Appointment Updates- Sleep Doc

We also had an appointment with a new (YAYYY) sleep doctor last week. We had a HORRIBLE experience with "the" Dr. Ferber, sleep guru, 5 months ago. To make a long, ugly story short...he was crass and rude, didn't bother to even look at Anthony, let alone consider his special needs...and demanded that we stop swaddling him (he needed to be swaddled because his tone would cause his arms to move and wake him up) and change his schedule. When I suggested that I thought there might also be some other things affecting his leep...he cut me off and said, "well there may be, but until you do what I'm telling you, I don't even want to discuss them." The WORST!

Anyhow, we tried a little of what he told us for a couple of days and then I called and told the, we wanted to see someone else. They made us an appointment with a sleep doctor in the Neurology Department (he is also a neurologist)...clearly who we should have seen in the first place.

Dr. Lipton was AWESOME. He had some of the same advice as Dr. Ferber...but his bedside manner was phenominal...and he really "gets" Anthony and his issues. He also realizes that there is no quick fix, and that likely there will be many steps involved in figuring out Anthony's sleep issues. He also is sending us in for a sleep study to rule out any kind of sleep disorder (sleep apnea, etc.) The following is our new sleep regimine:

Bedtime: 9:30 p.m.
Wake-Up Time: 6:30 a.m.
Naps: Not to exceed 1 hour per day (can be split into 2 1/2 hours)

This time schedule is aimed to make Anthony totally exhausted by bedtime in hopes that he will not be able to resist sleep. He does wake 2-3 times throughout the night...usually every 2-3 hours...last night he went 4 1/2 hours! He is sleeping in his crib...and I should mention prior to this he had been sleeping in my bed, in my ARMS! He has had a terrible time relaxing his muscle to sleep and often grunts and "thrashes" until he is completley and deeply sleeping. Since starting this new routine last week...this has gotten MUCH, MUCH better.

I have also obtained a copy of Baby Go to Sleep...a CD on contiuous lullanies with the sound of a heart beating in the background. VERY soothing!! I play that on a contiuous loop throughout the night.

So far, so good...hey, at least he is now sleeping in his room!!!