Tyler doesn't sleep. Well, to be fair he takes an AM nap for an hour usually in the stroller or car. Then he takes an afternoon nap which I nurse him to sleep for and usually nurse him once after an hour or an hour and half to make him sleep longer. At night he eats every 3 hours and spends an awful lot of time in our bed. I have made every "mistake" possible, I know this, but now I can't figure out how to fix it! He sleeps great in our bed, but I can't sleep. I worry one of us will squish him and I am usually hanging off the side with one or two limbs falling asleep - afraid to move for fear of waking him. Important to know: he doesn't cry or fuss in the middle of the night - he screams as if someone is removing his toenails. It doesn't help to hold him or rock him, in fact he screams louder while trying to squirm out of my arms. As soon as I lay him in our bed he rolls over and sleeps. I usually wait 20 min and then transfer him back to the crib. He wakes up in 10-15 min screaming. As a result I am exhausted. I am functioning on half a brain. I am a big grump and not a great mom by mid-afternoon.
Cry it out you say? Did I mention the kid screams?! I can't do it. I tried for 10 min and caved. Also, the ped said to wait until 8 months, so now I feel too guilty to start at only 7.
Co-sleep: It just doesn't work for me. I want him in his own crib so that I can sleep in my own bed, rolling around and re-positioning as I please.
If you have any ideas, please let me know. I see no end to this and I am getting desperate.
1 comment:
If you want sleep, buy Dr. Ferber's book. Do it by the book and take control of your life back. You run the show, not the baby. Teach him good sleeping habits now, he may hate you for it in the short term, but it is a GIFT that you are giving him.
Ferber's method is an interval program where you let the baby cry it out in their cribs. Increasing intervals. It also sheds light on some bad sleeping habits, and tendencies. We've ferberized two babies, one of which has a crib in our bedroom. You have to have thick skin, and i recommend using headphones if you can't stand crying babies. Do it, do it by the book, and do it now. The land of sleep is only a few days away. Trust me.
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