I'm at my wit's end!

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 2:59 am

I have a 4 month old (almost 5) baby who has a crazy schedule. She won't go to sleep for the night until 2 AM and she'll sleep until 10 AM. If I didn't have any other children or responsibilities that wouldn't be so bad because I'd be able to sleep until 10 AM as well. But that's not the case. I need to be up at 7 AM. I'm just utterly exhausted and I don't know what to do.

I've tried rocking her to sleep in the dark. I've tried quiet, music, me shushing, and me singing. I've tried rubbing her back or stomach. I've tried blankets and sleep sacks and giving her something to cuddle with. I don't know what else to try at this point!

Part of the problem is that if I nurse her until she's sleeping she doesn't transfer well. Her eyes pop open as soon as I put her in the crib. If I put her in when she's more awake, she moves around a lot. Tonight she kept rolling onto her stomach and getting upset until I rolled her back onto her back. But that woke her up even more.

Any advice? I could really use some help figuring this out because I just can't function like this for much longer.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 3:07 am

It's a hard age. Would it help to know that they usually settle down by 6 months?

Maybe you could let her co sleep for an hour, and then transfer her when she's deeply asleep. It's worth a try.

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 3:19 am

I am not sure co-sleeping will change much; she's just young. As FF says so well, it's the age. And co-sleeping is hard to get out of, later, from what one reads here. I wouldn't start it.

You might NOT nurse her until she completely sleeps. When you sense she's full, put her down then.

I favor Nuk pacifyers. The need to suck can be present when the stomach is full. It's a separate need.

No animals or blankets in the crib, people say.

Iymnok

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 3:37 am

Have you tried waking her up early? As in adjust her schedule starting in the morning. No naps after six. You'd have some "jet-lag", but evens out. She has a nice long stretch, it just needs to be moved.

salt

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 3:44 am

This is not a solution to get your baby to sleep better hours, but to help you manage for now. (Babies sleeping habits can suddenly change from one day to the next)

Is there any way you can get a babysitter (even a young neighbor/teenager) - to watch your kids, including your baby, for a couple of hours in the afternoon, while you nap.

Sadie

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 7:52 am

I agree with FF and lymnok. Try nursing her in your bed and then letting her fall asleep there; move her to her crib once she's fast asleep. I'm not a fan of cosleeping in general but 4-5 months is way way too young to worry about forming bad habits. You just do whatever works at this point. And adjust her nap schedule so she will be tired earlier.

amother

Lawngreen

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 8:58 am

OP here.

The thing is that she's soooo tired. She sleeps all morning and then doesn't really sleep the rest of the day. She's so cranky in the evening, obviously tired, rubbing her eyes. She just won't go to sleep!

I think I'm going to try the suggestion of waking her up earlier and see if that adjusts her time zone.

I'm not really set up well for co-sleeping. I have a twin bed and I'm not a small woman, if you know what I mean. The bed isn't against a wall so I can't really cosleep safely now that the baby rolls and I can't trust myself not to fall asleep at that hour of night.

tigerwife

Fri, Jul 03 2015, 9:09 am

Sounds exactly like my baby! Unfortunately, I have no advice. I just adjusted myself to her schedule, which is only possible because I work from home and have no other children. I would love to try earlier wake-up but we are both so tired in the morning, and nothing is really pulling me to have an earlier schedule.