What can I do to help her sleep?

Question

Okay, my daughter is 5 months old and has always been a little difficult to put to sleep.

At first I thought it was just a newborn thing, but every time I put her to sleep she'll fall asleep just fine and then boom she'll jolt and start wriggling around and rubbing her eyes and pretty much her whole body and it's getting to the point to where I have to swaddle her every time I put her to sleep, even for naps. I don't like swaddling her anymore though due to the fact that she moves so much while she sleeps that the blankets get tangled around her and she can turn now and that also makes it a little worse.. Any ideas to what I could do to help her sleep?

Answer 1

My son is spastic and wiggly too at 4.5 months.  We still swaddle him for all naps and night time and use a Swaddleme blanket (with velcro).  Once in a while he busts an arm out, but he loves it and getting swaddled is his cue to relax and go to sleep.  I believe, and my sons pediatrican believes there is no need to wean your child of swaddling if it helps.  They will let you know when they've outgrown it themselves.  Try a Swaddleme or equivalent rather than just a square blanket you create the swaddle with.  They are harder for older wiggly babies to bust out of and thus pose less risk of entanglement etc.

Answer 2

Everything you need to know is in this book.  I've bought this for every one of my friends who have children with sleep issues and they LOVED it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=IWCElLU...  

Answer 3

Have you tried a baby sleeping bag? She won't wriggle out of that.

Answer 4

we tried white noise products and the running water does miracles. You can also try squatting with her in your arms..i dont know why, but that tends to work too. Lastly, try a warm bath with aveeno lavende and vanilla...well you dont have to use the aveeno, but usually a bath helps, preferably with you in the bath with her..

Answer 5

I don't think she needs to be swaddled anymore. My son was like that when we first stopped swaddling. He got used to it, but it did take a while.