[jkl123]

I desperately need some advice about Jack's sleeping habits. I co-sleep with him and have since Day 1. I also nurse him, which is a bit easier because we co-sleep. The first few months were fine - he'd sleep 3-4 hour stretches, wake up to nurse, then go back to sleep for another 3-4 hour stretch.

Lately, that has all changed. He wakes 20-25 times a night!!!! Literally, every 30-45 minutes he is waking. All he wants to do is nurse for a few sucks and then he is back sleeping. But the constant waking is driving me crazy. He will NOT take a pacifer by any means, and I know he is basically just using me as one.

He takes 3 or 4 naps during the day and needs to nurse in order to fall asleep for those, too (unless we are in the car). He HATES his crib and will scream (not cry-SCREAM) for an hour or more. I do not believe in the crying-it-out method, so it is rare that I will leave him in the crib past 20 minutes or so.

He is an extremely happy baby, as long as he is being held, but he will cry more times than not if he is put down. I worry he is becoming 'too attached' and will have seperation problems later.

Normally, I wouldn't care - my baby needs me and that is what is important. But the frequent wakings and not much sleep is affecting me. I went to the grocery store last night without the kids and just slept in the parking lot for an hour.

Anyone have any suggestions?? Besides CIO???

[LovingJesusinAZ]

I don't have any suggestions---just lots of hugs and sympathy. My 8mo old was sleeping 10-12 hour stretches at less than 3mo. She's now every 2-3 hours. Not quite in the same league as Jack, but I definitely understand how the change upsets you.

My daughter is also not happy unless she is being held and has to nurse to fall asleep. The only difference is she rarely naps during the day---usually only in the car

I also have a 2.5yo who has stopped sleeping well.

[abrahamalegre]

Yes, sleeping habits suffer a lot because babies follow their own body clock. Maybe the best solution is to require the help of someone in your family to take turns in taking care of your baby.

[ruthann8]

I forgot how old is he? Ellamae was and still is an all night nurser. Finally this week she slept through the night! I found that when she increased her nursing to every 1/2 hour a tooth would soon erupt. They times when she cried a lot and nursing didn't comfort her it was an ear infection.

I started putting Ellamae in her crib when she was about 9 months. She would scream too! I would go to her and nurse her back to sleep and put her right back in the crib. Of course she would instantly wake back up and I would start the process over. Get her back to sleep and lay her in the crib. I only would last about 1/2 the night and then cave and bring her to bed with me (mommy needs to sleep too). But after a few nights she slept in her crib. Then I had anxiety and brought her back to bed with me! After a few weeks I got comfortable with her in the crib. It was something I needed to do b/c she wouldn't nap for dh or the sitter in the daytime. But Sat & Sun mornings I bring her into bed with me for the last hour or so. She currently goes to bed awake and fall asleep on her own without any problems, she just wakes frequently about every 3 hours. But this week was a lot better!!!

[jkl123]

Well, I am glad to hear I am not alone!!!
It's possible that Jack is teething because he naws on EVERYTHING and is drooling constantly. Ruthann, you sound just like me!! I try to put him down, even to just go pee, and he wakes instantly. I would like to try what you do with your daughter - putting him down when he's asleep, and nursing him when he wakes up and putting him right back down - but I am not sure how long I'd last!! He is 7 months old, so in my opinion, he is still too young to let him CIO. And he wants NO ONE but me, so DH isn't able to help.

I'm just glad to hear he isn't the only one like this. I love him and it doesn't bother me except I can't get much done. But it is reassuring to know nothing is "wrong".

[kalhayd2]

We're dealing with the same. It's an all of a sudden thing and McKenzie will be 18 months next week. FYI: I don't do CIO with her either.

[ruthann8]

My dh can't help with the night time issue either. Even if I am holding her and he comes in to see if we need anything she cries. At night she just wants her mommy and when she is hurt of sick! They know who mommy is!!!

cio with Ellamae doesn't work either, she will puke!!! The last doctor visit she almost puked and the doctor would have to stop what he was doing and let her calm down then try again. She cries even when he just looks at her!!!

[ruthann8]

Fix what you need to fix. If you like co-sleeping and it works there is no reason to change that. I am ok with Ellamae waking frequently; we are quite in sync with each other. And honestly I love the one on one time. It is always so quiet and peaceful in the middle of the night. My dh has thought that from 4 months on she should have been (because his cousins baby was) but he doesn’t get up with her so I don’t let him complain about it!

Since his waking frequently is a sudden change I think he is teething, sick, or possible growing pains. It will pass. If it gets worse take him in to make sure it’s not an ear infection.

Also, he is not becoming too attached to you. He loves you and you are his mommy. And he will have separation anxiety; it is a normal and healthy stage they go though. IMO he is learning what a loving and trusting relationship should be like. Something he will benefit from for the rest of his life. Habits, like sleeping, can be learned later on.

[purelegance]

how old is he now? it sounds like a growth spurt. when izzy was 9 months i started covering up so she couldn't BF every other wake up. she hated it at first, but eventually she was comforted enough by me holding her. once we got to that we were able to work on me just being in the room. (but this was many many many months later.)

in the meantime.. huge huge huge hugs!

[angelic_ky]

at about 6 mths Gabby went from sleeping 9 hrs at night (then would feed and go back down for 3 hours) to waking about every hr... not sure if it was the learning to crawl or teething... i don't co-sleep with Gabby (ok most mornings, after DH goes to work, she comes into bed with me) but she does have her cot in our room

i had the same problem with Gabby wanting to sleep in my arms, i did the same as Ruthann and just nursed her to sleep then put her in the cot when she woke we did it over again, eventually she would be so tired she wouldn't wake up and i had a little break (yeah right, i had housework at that point)... then it was as simple as nursing her to sleep for naps and bed but at 18mths (like the day she turned 18mths) she started mucking about at night, she would nurse but wouldn't doze off like normal (this didn't affect nap) so after a 2 weeks or so of fighting her to sleep one night i just put her into the cot and let her cry for a few mins (we don't like CIO either) then i got her out and evenutally got her to sleep, did this for a few nights then she would cry for 30 secs then would just play for a few mins until it was the time i normally would get her then she would cry again, basically each night or so the playing would get that little bit longer until it got to the point that she would be playing in there for 2 hrs and then one night she fell asleep and then we just continued from there and the play time got shorter (that's not to say every night she goes to sleep on her own but most she will)... btw Lisa, when this started i looked online to see if there waas something about 18mth and not sleeping and i found that at 18mths their sleep gets turned upside down, so if they were sleeping good before 18mths then after they wouldn't or if they weren't sleeping good then after they would, it suppose to only last a few months