| konradsmom, my daughter slept very badly from infant & she'd wake up very frequently at night. we've stuck to a bedtime routine & regular bedtimes since she was 3 mths. (she' now 3 yrs old!)
i find that since our body clocks work according to the sun (according to chinese medicine), putting bubs to bed around the same time each day helps bub's body clock to work naturally. (i'm talking about for his/her long-term health benefits) it doesn't have to be 7pm, it can be 8.30pm if it fits your family style. but i suggest babies sleep no later than 9pm. the body naturally goes into repair & replenish mode after 10pm, so the whole system should be at rest before that in order for it to function properly. i also think that babies (children) will only go to bed later in the day as they age. meaning tat if bub is 6mths & going to bed at 9pm, but he/she is 3 he might be going to bed at 11pm. (which is, i think, way too late for a small child). my daughter used to sleep at around 6.30pm before she was 1. between yr 1-2, bedtime moved to 7.30-8pm with naps. at 2 she dropped her nap & slept at 7pm. now that she's 3, she sleeps at around 7.30pm-8pm. my husband & i still get our evening to ourselves relaxed & watch a bit of CSI & Desperate Housewives. i've always taught her that we sleep when Mr Sun sleeps & wake when Mr Sun wakes.
another thing with your bub waking frequently after his hospital stay. he might still be in shock from teh IV? some babies/children are more senstive & anxious hence remembering trauma or scary experience more so than other babies. i suggest you bring him to a natural-path (we go to IMI, imi.com.hk). bach flower remedy "rescue remedy" (dropped in bath water, NOT TAKEN ORALLY) & homeopath "aconite" work safely & effectively for babies & small children. (one time my daughter fell off from her high chair when she was 9mths. she was physically unharmed but for the next 2 nights she screamed in her sleep. so i brought her to Dr. Bradshaw at IMI, and he prescribed those & it worked wonderfully) of course, it's best you bring him for professional help. they also sell a CD to aid sleeping at IMI. the CD tunes the brain waves to "deep sleep" brain wave (some beta waves or sth). i played it in my daughter's room at nite repeatedly, and it seems to helped enormously. maybe you can ask them abou it too. it's very expensive (like HK$450 each), but i'd spend that amt of money to exchange for some good nite sleep.
good luck!  |