Follow-up to Previous Question Regarding My Son's Sleeping Problem

Maybe he's not hungry. Maybe he can't breath well laying down. Try putting his car seat in his crib so he's in the same position for a few nights. If that solves the problem, you may have to take him to an Eye, Ear Nose and Throat dr. Good luck

He may not be breathing comfortably while flat... we elevated one end of the crib mattress, that helped us...

You could try putting some blankets or a flat pillow underneath one side of the crib mattress to raise it up a little on one side( not in the crib itself). This should elevate his head a little while he sleeps. Maybe he just does not like lying flat. Pediatricians have told me to do this if they have a cold and are having a hard time breathing through there nose. Good Luck!

HI,
My youngest daughter (now 15) would not sleep anywhere but her carseat, I did ask the doctor if that was ok for her & he did tell me yes. Michelle had acid reflux when she was born & the more elevated her upper torso was, the better she felt-thus the carseat. She slept in that until she was about 9 months old & she did sleep through the night-what a relief for me, I think you would be ok to let him sleep where he is most comfortable, some babies just do not like to be in their cribs & I can't think of a thing to make the crib more comfortable, Just let baby sleep where he is comfortable, he will transition to the crib when he is ready. Good luck

I don't think he's waking up hungry... I think you just think he's hungry. He probably just wants to eat because it comforts him and that's what makes him be able to go back to sleep. Try to comfort him without feeding him and eventually he should sleep through (until something else wakes him up!!).

I also had a son with acid reflux problems. He was on medication until he was 9 months. From what I understand the problem may never really go away completely, but become more regulated due to the digestive system maturing, etc. My son is 14 months and still has issues with certain foods. Citrus should be ok for his age, but he cannot tolerate it, so even though the problem isn't evident, don't discard it completely.

Secondly, on the sleep issue, my thoughts are exactly that... he's just so cozy in his seat he's not waking to eat. God bless if your son is at least tolerating the crib. I think he wakes in the crib because he hasn't yet learned to comfort himself to stay sleeping. A little perspective - my son wasn't in the crib until 6 months and only started sleeping thru the night (7 hour stretches) at 12 months - I learned that it was actually my fault - I was feeding him when he woke even at 12 months (and I was also 7 months pregnant - not the time to be losing sleep myself). We had to do a few days of sleep training (strategically letting him cry it out and learn to comfort himself with reassurance from us - he also didn't know how to fall asleep on his own) when the doctor said 'it's time to drop the feeding - he doesn't need it, he's just manipulating you'.

In essence I think it's important to put him in his crib and teach him those skills early, and tolerate the one waking in the middle of the night, until your doctor says it's ok to expect him to drop it and push for a wake free sleep. Good luck!

~mommy of 4: 12 & 10 yr old daughters, 14 mo. old son, and new baby girl 3 weeks old.

Car seats are not a good place for a child to sleep. I've seen a few articles about that lately in Mothering Magazine and The Chicago Tribune.
www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-tummytime_bd27jan27,1...
My kids went though growth spurts at different periods and I would feed them in the middle of the night. (Can you imagine you husband not allowing you to eat extra calories when you were pregnant and growing?)
My babies & I got a lot of sleep during this time by sleeping next to each other. When they were hungry they would reach at my nursing bra, I would nurse them, and we would both go back to a really deep sleep. I barely had to move, let alone get out of bed for this.
If you are going back to work, your son may nurse even more at night to make up for not being able to nurse more during the day. 1/3 of moms co-sleep. It's totally normal and healthy.
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/familybed.html

I agree with the other moms below me! I just have one concern...the carseat. The only reason would be that babies that are in thier car seat alot end up with a flat spot on the back of thier heads. This can create a whole new set of problems. I have seen kids that have to have head gear or surgeries to get thier heads back to normal (severe cases can make the childs head look deformed). Not saying that this will happen to your son, just watch out and if you are noticing that the back of his head is flat make sure you are also laying him on his side to sleep some.

He is probably sleeping so well in the carseat because it wraps around him and he is snuggled in. The crib seems so large and open and sometimes they seem to spook in the middle of the night if they wake up in the big crib all alone. Have you tried swaddling to make him feel all tucked in and safe?

R.-I have 4 children and have always put them to sleep in the car seat until they were around 5 months old. I also swaddle them. What happens is that infants can not control their motor functions-movement of their arms and legs are involuntary its wakes them-when they are in that seat their movements are restricted. All of my children started sleeping 4-5 hours a night at 3 weeks. Plus having them at that angle is easier for them to breathe and its more comfortable.

T.

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Please be cautious about positional head deformity.

Your post could be a "before" ad for the amby sleep hammock. We had one with my second son (after son #1 had positional head deformity - caused by in-utero positioning, though). Loved it. The baby sleeps in a position similar to a car seat, cozy and cuddled up, and if they wake up the hammock bounces a little and rocks them back to sleep. It's very portable for travel, too. The one disadvantage is that it is expensive (maybe you can find one used) and you can probably only use it until about 8-12 months, depending on your baby's size. http://www.ambybaby.com/

My little girl slept in her car seat for the first 3 months. Then I decided it was time for the crib. She was not happy and woke up often. I rolled 2 towels and put her in between them making a cocoon in her crib. It helped. It took her about 2 weeks to totally adjust. Other ideas: you can swaddle your baby, or look on line at "babies are us" I saw a crib insert thing that looked snuggly. Before changing her over to the crib, I placed the carseat into the crib so she was used to the crib suroundings. (Dr. suggestion) Good luck.

Maybe he just likes the closed in part of being in the carseat. Try getting a swaddling blanket, or putting him in a bassinet instead of the crib. Many babies like to be in smaller spaces than a huge open crib, esp one your sons age.

I think in "Healthy sleep habits happy child" it says that babies that age generally need to eat once or twice a night. So I think it's pretty normal to be up at night a couple times. It seems like a toss up, you can let him sleep in his carseat and get a good night's sleep now - but it might make it hard when you try to transition him back. Have you tried swaddleing him? maybe he likes the snug feel.

Your son probably likes that the carseat is small, cozy and warm. At that age the crib can seem enormous. I used a product called "Swaddle Me" for the transition to the crib. You can get it at Target or online and it worked like a charm. You basically wrap them up in this blanket with a velcro closure and it keeps them contained and snuggly warm. I also put a hat on my son to keep him extra warm (I think being warm keeps them asleep). My friends thought I was crazy but they've tried the Swaddle Me, too and swear by it. Try it. It might work.

Hello...When my oldest was this age, he also slept better in his carseat.Or in bed with me. I do believe it is the comfort of it. He feels close and comforted.What I would try is that padding that keeps the baby on his side. It is flat with rolls on each side. Try to make it cozy so he feels close to something. I know for me this went on for several months. So what i ended up doing was just putting him in his carseat buckled in and set that in his crib. And then when he was like 4-5 months old I put him back into his and tried to make it as comfy as possible. Good Luck

Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle! Keep that little bambino wrapped up. Babies R Us makes a Swaddle me product. Likewise, you can put a book under one end of the mattress to keep him propped up a little at night. Another idea that worked for us is a sleep positioner (little cushions/sponges that keep the baby secure in the crib).

It's normal for him to wake up in the middle of the night for a feeding(or two).He probably won't stop the feeding until he is about 9 months old. In regards to making him more snuggly,have you tried swaddling him? And if you roll a towel up and put it under the mattress to prop up the head of the bed he will probably sleep better even if you think the reflux is gone it may not be. Also, keep him elevated for about 30 to 40 mins after each feeding for reflux.Pretty soon you will be able to start teaching him to eat rice cereal (not in the bottle). Our pediatrician had us start when our twins were 3-4 months old. That could help him sleep a bit longer but don't start the rice in the botle. He needs to learn how to eat not drink solids. Whatever you do don't do the car seat thing anymore . it will be so hard to stop later and isn't very good for his back. Good luck:)

You could try an amby bed. it is like a hammock and it rocks side to side. my little one slept in her car seat and then moved to the amby bed for about 6 weeks and only at 4 months would she sleep well in her crib. Cribs are so vast and dont really envelope the child like the womb does. so i think many prefer something more cozy. you can get an amby bed at www.amby.com my pediatrician told me that a baby shouldn't be hungry in the middle of the night by 4 months. So you are sort of on the threshold.

Hi R.,

All 4 of my kids hated their cribs at that age. It was just to big and overwhelming for them i think. My three little ones all slept in a bouncy seat, or a bassinet until they where almost 4 months old. I would bathe them feed them swaddle them and then they would sleep through the night! I started slowly transitioning them to their cribs...still swaddled I started with the morning nap, then afternoon then eventually night time. I think you are right that he feels more cozy in the carseat. It's more restrictive, more womb like and thats what he knows. Remember too waking up in the middle of the night at 3 months old 1-2 times is normal. Many babies wake up to eat in the middle of the night until they are at least 6 months old sometimes longer. But try swaddling before you get him in the crib that should help him feel more secure.
I hope this helps.

Are you putting his car seat in the crib? You might try putting a wedge pillow in the crib and see if sleeping on that helps. I once cared for a little girl who wouldn't go to sleep in the crib. We started putting her to sleep in the car seat, then unstrapping her and leaving her sitting in the carseat. After a few nights of that we started taking her out of the carseat once she was asleep. Gradually she began going to sleep in the crib and sleeping. I have some other ideas, but you may find this works.
A.

My son had reflux too........and our GI doctor said to absolutely not put him in the car seat. The car seat makes the reflux worse because they are scrunched up and it puts pressure on the stomach and the valve that actually refluxes. He is probably sleeping longer in the car seat because he is scrunched and maybe the food is not going through as quickly? Just a thought.

I am a mommy of four and a home daycare provider and I have seen alot of this sleep behavior. Some babies have learned early what it is that makes them comfy and that they usualy get what they want. I have in the past put the car seat in the crib so they get used to the sights in there. Then I started putting them in there for naps. Just a few hrs at a time eventualy the have always worked there way back to crib sleeping at night. And he may not sleep through the night due to his age. Two of mine slept all night at two or three months and the other two did not until they were one....hope that doen't scare you!!! Good luck and all you can realy do is follow you babies lead and meet his needs.

I have the same issue! Let me know if you find anything out that helps! It's so frustrating!
L.

I see you received a lot of motherly advice already. Just wanted to add, my son is 5 months and has reflux. For the first 3 months he slept in his car seat. That was the only thing that seemed to help him with the reflux. He did wake up in the middle of the night to nurse. He also has a slight case of torticollis, which my physical therapist said most reflux babies tend to develop because they are always arching their backs and necks. I blamed it on his sleeping in the car seat for those first few months, but she said no. The only way he gets decent sleep now is in the swing. The physical therapist suggested if that is how he sleeps, then go for it. She said you need to treat his reflux issues first, then his torticollis. So until I know his GERD is better where he can lie on his back in a crib, the swing is where he will stay (and hopefully I can get a good 4 hours of straight sleep one of these nights)

This is gonna sound crazy but have you tried raising one end of his matress up just a lil. Like an inch or two. I know they say only do it when they have a cold but my daughter won't sleep in her crib anyother way. Another question does he sleep on his back or his belly?? Anyway my daughter is going on 5 mo. and it took us almost 9 weeks to get her to sleep in her crib we finally raised her matress on one end where her head is with a twin comforter just to elevate her a lil and it really does work - try it and see. Another thing - is he taking all of his bottle before bed? My daughter would fall asleep after 2 ounces and i'd rock her and put her down then in the middle of the night she'd be awake hungry so now i have to be sure she takes it all or most of it. Hope it helps.

CONGRATS on getting some sleep!!! That's great! My second daughter LOVED sleeping in her carseat, too!

What I will tell you is that you shouldn't get too used to sleeping so much. He will go through many many cycles of sleeping well and not sleeping well. All for different reasons.... growth spurts, illnesses, teething, restlessness and the ever fun "unexplained"! :)

Your son is only three months old and I, personally, don't know anyone who's child wasn't eating at least once or twice a night at that age. Now, that's not to say your son is one of those babies....some babies just don't need it! :) But, I would try out the crib again, put him in as doctors recommend (flat) and give it a couple of weeks and see how it goes. If he wakes up for a feed or two and goes right back down...you have yourself a good sleeper. It may not feel like it to YOU, of course, but that's good for him! :)

Good luck!

My son and daughter both hated the crib. I believe it is because they are in this wide open space with not a lot of warmth (even with swaddling). So, there is this great product for a mear $20 at any Toys or Babies R US, it is called a Snuzzler by Kiddopotamus (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2299911). This is used as an inset for car seats when babies are infants, but actually works wonders in the crib! Simply lay the Snuzzler flat on the bed and lay your baby on top of it (swaddled or not). It basically is the same as rolling towels next to your child (as someone suggested), but a whole lot safer, since this does not become unrolled. It is an investment that made my nights quiet, almost instantly! I now purchase them for everyone who is expecting and so far, everyone is happy and sleeping ;-)

Problem here is baby get use to a sleepng environment and when you started his sleeping routine in the car seat that is what he got use to so now you have to get him use to sleeping in his crib,which may take a while.Try putting a blanket in his crib over him that has your scent on his (be careful not to pull the blanket pass his shoulders for safety issues)Try feeding him before bed and this too may help.Good luck

he must love the coziness, makes him feel secure and obviously keeps him from moving around, and thus waking up. being hungry does not wake anyone (per "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child"), he must just realize hes hungry once he has awakened.
have you tried swaddling? even if it's just from the chest down. Sometimes the babies will appear to be fussy about it at first, but end up liking it. I used the waffle weave blankets that are stretchy to swaddle my kids (like $8 at Babies R Us). I swaddled DS til 6 mos old from chest to feet.

I have heard that your baby's head can grow flat in the back from too much carseat and/or bouncy seat time. So I'd really encourage you to find an alternative to the carseat.

Try a bassinet instead of the crib. Its more cozy and not so large. Swaddling should help also.

If your ped suggested car seat sleeping for your 9 week old, se/she may want to review the American Academy of Pediatrics position statement. At 9 weeks I wouldn't expect a newborn to sleep thru the night. Sleeping for 7-9 hours at a stretch in a car seat seems like it might not be so good for your baby's breathing. When baby is slumped over, it is hard for them to breathe deeply. I would be more concerned about his airway than his reflux.