clingy and sleep help..... Please (long)

ashleyrazo

So the week before christmas Hayden got a nasty cold. He became very clingy... to me. Fine momas boy, love you too baby... not a big deal. While he was sick he was in our bed so that all 3 of us could sleep. He would having coughing attacks in the middle of the night and for peice of mind we brought him to our bed. We have always had him in his won bed, and have said that we only want him in our bed when hes sick or like on the weekends when we are all cuddling in bed.

He has gotten over his cold, got his spukiness back, no cough, no snot happy crawling, into everything baby.... Except for when I leave the room. Even when he is with DH. When its just us, I will call his name as i am walking and he will crawl to follow me, and hes good with that until he gets tired. If I dont pick him up everytime I pass by him he will whine to no end.

Now bed time... he will go to sleep I can lay him down and 20 min later he is up and tossing and turning. He has done this for a week now. Looking for his binky after he has pulled it out of his mouth. I have kept my foot down and made him stay in his crib, but I have had to go in there up to 10 times a night to give him his binky and help him go back to sleep.

Last night I was beyond tired and had enough of it. When he woke up at 10:30, I gave him a bottle gave him his binky and layed him down so that he could figure out how to go to sleep on his own. Turned on his turtle night light (its puts stars on his ceiling) I turned off the sound on the monitor because I can still hear him, but I needed to let DH sleep. He was fine until about 11... I went got him all situated said good night and left the room. This went on until 2:30. Finally I went in gave him some orajel, another bottle and rocked him to sleep, he was out.... Until about 10 min after I put him in his crib.

I gave up, brought him to bed and here it is 8:30 and he is still snoring away.

Help..... how do I get him used to his own bed again. I want my bed, my sleep and my sanity back.  I put a flannel sheet on like out bed has, I gave him my bear ( first b-day gift frm DH 8 years ago) that he would rub to go to sleep when he was in our bed, thniking it would smell like us. I am at a loss of what else to do. We have not changed any bedtime routine or anything like that... Its all because of this stipud cold

someflower6

this is my completely unprofessional opinion... take it for what it's worth...

it sounds like he's going through a bit of seperation anxiety. he's just a little guy, only 7 months... it's completely normal for him to have some sleep regression during this time. especially if he's teething or learning a new skill like how to crawl or pull himself up or something. i know knowing that it's normal doesn't really help much.

honestly, if putting him in bed with you helps, i say do it. there's nothing wrong with co-sleeping. there are some nights i WISH i could co sleep with little one but when we do, none of us can get any sleep whatsoever. it's a completely personal decision and if it doesn't work for you guys then that's all there is to it. but if that's the only way you guys can get some sleep for now, i say go for it.

i also notice that with my LO, there are some nights where she sleeps like a champ and then suddenly, it's AWFUL. there were a couple of nights last week that i was getting up 10 or so times with her. then it was fine again. then this past sunday night, it was completely HELLISH. last night, it was fine. my point to this is see how long it lasts. maybe it's just a little phase that he needs to work out and then he'll go right back to his regular sleep pattern.

it sounds like you're doing everything you can, mama. i know it's hard when LO isn't sleeping, but i think you're doing the right thing by trying to respond to his needs. hang in there, you're doing great!

ashleyrazo

Aww thanks... After "the talk" about money with DH last night and then having to hear him cry like that I felt like a horrible mommy... andits always nice to have a little pat on the back from someone other then my mom