay down and rest). So, I've began trying to train him to sleep on his own, which is going well....umm...we'll see in time.
What I'm figuring is wrong is that he goes through one sleep cycle, slightly rouses, and then wakes up when he's not ready to get up yet. (after 20 min or so) Then 10 minutes later he starts fussing because he's still tired. But not tired enough to go back to sleep yet because of his previous "pikku nukkua" (my dad's Finn words for "little sleep"). When he's in the carrier, my jiggling him gets him through that stage back into deep sleep again. So, I'm trying to teach him to do that on his own, and am not sure how exactly that is done!
According to "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley (which, by the way, is my best recommendation for sleep books) she says that is likely what is happening, and keeping them asleep is the key. She claims about 1 week of doing this every nap should do the trick. So, I have to sit by him as he sleeps and then when he starts to rouse, quickly get him back to sleep. Today I've done that, and he slept 1 1/2 hours the first time and is now sleeping going on 40 minutes (yay!) The trouble has been figuring out how to get him back to sleep, as he doesn't take a pacifier very well, and nursing him creates burps that wake him up in a few minutes too. Today I just jiggled him until he settled again (about 5 minutes) and that seemed to work.
So, I'm hoping we're on the right track. I think my main frustration is not knowing how long to try something before putting the kibosh on it and trying something new. Usually I just go around in circles and never get anywhere but then the baby gets bigger and the problem finally solves itself. But, that would mean another 8 months of this until he's 1, and I'd really like to not go there if I don't have to!
Anyhow, he's awake and he's pleasant, so I'll close.
BTW, the books I've read are:
-The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley (recommend)
-Nighttime Parenting by Dr. Sears (recommend)
-The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (recommend)
-Sleeping Through the Night by Jodi Mindell (various cry it out methods, don't recommend)
-The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg (can't remember it being helpful at all)
-On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo (tried it, but couldn't make it work for us with #1 & #3 kid)
