To ask how on earth you cope with a baby that constantly fidgets, restless and fights sleep??

[goady]

9 months old and it's taken 3 hours to get him to sleep. He just cannot wind down. I've tried everything - except for letting him cry. Which please don't suggest as it's not an option. Even if I wanted to try it, I have an older son who is autistic. I can't risk waking him

Baby is extremely attached to me and is breast fed.

Tried moving bed time to later, earlier. Still the same result.

Has 2-3 naps in the day but never for long enough periods I don't think.

Has a bottle of formula before bed which I don't think he needs or makes any difference, just part of his routine. Still breast fed.

He is extremely active and is very quick! Has met all milestones involving moving quite early. Spends his days crawling around the house trying to empty cupboards. Can pull himself up and cruise round furniture easily. He never ever stops! And he should be shattered!

Anyone relate?

Fedup.com.au

Loads of information there. Read carefully. Pm if you would like more information.

Check out sleep cycles and cues. If you miss them, then baby takes hours to go down properly.

My 7 month old DS is exactly the same. Hoping someone can offer some advice!

Errrrrr yes. I relate! It is very hard at the end of a long day, isn’t it?
What’s he like once he is finally asleep?

I was missing my baby’s sleep cues so started using the Huckleberry app. So helpful in knowing when he’ll be tired next.

Sorry. Linky didn’t come up.

www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/symptom-factsheets/sleep-disturbance-and-insomnia

DD was/ is like this. A very very active baby who never ever stays still.

At 11 months old though she has suddenly calmed down so much and is now sleeping through.

For her bedtime routine (she is breastfed) we need to start about 6.30. I now give her a bath, read her the same story, sing her the same song. All with her comforter teddy. Then we put her in her cot with a bottle of formula which she holds herself so she can wind down. As feeding her and putting her back in her cot wasn’t working and she just cried. This way she gets to snuggle in her cot with some warm milk and we don’t have to keep picking her up and putting her down (never left her to cry). She also started taking a dummy at about 9 months which has really helped.

Her teeth are now mostly all through so that had calmed her down loads and she’s also walking. She seemed to just want to grow up and be able to do things. Now she can I feel like we have turned a corner. I honestly thought something was wrong with her she’s been SO difficult.

I coped by eating a lot of biscuits and telling myself it was a phase- looks like it was!

Teething perhaps? Mine likes to run around to distract himself from the pain. Did you try anbesol liquid / ibuprofen?

Off the top of my head I'm wondering if any of the following might help you:

Swaddling
Lavender oil
White noise
Soft coloured lighting if there's lights left on
Blacking out the room if you think it's the long daylight hours are the issue
Co-sleeping
Use a dummy
Review diet for any potential stimulants or anything that might be causing an uncomfortable stomach

But as I've said on a few threads like this, the thing is you have to give whatever you try a chance to work.

Thanks, I will try the huckleberry app and have a look at the app.

I realised we were definitely missing sleeps cues so I'm working on it.

As soon as we come home from the morning school run, he likes to nap then. And will fall asleep straight away. So we are getting into a routine there....although today is Saturday so  might just drive the kids to school as usual!

He went to sleep so easily last night. Had a bath as normal. Then please don't judge me but I put you tube on the tv for some nursery rhymes. He never ever watches tv but this one particular channel he loves as he absolutely loves nursery rhymes. Within minutes of watching that he's rubbing his eyes. Has a feed and he's asleep.

For twenty five minutes!!!!! Then he's awake again and will refuse to go back to sleep no matter what I tried and it took 3 hours.

Dh tries but it's no good. He just wants me.

@PerfectPeony2 I have thought about trying to give him formula in his cot. I will try it. It just seems the only way he will fall asleep is on the boob so for the last 2 nights I've cut the bottle completely as it seems pointless. He was only taking about 3oz of it.

Which leads me to think I need to give him his tea earlier. But then that's hard when my 2 older dcs have after school clubs!!! Argh parenting!!