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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

why is that calpol is the only thing that will settle baby the millisecond it hits his mouth?

20 replies

lilymolly · 31/08/2009 16:47

Hi

ds is 22 weeks tomorrow, and the only thing that will settle him to sleep both during the day and on a night is calpol.

We tried it one night at 6am when he was screaming yet had his eyes closed and nothing else would settle him (rocking, dummy, feeding etc) and the milisecond the calpol went in his mouth, he fell back to sleep.

We have tried this the other times he is hard to settle and it works every time.

I am only using the tiniest amount on the 2.5ml spoon, but still we cant continue using this method as its paracetamol, but hey if it works we need to find an alternative.......

Has anyone else had this? or any other advice.

I am at the point of exhaustion

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lilymolly · 31/08/2009 17:02

anyone?

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clop · 31/08/2009 17:03

Children are especially tuned to like (crave) sugar. I wonder if sugar syrup would work just as well? But use it sparingly, or it will lose its magical effect .

rubyslippers · 31/08/2009 17:04

i don't think it is the calpol ... it takes time to work ...

he sounds terribly over tired more than anything

you know you shouldn't be offering calpol as a matter of course ...

try to get him down for naps earlier or swaddle ....

AvrilH · 31/08/2009 17:07

I have this, don't know why. I only use it in extremis.

But, I doubt that it is any active ingredient in the calpol, I think it is the sweet distraction from the baby's frustrated screaming. And easing the parents' stress by giving them something they could do. A bit like the way they used used whiskey rubbed on gums for teething...

My parents supposedly found that calpol was the only way to get me to sleep. It does not appear to have done me any harm.

lilymolly · 31/08/2009 17:28

oh i know its not the calpol ingredients, i.e paracetamol and that it must be the sugary taste?

i try to pre emt the sleepiness and try to settle before he is too tired, but it seems it is almost a daily occurance waking at 6am and calpol seems to be the only thing that works

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GirlsAreLoud · 31/08/2009 17:31

I agree with ruby I think you need to knock it on the head, you should only give calpol if there is a temp.

I know it's hard and I had a very unsettled baby who would not take a dummy but have only ever used calpol a couple of times as I don't think it should be used in the way you mention.

GirlsAreLoud · 31/08/2009 17:32

Why is waking at 6AM a problem? Is it because you can't calm him down? I would just get him up and distract him somehow personally, wouldn't be trying to get him back to sleep at 6.

colditz · 31/08/2009 17:34

At 6 am, get the baby up. 6am is a perfectly normal and healthy time for a five month old baby to wake up and have some milk. Have you tried offering milk instead of calpol?

thighsmadeofcheddar · 31/08/2009 17:34

I don't understand why 6am is a problem. It's not the middle of the night. Just get up with him.

dogofpoints · 31/08/2009 17:45

I don't understand why you are regularly giving your baby calpol when you acknowledge that the paracetemol is doing nothing. Why not just give a spoonful of sugared water?

dogofpoints · 31/08/2009 17:46

Babies wake at 6am.

Many wake between 5 and 6am.

lilymolly · 31/08/2009 19:37

You misunderstand or maybe I did not make myself clear- its only about the 3rd time I have given him calpol- its not like its a real regular occurance and I do know the dangers of paracetamol. The reason I gave it in the first instance is that he was so upset the first time, I thought he may be teething, so gave him some and voila it worked immediatley rather then taking the time to get into his system and kill any pain that may be there.

I also know he is not ready to get up at 6am, as he still shows signs of tiredness, and once he settles he sleeps a further 2 hours.
I know its not hunger as he is usually fed (breastfed) at 5am.

And I also know, its not to be done on a regular basis, hence why I am on here asking for an explanation or an alternative

I thought about getting sugar water or glycerin, but then I thought all that sugar may be bad for future teeth?

Oh maybe I am just getting desperate, as I am sleep deprived at the moment, as he is waking up pretty much every 2 hours during the night.....

Hope you dont all think I am a useless mam

just desperate for some answers really

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lilymolly · 31/08/2009 19:39

just re read my op and it does sound like I do this all the time

I Promise that this is not the case

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Umlellala · 31/08/2009 19:43

Aw, lilymolly, I think people are being a bit harsh on you. I would suggest you try feeding again personally... (and yes, I look at 6am as a luxurious lie-in ) but if feeding would get mine back to sleep, I damn well would

What about getting a tommee tippee cup and giving a bit of water? It sometimes gets my baby back to sleep now that he isn't allowed bf at night anymore (stopped night feeds a month ago). Worth a try?

lilymolly · 31/08/2009 19:47

thanks UMLELLA

I think people are being a little harsh as I dont think I was explaining myself correctly.

We did try water this morning, and that made no difference.

I really want to stop the "bf to sleep" as I Dont really want to get ds into that habit, but hey I may give it try in the morning.

I have been spoilt in the past as dd never ever woke up in the night after 17 week, and by that time she was ff.

I guess my reason for posting was to see if anyone else had had experience of this?

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dogofpoints · 31/08/2009 20:20

Maybe your ds is ready to get up at 6 and he will then have a long nap at 8 or 9am. Woulf that be worth trying to save you takign ages to get him down again at 6?

I'm sorry you're having a difficult time - lack of sleep is torturous

clop · 01/09/2009 09:17

22 weeks is a bit early to stop the feed-to-sleep thing, ime. I just think you might be better off leaving it a few months when it would be a LOT easier.

lilymolly · 01/09/2009 09:52

yeah youre prob right

he went right through until 3am but then woke every hour after that so we brought him into bed with us, and I fed him back to sleep.

That may the way to go

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pippel · 01/09/2009 10:22

If you want to stop feeding to sleep I would read the no cry sleep solution

dinkystinky · 01/09/2009 10:33

Lillymolly - my DS2 is almost always up at 6 or just before then and has been from around 16 weeks (now nearly 7 months). He'll be up for an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours then go for an hour to hour and a half nap. Some babies are just wired that way. His big brother was too. Can you check your room isnt too light as sometimes the daylight there is in the room at 6 is the issue.

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