[Qtredsunfire98]

I know that there are alot of experts out there and I need help! Dylan in 6 months old and wakes up every 1-2 hours a night crying. It is not just a little cry it is a full out tears cry. We have tried everything for keeping on a light, music in the back ground and now I just bought one of those wedges and this does not seem to work. He will sleep fine in his swing but that seems to be it. I dont know when to start just letting him cry and calm himself down. He had only been home for 2 months. What do you all think?

[GabrielsDad]

Highly suggest the book "The No-Cry Sleep Solution". Our little one was waking up every hour when we first got home (albeit not crying like you describe). We have been doing several things the book suggests and we already have him sleeping up to 8 hours at a time, with one wakeup for a 10-15 minute bottle and then back down for 3-4 more hours.

Our son is also 6 months old, was used to getting a bottle any time he wanted it, was held all the time, and slept with the foster mother. He now eats on a pretty good schedule and sleeps in his crib. Again, a lot of credit goes to ideas in the book.

[mac308]

Naps can affect night time sleeping. If your child is not getting a good day time nap he/she may not sleep well at night either. Just something you may want to consider IF he/she isn't napping well. I read a really good book called something like... Healthy sleep habits, happy children.

Good luck.... I've been there.

Megan

[Bonitabonita]

You said he sleeps fine in his swing. For an entire night, or just for a few hours also? If he sleeps an entire night just fine in his swing, I have two ideas:
First, the easiest, let him sleep in the swing or in an upright position somewhere else. Which leads to my second idea. Is there any chance he is experiencing gas pain. If so, it would bother him much more lying on his back. You could try letting him sleep in an upright position. I actually started putting my poor-sleeper-at-6-mos. on her tummy to sleep. THAT was a huge, huge improvement. Note: We had no bumper, no toys, nothing she could suffocate on (except the mattress) when she slept on her tummy.

Good luck. I was in exactly the same spot as you when my kiddo was 6 mos. old. I'm sure it's no consolation now, but my daughter started sleeping better at about 9 mos.

Boni

[jnancynancy]

Looking at your timeline it maybe he is just working through some issues from the adoption. Our SW reminded us that even infants greive and usually work it out in their sleep.


Just food for thought.

[BEBE]

Savanna did this after she had been home a couple of months, but as turned out she was having breathing problems, asthma attacks. She would cry and flail about, kick and breath really quick and strange. After this happened a couple of times and several late night trips to the ER, (with no real results) we got her into see a ped. asthma specialist who got her on the correct meds and has the asthma under control. Savanna hasn't had one of these episodes since Feb. 05 (thank you Jesus). On the rare occassion when it happens now, after a breathing treatment of Xopenex via nebulizer, she settles back down and sleeps fine.

I dont want to scare you, but you may want to talk with your Dr. about it. He may sleep better in his swing because it may be easier to breath sitting up. I wish someone could have told me what was going on with Savanna sooner. I first thought she was having night terrors due to the new invironment and missing her foster mom, but as it turned out she was having asthma attacks. (something I knew nothing about at the time)
IMO he is still too young and hasn't been home long enough to let him cry it out on his own. Hope this helps and good luck. Its tuff when the little ones aren't sleeping well.

[gdbe]

After having two reflux babies, the upright sleeping may be more comfortable. Speak with your pediatrician about the possibility.

Gail

[Qtredsunfire98]

Our son has reflux and he is on medication for this. He also just had surgery for a paralyzed diaphram. He was on nebs but since the surgery they took him off them.

Here is the other kicker. He will lie on his back on the floor and play and roll over. He just gets mad when he is in his crib and on his back.

When do you guys think it would be okay for me to let him just cry it out. This is the hardest thing. I want him to be able to calm himself down but I also dont want him to not think that we are there for him.

[Bonitabonita]

I may be inferring altogether too much her, so please correct me if I'm wrong. Now that you mentioned your son has reflux as well as a potential breathing issue (?), it makes a whole lot of sense that he would have trouble sleeping on his back for very long. Plus, he's only been home for 2 mos. -- of course, he's mad, hurt, angry, scared, furious, etc. when you leave him alone in his crib on his back!

You've asked twice now when it would be okay to leave him alone to "cry it out". Certainly, you can do that any time & he will eventually go to sleep . . . but, not in the frame of mind of trusting you as his nurturing parent. It doesn't sound to me (and again, I only have your two posts to go on) like it's time to leave him crying alone yet. He is in pain - physical, emotional, and/or both. What does your pediatrician suggest?

Boni

[Qtredsunfire98]

Our pediatrician said that he should be in no pain anymore. He had been on reflux medicine for over a month. He had surgery 3 weeks ago for a paralyzed diaphram. He adjusted very well and was sleeping through the night up until a week after his surgery and then this started. When he was in the hospital he had us or a nurse in his face at all time when he was awake. I think that this had something to do with it. We will just have to keep working with him. Thanks for the advise!

[echaos]

You should explore Attachment parenting.... being "in his face all the time" is a GOOD THING!!!!

[Annee]

The international adoption pediatrician we consulted during our process and right after we got home said that she doesn't recommend the "cry it out" method generally, but DEFINITELY does not recommend it in the first three months after homecoming for an adopted infant. She says it's just too soon and interferes too much with bonding.

That said, let me tell you that I empathize! When our son was going through the same thing we were so exhausted we could barely stand it. I fell asleep standing up one night and almost dropped him.

We did work on a strict nap schedule, and once his naps increased in duration, so did his nighttime sleeping! Yay! Not that we never have a bad night , but he sleeps thru the night most nights now, and that's without ever employing the cry it out method.

We also think that carrying or holding him most of the time gave him added security which carried over into the night.

Good luck and hopefully good nights soon!

[doghouse]

I always waited until my babies were two years old before I would let them cry themselves to sleep. It was always so nice to rock my babies to sleep and at about 9 months old they slept through the night unless they were sick. One child we started cosleeping at 18 months when he had night time waking issues.

[sak9645]

Unless you feel that your sleep will be even more disturbed, why not try co-sleeping? You can put the baby right into your bed, or into a co-sleeper that attaches to or is next to your bed. You can even try moving the crib into your room, or using a porta-crib near your bed.

Many newly adopted babies really need closeness 24/7 until they feel secure. Many also may have slept with their birthmother or a foster mother; co-sleeping is common in most countries of the world.

Especially since your child had a major disruption to his adjustment recently, when he was hospitalized, he needs the security of knowing that you will always be with him and that his routine will be consistent.

Sharon

[Kimberj71]

I think a huge thing is that he sleeps well upright. That to me indicates something physical. Having 2 children who were reflux babies and 1 who is asthmatic I'm wondering:

1. Has the reflux medication either stopped working, sometimes it works for only a short amount of time before the body readjusts and starts producing acid again (there are several meds and sometimes you have to switch), or is the dosage too small because your little one has grown? We were always having to readjust the dosage for our little ones.

2. Is your little guy having trouble breathing? Breathing for asthmatics is sometimes easier if they are in a reclining positon. Have you tried elevating the head of his bed?

3. Have his ears been checked? Lots of times laying down to sleep can change the pressure in their ears and cause pain. Ear infections are not always accompanied by a fever. You may want to have his ears checked.

I hope you're able to find a solution to his night time waking. I agree with the others who say that having him home only 2 months seems early to let him cry it out.

Good luck!

Kim