staying asleep (long vent)

I finally got him to bed earlier . Thanks "IRISHTRACY" that bedtime bath by Johnson's is a miracle. He can barely keep his open when I take him out. So I give him a bottle and then he falls asleep in my arms. I transfer him to his bassinet and all is fine.

I really don't mind the night feedings because he eats, burps and sleeps.Now here comes the dilemma. For the past 3 nights or so he can not stay asleep. Every hour on the mark he start to cry with his eyes closed. I can comfort him back to sleep if I catch him quickly. He starts to rub his face and stretch his arms. He knocks the pacifier out of his mouth. Sometimes I can comfort him back to sleep. If I miss the first signs then all hell breaks loose. He opens his eyes and starts wailing, arching his back and thrusting his legs. I then have to pick him up rock him back to sleep and then back in the bassinet. An hour later we have to repeat the routine again. He will not sleep more then two hours straight anymore. Naptimes are the same only about 45 minutes unless I am driving.

I am exhausted! My husband thinks we spoiled him but I don't think so because at one point I changed him diaper around 2. I put him down awake in the bassinet and put on the vibrator and he fell asleep without the pacifier.

I don't know what is going on. Is he having nightmares? Maybe he has those puppets from the Baby Einstein videos in his dreams. Is is gas?

Any suggestions I am once again feeling helpless and exhausted with him.

TIA

Re: staying asleep (long vent)

Sounds like gas. On days when I get little sleep, this sounds much like my routine with Alex. What's worse is that she WANTS to sleep, desperately, but the gas keeps waking her up, so then she gets overtired and cranky. Often what I have to do is instead of trying to ger her back to sleep, I'll let her wake herself up and I'll keep the lights low, and speak with her and play with her very softly. Eventually she gets soooooooo tired that she falls asleep and is able to sleep through the gas. Also, if it's *really* bad, I let her sleep in her swing. I think the movement distracts her from the gas pains...

Re: staying asleep (long vent)

I thinks it's gas too. Does it ever go away? He has always beengassy but it rarely woke him up. Did you find that letting her wake up helps it go away?

Re: staying asleep (long vent)

Well, she's 4 months and she still has it so I don't know... I hope it goes away soon! I think some babies are just gassier than others, though if you are FF, you should try other formula's. I know there's one that's very expensive (I think Nutramingen), but it's supposed to really help with gassy babies.

Keeping her awake doesn't help with the gas per se, but it makes the situation worse if I try to get her to sleep when it's really bad. She just gets crankier and crankier. So, if it's bad, I'll stay up with her and lay her on my lap with her head up against my knees. I'll pump her little legs and usually the gas starts to come out a little. I find that with her at least, if it's gas, she is very easily distracted so I'll dangle a little toy in front of her, and magically she'll forget. So I'll keep doing that with her until I see her yawn. Once she yawns I put her over my shoulder and rock/bounce her a little until she falls asleep and then I'll put her in the swing. It usually works...

Also, sometimes it helps with gassy babies to let them sleep on their side, particularly the left side. It sounds crazy, I know, but I read this interesting article about how gas gets trapped and if you lay on your left side in the fetal position it helps release the gas bubbles. In fact, that's what the nurses told me to do in the hospital to alleviate the pain after my c-section and it worked.

Edited to say, it changes everyday for us. Some days she'll be fine and sleep through the night. Other days the gas will be so bad that she'll wake every hour. So, it's not that unusual that he's waking from it now as opposed to other times...

Message edited 1/12/2006 10:51:03 AM.

Re: staying asleep (long vent)

Thanks for your response Beth. i guess i just have to be more patient. BTW he is on Nutramigen

Re: staying asleep (long vent)

Posted by aja

Thanks for your response Beth. i guess i just have to be more patient. BTW he is on Nutramigen