3rd Trimester

STMs+ with toddlers--sleep resistance/issues?

My DH and I are at our wits' end with DD, and I'm not sure if it's related to me being pregnant and due in less than 2 months or what. For the past month, she's been resisting bed time when she normally went down without so much as a peep, and will often wake up in the middle of the night crying for me (she's a mommy's girl, so she rarely wants her dad when she's upset, especially when going to bed/or in bed). Several night wakings have taken her 2-3 hours before she's (and I"m) back asleep. For the past month most nights she'll cry for up to an hour after we put her down, and it doesn't seem to matter whether we go in or let her cry, it's always 8:30 by the time she's finally asleep, when she used to be quietly asleep by usually 7:30. (she wakes at 6:30). 

 I've also been back to teaching since school's back in session for the past 5 weeks, so I don't know if the transition from daycare part time to full time is causing this either?  Just wondering if other moms have experienced this type of thing when pregnant with #2. I'm just so frustrated because it's seriously making DH and I worry about when this baby comes. I so just want to be excited about this baby, and I am, but this situation is hard enough that I can't imagine doing it with another baby around, and I hate feeling that way. Any advice? 

I thought about posting this on the toddler board, but saw that someone basically posted the same thing, and only got a few replies, all of which were of the "no advice, we're in the same boat," kinda thing.  

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Re: STMs+ with toddlers--sleep resistance/issues?

  • I guess I have a few questions before throwing out advice. How old is she? Is she still napping during the day and is she napping any longer now that she is in full time day care again? How is her appetite? How is your bedtime routine? Is she going through any growth spurt? Teething? Any changes or is she experiencing any anxiety? As crazy as it sounds all of this played big time into my sons sleep patterns. As hard as it is, reinforcing the same patterns over and over again was the best thing I could do for him. Making sure belly was full, then bath, snack, teeth brushed, book read and into bed every single night. If she keeps waking up in the middle of the night and is hard to console you might consider giving her physician a call. Good luck!
  • DD has been off and on with her sleeping.  We found that if we ran her down enough she would go straight to sleep.  If she doesn't take a nap she is out by 7:30pm.  However we find that is too early.  So when she gets home from daycare we take her to the park ( or McDonalds playland if it is wet out) to try and burn off some of that energy.  If push comes to shove I tell her that she has to be quiet and play in her room til she gets sleepy and usually she is asleep about an hr or so later.

    Now if its bad dreams that is a different story.  We got DD a stuffed rottweiler which looks like our actual rottweiler.   I told her he will protect her like Brolly protects momma at night.  That has helped her a lot.  

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  • imageLauren&Matt12:
    I guess I have a few questions before throwing out advice. How old is she? Is she still napping during the day and is she napping any longer now that she is in full time day care again? How is her appetite? How is your bedtime routine? Is she going through any growth spurt? Teething? Any changes or is she experiencing any anxiety? As crazy as it sounds all of this played big time into my sons sleep patterns. As hard as it is, reinforcing the same patterns over and over again was the best thing I could do for him. Making sure belly was full, then bath, snack, teeth brushed, book read and into bed every single night. If she keeps waking up in the middle of the night and is hard to console you might consider giving her physician a call. Good luck!

    She's 27 months old, and yes, still napping. She sleeps about 2 hrs at daycare whereas sometimes on the weekends she'll sleep 2.5-3 hrs, but DCP wakes the kids up at 3 regardless of who's still sleeping. Our bedtime routine has been the same pretty much since she was a baby. Bath, Jammies, prayers, bed, but it's been pretty tear filled and stressful the past month, probably longer. I don't know how I can tell if she's going thru a growth spurt, and she hasn't complained about her teeth so I assume those aren't at play. The only anxiety I can think of is the impending baby, as I mentioned earlier. So Im at a loss. Thanks for any advice! 

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  • DS is potty trained during the day, but during the night he still wears diapers. My theory is that he wakes up in the middle of the night when he feels wet and would start calling me. At first he called me giving any excuse ( mommy where's my blankie, mommy I want some milk, mommy my teddy bear fell...) all in a goid mood, but lately he's been saying mommy I need to go pee pee, he gets up and waits for me quite anxious to get him, but when we get to the toilet he already went pee pee in his diaper.

    We have started to giving him his milk with dinner and not while on bed like we used to, hoping that he will empty his bladder when going potty before bedtime.  

    A couple episodes of waking up in the middle of the night have been related to bad dreams, when he cries still in half asleep. And a couple episodes of leg cramps which have been quite bad, poor thing.

    Conclusion: could be many things! Sorry- not much help here, but I really hope it is just a phase :) will bring it up in his next well check pedi appointment.

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  • We're having issues with DD right now who is almost 26 months.  I've had to cut her naps down to 1.5hrs (from 2), and she's now exhausted by 9pm at night (she's only been sleeping 10hrs a night for almost 8 months now - not through any lack of trying).  She seems to be one of those toddlers who's on the lower-end of the sleep scale.

    My advice - drop the nap down by 1/2 an hour, and hopefully after a few days you'll see her get tired at the normal time.  I also like what a PP said about burning off excess energy after daycare - we had that too before we moved (now down in New Zealand with me at home with DD full-time).

    There's also a brilliant website that gives great age & sleep ranges that I found were a lifesaver with DD.  I only wish I'd found it from when she was a newborn:

    https://www.sleepyplanet.com/sleep_needs.html

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  • Ive been experiencing the exact same thing with DD for the past few weeksstarted wen I was about 35w pregnant. I haven't found any solutions yet hence why I'm posting at 330am bc she's up and I'm a pregnant insomniac anyway! but what seems to be helping reduce the crying and theatrics so far is sticking to our usual routine and offering to come back and lay with her/check on her in a few minutes. Some nights she falls asleep before I come back 5 minutes later but most nights it'an early an hour of "check ins" before she's asleep. It's not helping to get her to bed at a reasonable time and the night wakings are still happening I do the check ins then as well but the screamibg and crying and hysterics that make it even harder to calm her down have really subsided. For now it's a win. I'm still working on reducing the soothing time during each check in, increasing the check in intervals, and plan to be more ster about only checking in once or twice after the usual bedtime routine rather than over and over again until he's out. It's a work in progress I suppose! Good luckI feel for you.
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  • Our DD fights bedtime now as well but it's more of a just wanting to be with us all the time kind of thing or being afraid she's missing out on something. I swear the kid would never sleep if we let her. I do notice that if we start bedtime earlier or nap is on the longer end, she seems to go down better. Based on what you said, I'd try getting her down a half hour to an hour earlier. 

    I also notice my DD needs a little snack right before bed and that seems to help. For us, it's sticking to a routine and resisting the "one more book" game as much as possible even though it's easier right now just to give her what she want. It's not going to be when baby gets here!

    Good luck! Hope you get some restful nights :) 

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  • in my experience it is pretty normal at that age. They feel like they are missing something by going to bed. I agree with the cutting down of the naps and perhaps a slightly later bed time. play with the times of both until you find something that works for her.
  • DS1 has been having more sleep issues recently, too.  I think part of his problem is he's getting his last 2 molars.  

    We haven't been having the issues with waking up in the middle of the night.  He hasn't been napping consistently and has been waking up early.  At bed time he comes up with every excuse not to go to bed, but I think that's part of the age.  I just wish he'd go back to napping and his old sleep schedule.   

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  • Ours has been waking throughout the night here and there, crying.  She does ask to sleep with us more often, although we don't really allow it, or believe in co-sleeping at our house.  Anyhow, another reason we're keeping her in the crib, and not transitioning until we move into our new home in Dec, maybe even until her 3rd bday next March.  I do think it's normal, and they can totally sense the new baby and changes coming. I would set firm rules, and let her cry it out.  Otherwise, you will train her that she will get a reaction from you, and you will lose your mind dealing with that and a newborn....  GL
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  • Thanks ladies! If nothing else it's nice to know I'm not alone. Misery loves company. ;)
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