Problem Solving Baby’s Wake-Ups at Night
After months of interrupted sleep, my husband and I were longing to having full REM cycles, dreams, and several hours of slumber. Our baby is nearly eight months old. Shouldn’t she be sleeping through the night by now? Never mind that our son didn’t snooze a full night until he was nine months old. Never mind that our parenting peers were having the same problem. We were determined to find out how we could possibly get her to let us rest.
First we tried the food. We loaded her up with pumpkin and pears right before bed, resolute in our determination to slumber. Her response? She woke up three times that night with diapers encrusted with orange-tinged poo. Ugh.
Then we tried a different meal schedule and longer spans between her feedings during the day. Our wise pediatrician reminded us that if she couldn’t last more than three hours during the day, how could she make it through the night?
Right! We tried the new routine with some success but Jovi was still up every night at exactly 1am. Why was she so precise?
We tried warmer pajamas, a fan for background noise, a slightly later bedtime… All of it in vain. At 1am on the dot we were greeted by her desperate screams. Every. Single. Night.
Until last night. My husband was up late and went in to watch her sleep before he hit the sack. It was 12:55 and as he watched her snooze in perfect slumber, he heard a sudden loud beeping. Yes. The travel alarm clock we keep in her room has been set to go off at 1am for months. It only beeps five times so it was never going off when we went in to get her.
Our poor, pumpkin stuffed babe! We’ll see how it goes tonight…
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February 5th, 2010 at 7:35 am
I know it’s not funny but…..that’s really funny! Here’s to alarm free good sleep!
February 5th, 2010 at 9:04 am
LOL! Oh my gosh, that’s funny. I so wish it was that simple for us. My son is 13 months old and still wakes several times per night to nurse.
We’ve tried pretty much everything we can think of. And I’m certain there’s no alarm clock going off
.
I feel like it’s something he’s going to have to grow out of. My friend’s son didn’t sleep all night until he was 16 months old, so some babies really do take awhile.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Oh NO! What a story! Tonight will be bliss!
February 8th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I hope that your baby finally sleeps through the night now. My son didn’t sleep through the night until he was nine months old and when it happened it was pure bliss.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
That’s a funny story! I hope it was as easy as that and she sleeps through now.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I have to share that I wrote this post a week ago and after a few nights of soothing her instead of feeding her at 1am, she slept through the night last night! I’ll try not to get too attached to the idea of uninterrupted slumber because who knows what tonight will bring! Fingers are crossed….
February 9th, 2010 at 6:14 am
Too funny! Thanks for sharing your parenting blunders as it makes me feel OK with all my mistakes!
February 9th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
oh my gosh, that is outrageous!
my daughter didn’t sleep through the night until 18 MONTHS, but my sweet second babe is doing it now at 3 months, praise the sweet Lord Jesus:)
eventually they all will…and i don’t think there’s anything we can do!
February 10th, 2010 at 10:51 am
OK – the alarm thing is just too funny, sorry Joy.
Our boy #2 didnt’ sleep thru the nite until about 16 months… when I became pregnant and stopped nursing at nite. It was rough for a few days (on me as much as on him) but I really think, for us anyway, his not sleeping through was about waking up to nurse and hang out 2 or 3 times a nite.
If I could hop in the way back machine, I may have tried the no nursing at nite techinque earlier (having the hubby go into to attempt soothing maybe).
These days he’s 19 months old and rarely wakes at nite for more than a grumble to find his pacifier or roll over and he’s out again with out any intervention form us.
LUCK!
February 11th, 2010 at 10:52 am
oh wow! That is so funny, glad you found the problem
February 12th, 2010 at 11:14 am
oh my!!! this made me laugh… poor pumpkin