Holy FRACK what is this!?!?!

huzzahuzza

J has never been a good sleeper.  When he sleeps in, he sleeps in until 6:00 am tops and we had just started sleeping through the night when I went back to work in September and ruined everything (yes we have not had a full nights rest since September).  I've talked with my pedi, showed her a break-down of how many times he wakes up and what we do each time, and you know what she said? "Well, some kids are just not good sleepers" BAH HUMBUG TO YOU LADY! So maybe you guys can help me... or commiserate...

This is what I've narrowed it down to: 

~ teething.  He's got two K-9's on the bottom waiting to poke through

~ he inherited my husband's crazy metabolizem (sp?). J will usually go right back to sleep after a sippy of milk (that's not always our go-to though.  He'll usually get milk after 2+ wake-ups) 

~ he is advanced for his age and gets nightmares.  (apparently they don't normally get these until 3?)  

~ he really is just a terrible sleeper and I will be doomed to stay awake for the rest of my life (my mom and brother are insomniacs, so heredity?) 

 

ETA: It has been astronomically worse since Thanksgiving which makes me seriously gunshy for Christmas.  I know part of it was getting him off schedule with traveling and strange places and all.  

Maybe I should've made this a poll to vote on and see what sort of crazy answers I get...

PumpkinAndThePeanut

I am going to guess it's habit and he just needs you to help him fall back to sleep. My girls have never truly STTN, not once. We've had a handful of 5-6 hour stretches but even those are rare. My girls, like most people, wake up during the night. Since I haven't sleep trained them, they need me to help them fall back to sleep. They know that when they wake up at midnight or 2 AM and cry out, mommy or daddy will come get them and bring them into our bed. As soon as they get in our bed, we are all back to sleep lickety-split.

I'm not suggesting you do the same, I am just illustrating how our assistance in getting back to sleep has become a habit/expectation for them. I enjoy our bed-sharing and am not willing to sleep train, but I understand that isn't something most people want to do. But I don't expect my girls to start magically STTN until they're old enough to reason on their own that they don't need me when they wake up.

I am also fiercely protective of our sleep schedule/routine - so much so that I skipped our family Thanksgiving to avoid being out of town overnight.

beatlechicksteph

^^ I agree with @PumpkinAndThePeanut it might just be habit. Mine wakes up anywhere from 1-4 times a night, and I nurse him back to sleep 100% of the time, but I know that the only way he goes to sleep is with boob, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he needs the boob. I also don't have any desire to sleep train, so I'm just planning to ride it out until he weans himself. So I'm guessing yours just needs some help from mommy and daddy to get back to sleep when he wakes himself in the middle of the night.

huzzahuzza

But the thing is, we did sleep train.  We've sleep trained like a bajillion times! He knows how to go to sleep by himself.  

Blueyed228

I just love that you call them K-9's.

PumpkinAndThePeanut

Did you sleep train to get him to sleep initially, or MOTN as well? Maybe he WANTS you to help him and he's just very stubborn, lol.

huzzahuzza

Blueyed228 said:

I just love that you call them K-9's.

hey! I'm sleep deprived! Leave me alone 

PumpkinAndThePeanut said:

Did you sleep train to get him to sleep initially, or MOTN as well? Maybe he WANTS you to help him and he's just very stubborn, lol.

oh my kid is a stubborn one.  We keep joking that he's advanced because he's hit his terrible two's early.  

mommatotwo2

I have no advice, only all of my sorries and my commiseration. At 18 months, DD still randomly wakes in the motn. I Talk to the Dr at every single visit since like 6 months and then with increased pleading for a solution at 12, 15, and 18 months. We've talked about sleep training and about CIO. She laughs in the face of cry it out. She'd cry far beyond the amount of time I'm comfortable allowing her to cry. I don't know the answer.

bumpuser3155624

We are attempting to sleep train now so know the exhaustion you are feeling. No advice since I still ask for sleep help here periodically. Good luck!!! If something works please share!

kcwnc

Do you by chance use pacis? When we were creating a bedtime routine we introduced mam's glow in the dark pacis so he can find it in his crib. Now he uses one as he falls asleep but usually thows it out at some point so if he wakes up and can't find it he cuddles a burp cloth, the Gerber plain white cloth diapers, or a blanket that's in there with him. Does he have any comfort items that you can give him just for naps and bedtime? That's how those 3 items work for us, he never sees him until those times.

huzzahuzza

^^ J is an avid thumb sucker and has his sock monkey blanket so he's got his comfort items. He also has a glow worm and a projection light that he knows how to turn on and change the settings on.

@beaubecca‌ we may have to look into a sleep therapist. .. if there even are any in our area!

Boo0512

I have no advice, just commiserating. E hasn't completely STTN since last December. Right now 2 wake ups per night is pretty good for us.

For E I think it's 70% habit and 30% thirst/hunger.

Angela183

beatlechicksteph said:

^^ I agree with @PumpkinAndThePeanut it might just be habit. Mine wakes up anywhere from 1-4 times a night, and I nurse him back to sleep 100% of the time, but I know that the only way he goes to sleep is with boob, and if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he needs the boob. I also don't have any desire to sleep train, so I'm just planning to ride it out until he weans himself. So I'm guessing yours just needs some help from mommy and daddy to get back to sleep when he wakes himself in the middle of the night.

This is us exactly.

Boo0512

Also, FWIW, I didn't even bat an eye at K-9s. Sleep deprived mothers unite!

fancefpp

Random question - does he have eczema? Rashes? Ds2 has terrible skin and when it's bad, his sleep is bad. Poor thing is itchy at night. Doc told me it's probably why he has been terrible eater/sleeper and growing slowly.

huzzahuzza

fancefpp said:

Random question - does he have eczema? Rashes? Ds2 has terrible skin and when it's bad, his sleep is bad. Poor thing is itchy at night. Doc told me it's probably why he has been terrible eater/sleeper and growing slowly.

Not that random... I've actually wondered a couple of times if his thumb was bothering him.  He's been sucking it so hard and it's been so dry here that his thumb is cracking and red.  But there have been wake-ups when even Tylenol doesn't help.  

coffeeandbooks

ugh so sorry you are going through this.   We have been having major issues with naps.   I wound up buying this:

https://www.amazon.com/OZzzzs-Children-30-fast-melting-Pediatrician-Recommended/dp/B004VEXRTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418762345&sr=8-1&keywords=toddler+sleep+tablets

I haven't used it yet, and would not use it regularly but maybe for those DEFCON 5 nights it could help.