.... Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 TIA for any help/suggestions. My 8 month old is not sleeping...at. all. :mellow: I really feel like I am on the verge of collapsing if this dude does not start sleeping more than an hour and a half at a time. In the last couple of weeks, he's started to say a couple of words, shake his head "no", pull himself up to standing, feed himself finger foods and he's "trying" to crawl (climbing onto his hands and knees and rocking back and forth). OK, so I think he's going through a gargantuan developmental spurt and that's why he's having trouble sleeping... I have 5 kids and can't really "sleep when he sleeps". Anyone have this problem? Suggestions? I feel like I've tried everything. I even let him cry for awhile to see if he could calm himself down and he just doesn't. Before this, he was sleeping through the night for a few weeks. This is how I feel. ---) :wacko: Oh, and my teenager is driving me nuts, but I think that could be another thread. :nopity: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Please check for dairy allergy. Not being able to sleep for developmentally appropriate (and needed!) blocks of time is a commonly overlooked symptom of dairy allergy. (And please know I am not a look for food or environmental issues person typically) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 This is the worst. Our oldest was a terrible sleeper. I can count on one hand the number of times he slept longer than an hour at a stretch in his first year of life. We are heading out the door in just a couple minutes. I will come back with different things we tried. I am sorry you are dealing with this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Please check for dairy allergy. Not being able to sleep for developmentally appropriate (and needed!) blocks of time is a commonly overlooked symptom of dairy allergy. (And please know I am not a look for food or environmental issues person typically) Yes, this is actually what our pediatrician thought, but then dismissed it... He's not eating anything with dairy in it, but we're still nursing, so I need to stop eating dairy then. Actually, last night was absolutely horrible for him - he would sleep for an hour and wake up and cry (repeating this all night). And I had dairy yesterday (for the first time in several days). Hmmm... I'll remove all dairy products from my diet and see if that helps. Edited to add: He actually had an ultrasound of his GI tract about 4 months ago (we think he might've had a reaction to the rotavirus immunization) and they said the lining in his colon was thickening (sorry, TMI), which they said he was sensitive to something I was eating. But, they really didn't give me any more info and he seemed fine after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Sounds like my first kid. I found white noise and motion helped. We bought this thing that attached to the crib that vibrated it and played white noise. It was supposed to emulate the sound and motion of a moving car. Of everything we tried, that worked the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yes, this is actually what our pediatrician thought, but then dismissed it... He's not eating anything with dairy in it, but we're still nursing, so I need to stop eating dairy then. Actually, last night was absolutely horrible for him - he would sleep for an hour and wake up and cry (repeating this all night). And I had dairy yesterday (for the first time in several days). Hmmm... I'll remove all dairy products from my diet and see if that helps. He was treated as if he had a possible dairy allergy. It didn't change anything. He was also treated for reflux. Again, it did not change anything. He was just, I don't know, difficult. He still is. LOL (he is almost 14) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 He was treated as if he had a possible dairy allergy. It didn't change anything. He was also treated for reflux. Again, it did not change anything. He was just, I don't know, difficult. He still is. LOL (he is almost 14) Figuring out what's bothering a baby is like a Sherlock Holmes mystery. :tongue_smilie: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Is he teething? Have you tried ibuprofen? And I've been there done that and have no idea. I truly don't believe 8 months old have sleep problems. I believe moms have exhaustion problems. Trying to resolve the exhaustion creatively without trying to make the 8 month old do what he doesn't want to do is my suggestion. Naps for a few hours when husband first comes home from work, having Dad take a few shifts uring the night or all night a few times a week, or hiring in someone to babysit the other kids while you take a nap during the day are my best suggestions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Restless Less Syndrome was a contributing factor to our youngest's sleep problems. An over the counter iron supplement in her bottle solved the problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagine.more Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yes, this is actually what our pediatrician thought, but then dismissed it... He's not eating anything with dairy in it, but we're still nursing, so I need to stop eating dairy then. Actually, last night was absolutely horrible for him - he would sleep for an hour and wake up and cry (repeating this all night). And I had dairy yesterday (for the first time in several days). Hmmm... I'll remove all dairy products from my diet and see if that helps. Edited to add: He actually had an ultrasound of his GI tract about 4 months ago (we think he might've had a reaction to the rotavirus immunization) and they said the lining in his colon was thickening (sorry, TMI), which they said he was sensitive to something I was eating. But, they really didn't give me any more info and he seemed fine after that. Waking every hour crying I'd definitely say it's something health-related, likely dairy intolerance. I've had 2 kids intolerant to dairy and soy while nursing and eliminating both and starting reflux meds solved it so both STTN (8+hours) before 12 weeks old. But on the rare occasion when DS got soy in his system he'd wake at night and scream, even up to 18 months old! So yeah I'd eliminate dairy and then focus on a good bedtime routine. If he's still waking occasionally from habit after a few weeks then that would be a good time to do cry-it-out if you're comfortable with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I've heard that there is a tendency at 4 months and again around 8 months (varies a bit) to have a lot of trouble sleeping. I think it's called a sleep "regression." Maybe that's part of it? It's just developmental, in that case, and "they" say not to start something to treat it that you don't want to continue (for some, this would be, like, sleeping with mom, or something). But IIWY, I would definitely check allergies or intolerances. Could you possibly hire a babysitter for a couple of days, so that you can get some rest during the day? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Oh, and gripe water is over the counter. It has some stuff in it that helps with mild reflux. But if this is a new thing I don't think reflux, I think teething. Ibuprofen for the win :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Dairy sensitivity--often goes hand in hand with soy. It takes a while to get everything out of your system. It took a couple of months for my youngest to stop having occult blood in her stool. It's also hidden in lots of things. I found the GI fairly useless. I did most of my research online. Infantreflux.org forums have excellent information in the archives for elimination diets and sensitivities. If it suddenly got worse, I'd consider an ear infection. Or teething, but every hour seems intense for teeth. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Restless Less Syndrome was a contributing factor to our youngest's sleep problems. An over the counter iron supplement in her bottle solved the problem. Low iron was why one of my sons was a terrible sleeper. We didn't find out until he was over a year old. OP, is your son breastfed? BF babies tend to be lower in iron. Also, GI damage can also contribute to lower than normal iron levels, and it sounds like your son's recent testing showed some GI issues. Def. look into iron issues! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 My second never slept. I never figured it out. I eliminated everything and had her tested for anemia. I felt like dying. I am sorry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 (((Hugs)))) I know that exhaustion, and it's so hard. My dd did not sleep more than 2 consecutive hours until she was 2 years old. I thought I was going to go crazy or die from sleep deprivation. We tried everything. We saw doctors, I read every sleep book published, her sleeping was even on the prayer chain at our church. Dd did have confirmed dairy allergy from one week old (I was not able to breastfeed, as I never had milk come in with either dc--it's a freaky hereditary thing in my family), so she had no dairy exposure after the allergy was confirmed. At about 18 months, I gave up trying to get her to sleep. On her second birthday, she slept through the night and continued to sleep through after that. I have no idea why. Can your teenager help during the daytime and let you take a nap? Dh or older dc help on weekends to let you get a little more sleep? I'm so sorry you're dealing with this and hope you get some sleep soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Figuring out what's bothering a baby is like a Sherlock Holmes mystery. :tongue_smilie: Yes and sometimes it just goes away before you manage to figure it out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Can your teenager help during the daytime and let you take a nap? Dh or older dc help on weekends to let you get a little more sleep? I'm so sorry you're dealing with this and hope you get some sleep soon. This is a great idea.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Is he teething? Have you tried ibuprofen? We tried ibuprofen, also. Thanks for all the suggestions! I cut out dairy over the last couple of days and it seems to have made a difference. He only woke up twice last night (which is good for him) and twice the night before. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not... :confused: Maybe it is the 8 month sleep regression. How do they know if there's a dairy sensitivity? Is it just by doing an elimination diet? Or is there some kind of test? When I google "sleep problems 8 month old", there are a TON of websites/forum posts from desperate parents. LOL. :tongue_smilie: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 Dairy sensitivity--often goes hand in hand with soy. I saw this in my search. If they have a dairy sensitivity (and also soy), what do parents give them when they turn a year old? We usually switch to whole milk at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 My oldest went through this. He woke hourly after having slept through the night for months. Removing dairy fixed it for him. I understand the exhaustion and how difficult the detective game is. I hope you find the cause soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Do you co-sleep? Would you try that in the interests of getting more sleep? I think 8 months is supposed to be prime time for separation anxiety, so maybe waking and finding you not there is making things worse? There may certainly be other underlying issues, but for me co-sleeping with a poor sleeper was how we survived. He was still a poor sleeper, but I could tend to him without really waking myself up, so I got more sleep overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I saw this in my search. If they have a dairy sensitivity (and also soy), what do parents give them when they turn a year old? We usually switch to whole milk at that point. Water or coconut milk or almond milk or rice milk. You just make sure the child gets fat some other way than milk. Some kids outgrow dairy sensitivities once their guts heal. Or that's the theory. My once very sensitive to dairy through my milk child is 18 mos and tolerates it just fine now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 I saw this in my search. If they have a dairy sensitivity (and also soy), what do parents give them when they turn a year old? We usually switch to whole milk at that point. You can give alternative milks, but milk is not really a nutritional need. It is convenient because it's a "complete food", but at the same time it has a lot of sugars in it too. I have a dairy allergic kid and he just...didn't have milk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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