How Do You Get a Baby Back on Schedule?

[jrstephens]

You will see it is 130 AM! Cole was sleeping great until we had a bunch of formula problems the last few weeks. We FINALLY have him on one that is working for the past week but he got so off schedule during the bad times that he has basically gotten his days and nights backwards.

He is just now falling alseep and hopefully soon will be asleep enough to stay that way!!! We kept him up when he woke up at 6 pm hoping that would help the going to sleep at 1 am but it did not.

Any advice? I will be a zombie when I have to go back to work on July 9th if this keeps up. Russell and I do swap nights staying up but it is getting exhausting. Actually is has done got exhausting!

 

[stacywhitlow]

When he wakes (at wrong time) don't go get him. If you need to settle him down some, fine, but don't stay in his room. Don't get him up or talk or anything that would arouse him. Then during the day, talk to him & keep him awake as long as you can. It might take a while but he will get back on schedule. And, it is way easier said than done. We had one get that way because she got used to daddy putting her to sleep. We finally had to let her cry it out which just about killed us. It only took her 3 nights before she finally would just go on to sleep on her own.

 

[hollye44]

Stacy has some good advice. I have a 6 month old, and this is what we did with her a few months ago and now she is a fabulous sleeper, 11-12 hours per night. She was pretty quick to catch on, about 3 days. And yes, it is tough to hear them cry, but think about the rewards for yourself and the baby. And besides, you aren't sleeping anyway, so spend a few nights teaching your baby how to self-soothe and sleep. The Baby Whisperer is a good book to read, and now is the time to do it. Once you are both on a schedule and baby is sleeping at night, you both will feel so much better. Make sure at night his room is cool and dark. I have a night light on, and that is all. Use a fan or cool humidifier if you need to cool the room. I also have some soothing baby music playing (LOVE the Fisher Price Rainforest CD - http://www.fisher-pricemusic.com/detail.aspx?ID=1401). Now during the daytime when she begins to show signs of tiredness (rubbing eyes, getting whiny), I immediately lay her down (no nursing or bottle) and she goes right to sleep. This way anyone can put her to sleep, she doesn't necessarily need me for anything. The same goes for nighttime, except we do have a last feeding before she gets sleepy. You and Cole will get this all figured out, and then it will be so easy like clockwork. Good luck!!

 

[stefani2]

I agree with the other ladies who posted.

At night - even if he wants to wake up and 'play' - DON'T TALK to him or give him any extra stimulation. Don't turn lights on or anything that you would normally do during the day when he wakes up.

During the day - you might have to 'entertain' him a bit more to keep him awake. I would make a bit of extra noise during the day to get Cooper on schedule - so he didn't sleep as much. For him - we pushed his nap times a bit so he slept less during the day, and 'allowed' him to sleep at night.

The BabyWhisperer is an AMAZING book - the BabyWhisperer for Toddlers is great too - which reminds me - I think I should re-read it to understand my 2 year old better right now.

 

[3RingChef]

Hi there,I'm so sorry to hear about your little one's sleep troubles. I know how exhausting it can be when your baby's schedule gets thrown off. It sounds like you've been through a lot with trying different formulas, but I'm glad to hear that you've found one that works for Cole.In my experience as a Pampered Chef consultant, I've found that establishing a consistent bedtime routine can be really helpful in getting babies back on track with their sleep. This can include things like a warm bath, reading a book, and dimming the lights before bed. Also, try to keep his room dark and quiet during the night to help him understand that it's time to sleep.Another tip is to try to keep him awake for longer periods during the day, so that he's more tired at night. This may take some time to adjust, but it can help him get back into a regular sleep schedule.I hope these tips help and that you're able to get some much-needed rest soon. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need any more advice or support.Best of luck,