Sleep problems

[faith4u]

I am having such a hard time getting my little one to sleep well at night. I am beginning to wonder if it has to do with the way I am eating at all. I guess at this point I am grasping at straws trying to figure out what to do.

He is almost 8 months old and on a very good night he is nursing every three hours all night long. Most nights he is up every 2 or 3 hours.

Then there are nights like last night where he was up every hour or more. Granted, he was running a little fever and always seems to be teething BUT shouldn't he have good sleeping days too.

It is strange because in the beginning when I wasn't eating as much raw he slept better. Maybe it has nothing to do with it but for many months he hasn't been sleeping very well.

So, I just thought you all might have some ideas.

[bluedotsmom]

First, hugs...and this is very normal for his age! All of mine went through strange sleeping things around nine months or so. It is a time of enormous change for little ones - expanding verbal skills, pulling up, learning to walk, maybe trying solid foods - and all of these can disturb sleep. Along the line of solids, food intolerances/sensitivities can cause sleep isssues. Dairy is a huge one, so a food diary for both of you for a few days might pin it down if you think that is a possibility.

I'm at work so only have a second, here are two links with great info!! And on the kellymom one you'll find things by Jay Gordon, MD and he is pretty great, too. kellymom.com is one of my favorite sites for all things baby!

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/index.html
www.askdrsears.com

More hugs and remember this season is very short..

[dreamrawalwz]

I have no idea, but here's my guess. You said he was sleeping more when you weren't raw (or not as much as you are now). His body had to be detoxing and useing up his energy therefore he had to sleep. Now that he's getting raw foods into his diet through you then he has more energy to play (as much as an 8 month old can play). I dunno, there's my logic lol, not sure how right I am though.

[faith4u]

First, hugs...and this is very normal for his age! All of mine went through strange sleeping things around nine months or so. It is a time of enormous change for little ones - expanding verbal skills, pulling up, learning to walk, maybe trying solid foods - and all of these can disturb sleep. Along the line of solids, food intolerances/sensitivities can cause sleep isssues. Dairy is a huge one, so a food diary for both of you for a few days might pin it down if you think that is a possibility.

I'm at work so only have a second, here are two links with great info!! And on the kellymom one you'll find things by Jay Gordon, MD and he is pretty great, too. kellymom.com is one of my favorite sites for all things baby!

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/index.html
www.askdrsears.com

More hugs and remember this season is very short..

Thanks for the links they were very helpful. I found some info that I thought might be a part of this.

I have been regularly making smoothies with spearmint oil in them. Come to find out that it is a good herb to use if you want to wean or decrease your milk supply. I wonder if this could be my problem. I was doing it daily up until several days ago. I don't know how long it would be until I saw a difference though.

[faith4u]

I have no idea, but here's my guess. You said he was sleeping more when you weren't raw (or not as much as you are now). His body had to be detoxing and useing up his energy therefore he had to sleep. Now that he's getting raw foods into his diet through you then he has more energy to play (as much as an 8 month old can play). I dunno, there's my logic lol, not sure how right I am though.

I thought the same thing as you did too but I am not sure about it either.
;) You see, I cannot eat 100% raw right now or he starts to detox. So, I eat about 95% raw right now.

So if our theory is right that means he is detoxing either way, which still leaves me nowhere. :o

[bluedotsmom]

Thanks for the links they were very helpful. I found some info that I thought might be a part of this.

I have been regularly making smoothies with spearmint oil in them. Come to find out that it is a good herb to use if you want to wean or decrease your milk supply. I wonder if this could be my problem. I was doing it daily up until several days ago. I don't know how long it would be until I saw a difference though.

Spearmint oil is quite powerful, so it could have just taken a few days for it to affect your supply..so baby nurses more to increase supply. It would be good to stop the spearmint oil.

And many babies go through a stage around this age where they don't sleep as well (of course, that's if they slept well before :rolleyes: ) There were times during all night nurse-a-thons with my kiddos that I just latched 'em and went right back to sleep. Other times, I couldn't sleep through it.

So, looks like you are onto something with the spearmint oil. You might want to look at other herbs you are using as well. Not just for milk supply, but stimulant effects.

Don't have much other advice - just hugs, btdt and a reminder that this too shall pass!

Anne