[JustLiz]

Ug. Baby up all night last night. It took us 2 hours to get him back to sleep after he woke up at 11:00. Nothing was working. Besides that, from 8:30pm to 6:30 am was up every 2 hours.

What happened: He is too strong to be swaddled anymore. No matter what we do, he gets out if it in about 15-45 minutes. But he clearly doesn't know how to fall asleep without it. We have tried lots of rocking, pacifier, nursing to sleep, etc. Nothing seems to be working!

I suppose he will eventually figure it out, but I am losing it from lack of sleep and am going back to work in 1 week!

P.S. he can roll back-to-front and front-to-back now, but can't fall asleep on his tummy. Whenever he rolls back-to-front in the crib he seems to get stuck (too narrow to roll back over??) and screams because he can't figure out how to rest his head down to sleep. He is mostly on his tummy now for playtime.

Anyone have advice? Or just sympathy?

P.P.S. He's also very active; pulling off my glasses, pulling my hair, etc. while I'm trying to nurse him or rock him to sleep.

[MommaLee]

Can you try a different swaddle rather than just a blanket....I know there is like a miracle blanket or something like that.

I have no other advice except that, like you said, hopefully he'll figure it out. Mine still sleeps with us and believe me, we have our nights where she is just something else.

[NortheastWifey]

Oh, I'm so sorry! That really stinks. I wish I could offer advice, but my DD still sleeps with me and she's 2. How old is he now? I never could do CIO for my daughter. I wasn't strong enough! But I know it has worked for others if that's something you're willing to do.

[JustLiz]

Thanks! He did MUCH better last night, thank goodness! I got a few stretches of good sleep so I think it will be ok. It will probably be a while before he sleeps really well without the swaddle, but as long as I can get some sleep in, I'm willing to wait.

He's just 5 months, but he was 22lbs and 27.5 in at his 4-month visit, and considerably bigger now. He has definitely outgrown all of the commercial swaddles. He used miracle blanket the longest (that's what he just learned how to get out of - he arches his back and pulls his arms out at the same time, which allows him to get his arms out of the arm flaps). I briefly considered trying to make a swaddle with arm flaps for him, but I think it's just hopeless at this point.

IDK - CIO still seems like a bad idea to me. It worked for my SIL, but I don't think I could do it unless we got really desperate.

[MommaLee]

Wow, he's big!

[fromustobaby]

no kidding - he's almost as big as Kaiden was at a year - wow!

This same thing happened to us with Kaiden, at a point, he could break out of the swaddle and just couldnt sleep...I put him in our bed and fed him all night on the boob, it worked to an extent - at least I got some sleep...by 9 months, it stopped working and he woke up about every hour and crawled around trying to do stuff and screaming...

I didnt feel comfortable CIO till he was 10 months old, it took about 3 nights, then at that point he started sleeping and except for a few bad nights, it has been great...

So, I guess I'm just saying that it really sucks for a while...but at a certain point, it does get better...

[ChristinaR]

Hugs it definately gets better.

Have you heard of the woombie? It's an amazing swaddler that your lo will never be able to get out of. We had to use that for my son because just like your lo he would break free of everything else.

[hearts.0nfire]

I don't really have any advice but lots of hugs your way. Darcy broke out of the miracle blanket quite a bit as she got older so we ended up putting her in her own room and did do cio. It was hard but after a few days she was sleeping almost through the night. I hope you find a way that works for you.

[Pebblesbuddy]

Kylie was the same way. Loved to be swaddled. We did a transition, from one arm out, then two arms with the swaddle around her chest, then taking away the swaddle for a sleep sack. I am surprised he has been swaddled this long he is a BIG boy. I don't think there is anything on the market he can use besides blankets and it sounds like he is busting out of them. I say just go head first and try to wean him from it if he keeps busting out. If that doesn't work I know some people take the sleep sacks and close off the holes of the arms so they can't get out. GL!

[JustLiz]

Thanks everyone! He started daycare on Monday and I think they are doing a good job wearing him out. He is back to normal (waking 2x per night and going down pretty easy most nights). No swaddle!! It's hard to remember that these things always have a way of passing over. When you are in it it sucks!!

Yeah...he's super huge. He's actually less huge for his age than he was at 2 and 3 months, since he slowed down considerably. DH and I are both small!

[ashnichole2326]

Liz, I found the biggest issue with Grace not being in a swaddle was he hands being free to do whatever they pleased...lol. If you can find some mittens or something to make it more difficult for the grabbing...like him pulling hair or taking your glasses...that tends to get Grace to fall asleep. It's like she grabs at things to keep her occupied and from falling asleep...lol.

She HATES going to sleep. It takes such a long time! But she stays asleep through the night most of the time now at almost 7 months...I think she was 4 or 5 months when she started sleeping through the night, but we got out of habit and we're just now getting it straightened out again thank goodness!!

I always had trouble keeping her in a swaddle...she has always been SUPER active!!

I hope it gets better soon hun!!