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Sleep

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Original poster

Struggling to get by without calpol night.....

13 replies

D2Jenx · 01/02/2008 21:39

Hello everyone.
I am at a loose end.
My ds was sleeping soundly in his crib swaddled 7-7am every night from 12 weeks. At week 20 i stopped swaddling him and he seemed fine with it. At 24 weeks he was too big for his crib so i moved him to his cot. He started waking every couple of hours crying. I tried settling him but he would take ages to go back to sleep, sometimes hours. He would then wake at 6 and be awake for the rest of the day (he does not take any naps in the day!!!)
As he was so tired he would not be himself and a little grumpy. Then the next night he'd conk out for the night without a sound because he was so tired. Then the whole process would start again.
I was so tired, i took him to the doctors and she said to give him night calpol which will make him sleep and get him back in to his routine as he may be teething??!
Therefore on her orders i have been giving him calpol for the last few days and he has been sleeping a treat, but surely this is only a short term measure as when i didnt use it last night, it was a night mare again!
Anyone got any advice????? PLEASE!

OP posts:

somersetmum · 01/02/2008 21:46

It clearly states on the box not to use it long term.
He is still very young to be sleeping through. I know its tough - my ds was eight months before he slept properly at night. Like your son, he was also averse to daytime naps and only ever slept for half an hour if I was lucky - and normally the only way to get him to do this was to drive him somewhere, so I didn't get any time to myself.
You have had a break if he's been on the Calpol for a few nights. I would advise you to stop giving it to him or else he could get addicted.
Does he have a baby sleeping bag? They are fab, because baby can't kick it off and doesn't wake up because he/she's cold.

Original poster

D2Jenx · 01/02/2008 21:50

Yeh he sleeps in a sleeping bag. He seems to like it.
I agree with the calpol, i was not happy about giving it to him.
I am just confused about why he used to go to sleep so easily before and now it takes him a good hour to fall asleep as he keeps taking out his dummy (he has learnt how to take it out but not put it back in ha) and trashing about.
Oooh well fingers crossed it will get better x

OP posts:

callmeovercautious · 01/02/2008 21:56

It has only been a few nights so please don't panic. DD has had Medised at night for a week now (GP recommended) as she has a Virus/COld and is teething Canines. I feel guilty but I also know that if I was ill with a cold/toothache I would also be taking painkillers and possibly night nurse as well.

Check the dosage is right for his age and only give it once at night. That way it is minimal impact.

As for naps, DD was the same as yours and somerstmum los. I either had to walk her or drive. Sometimes she would BF to sleep and I would be stuck for the 45 mins with her asleep on me, no chance to even go to the loo This fixed itself as she got older and has napped in the cot from about 6m.

As for night time wakings - at 20 weeks most babies I have known will wake more often as they are growing fast and gearing up to the point where they need some solids. Have you tried offering milk the first time he wakes as he may be hungry? - you don't mention it in your OP. Try a sleeping bag as it makes the big space smaller for them, more like the Crib and swaddle he was used to.

HTH

Original poster

D2Jenx · 01/02/2008 21:59

He is now 26 weeks and on solids. He isnt hungry as he will refuse a bottle. I have tried it all. Could it be teething?

OP posts:

Dalrymps · 01/02/2008 22:05

i tried changing ds from being swaddled to sleeping bag but he found it too loose so we went back to sheets but instead of swaddling him just put them over him and put his arms by his side then tucked the sheets in quite tight, i think he found this felt a bit more secure and he slept a lot better, he's now 3 months old and still has sheets but he has his arms out and sleeps 12.30-08.30 so settled a lot, just a suggestion anyway, you might have tried it already but thought it was worth mentioning

callmeovercautious · 02/02/2008 22:06

D2jenx - how long ago did you start weaning? Solids can upset them as well as make them sleep through! Depends on the Baby. Could this be it? Tell us what you are weaning on and we may have some more suggestions.

Hope tonight is going OK so far

CoteDAzur · 02/02/2008 22:24

I don't mean to offend anyone but I am having trouble understanding this thread.

Calpol's active ingredient is paracetamol, which has no effect on sleep. See this study which finds that "Paracetamol did not differ significantly from placebo on any measure of the recorded sleep pattern".

Calpol Night, on the other hand, has antihistamine (allergy medicine that makes you drowsy/sleepy) as well as paracetamol. If that is what you are giving your ds, yes, it will make him sleep. However, antihistamines are NOT physically addictive, especially those put in baby medicines.

So, if you are giving your DS Calpol (just paracetamol) and he is sleeping through, I would guess he is hurting somewhere (teething?) and that is why he keeps waking up in the night.

If it is Calpol Night you are giving your DS, yes, it is probably to thank for DS sleeping through. No harm continuing with it for a few more days until his sleeping pattern is established in the new bed.

Meanwhile, try to (safely!) make his cot smaller with cushions etc. It sounds to me like he misses the cosy feel of his crib and wants to touch all sides.

callmeovercautious · 02/02/2008 23:16

Cote - I read the OP as being Calpol Night time (similar to Medised I believe). Made for Babies and works a treat if handled correctly, no offence taken by me I think we worry too much about the odd drop of pain killer, as I said earlier - I would take a Parecetemol if I was ill so why not give a small dose to DD?

On the subject - she has woken once tonight without any, I think I was getting paranoid so wanted to see how she got on without the painkillers, have told DP if she wakes again I will have to give her some.

D2 how are you getting on?

soapbox · 02/02/2008 23:26

there seems to be some question over the safety of calpol nighttime, in the under twos

nappyaddict · 02/02/2008 23:58

try swaddling him again. my ds was swaddled until 15 months

yelnats · 03/02/2008 00:03

I gave dd2 calpol night a couple of nights last week to help with her teething and if anything she slept worse!!

Surroundedbysnot · 07/02/2008 16:50

I t makes my dd hyper as well ....

lizziebeth · 09/02/2008 18:45

Calpol night still contains paracetamol and I think you shouldn't rule out that may be some underlying pain going on here.

Is there definitely no fever?

(Not saying this is connected but I had exactly the same issues as you at the same age, and it turned LO suffers from urine infections and the symptoms are not obvious apart from not sleeping well, not being as hungry and being a bit grumpy in the day)

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