Katie0807
01-07-2009, 12:53 PM
My son is 5 months old. He was very colicky for the 1st 3 months of his life. He is much more settled now.
However, I have questions for moms regarding sleeping at his age:
Should he be on some kind of routine/schedule for his naps?
Should he have a regular bed time/wake up time?
He is growing just fine and is well-rested 80% of the time, but there is really no pattern to his sleeping. Is this a problem? Am I doing something wrong?
For instance, he really sleeps best at night when I let him take an evening nap from 7:30 - 8:30 and then he goes to bed at 11:00 or 11:30. He will wake to eat maybe 2 times then and get up for the day anywhere between 8 and 10:30....is this a big deal??? Can his regular bed-time be 11:00 pm??? I just don't want to sleep deprive him!!!
If I try to keep him up a little later, like until 9:00, and put him to bed then, he will wake up an hour or so later and be difficult to put back to sleep and then he will wake up even more frequently in the night! Sometimes he wants to play in the middle of the night, too! I have never played with him in the night, even as a newborn. I keep the lights off and I do not talk to him except to shhhhush him and sing lullabies.
He is still so little. I can't really reason with him to lay still and go to sleep!
I am just frustrated b/c other moms who I have asked advice from keep telling me he needs to have an earlier bed time and that he needs to be on a nap routine, or even a schedule, and I just can't seem to get him to do it! I don't want to wake him up if he is sleeping and tired and I don't want to force him to go to sleep and stay asleep if he wants to be awake????? Is this so bad????
I have always had sleep issues with this little guy. Even as a newborn, he would only nap for 45 minutes at a time!!! Sometimes only 20 minutes! Until 2 weeks ago, he refused to sleep ANYWHERE (not even with me!) but his car seat! These things have not affected him negatively in any way...I guess they bother me b/c I am a strong Type-A personality and I'd hoped that my baby would follow my plans!!! HAHA!!!
Another strike against me is that as a new, totally inexperienced in the world of children mommy with a majorly colicky baby, someone bought me a copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Ugh. I read the whole thing. I wish I had never read that book, b/c even though I disagree with it and found most of it to be like training a puppy!, there are times when I doubt myself and wonder if there is something wrong with me as a mother and that is why my son won't sleep according to my ideals!!!!
Any encouragement/advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm really struggling with myself!!!
THANKS
Katie
However, I have questions for moms regarding sleeping at his age:
Should he be on some kind of routine/schedule for his naps?
Should he have a regular bed time/wake up time?
He is growing just fine and is well-rested 80% of the time, but there is really no pattern to his sleeping. Is this a problem? Am I doing something wrong?
For instance, he really sleeps best at night when I let him take an evening nap from 7:30 - 8:30 and then he goes to bed at 11:00 or 11:30. He will wake to eat maybe 2 times then and get up for the day anywhere between 8 and 10:30....is this a big deal??? Can his regular bed-time be 11:00 pm??? I just don't want to sleep deprive him!!!
If I try to keep him up a little later, like until 9:00, and put him to bed then, he will wake up an hour or so later and be difficult to put back to sleep and then he will wake up even more frequently in the night! Sometimes he wants to play in the middle of the night, too! I have never played with him in the night, even as a newborn. I keep the lights off and I do not talk to him except to shhhhush him and sing lullabies.
He is still so little. I can't really reason with him to lay still and go to sleep!
I am just frustrated b/c other moms who I have asked advice from keep telling me he needs to have an earlier bed time and that he needs to be on a nap routine, or even a schedule, and I just can't seem to get him to do it! I don't want to wake him up if he is sleeping and tired and I don't want to force him to go to sleep and stay asleep if he wants to be awake????? Is this so bad????
I have always had sleep issues with this little guy. Even as a newborn, he would only nap for 45 minutes at a time!!! Sometimes only 20 minutes! Until 2 weeks ago, he refused to sleep ANYWHERE (not even with me!) but his car seat! These things have not affected him negatively in any way...I guess they bother me b/c I am a strong Type-A personality and I'd hoped that my baby would follow my plans!!! HAHA!!!
Another strike against me is that as a new, totally inexperienced in the world of children mommy with a majorly colicky baby, someone bought me a copy of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Ugh. I read the whole thing. I wish I had never read that book, b/c even though I disagree with it and found most of it to be like training a puppy!, there are times when I doubt myself and wonder if there is something wrong with me as a mother and that is why my son won't sleep according to my ideals!!!!
Any encouragement/advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm really struggling with myself!!!
THANKS
Katie