Why the heck is she waking up?!?!

janicemarieh · October 2012

I don't know what is going on with DD's sleep. She used to be a pretty good sleeper and if she woke up, she'd put herself back to sleep. Well, apparently that has gone completely out the window. Not only has she been waking up overnight again (every night), but now she WILL NOT put herself back to sleep. If she wakes up, it is a guarantee that eventually I will have to get up and hold her until she's ready to go back to sleep (I can put her down awake, but not until she decides she's ready). What I find most frustrating though is I don't know why the heck she's waking up every night! Yes, she's teething and when she seems like she's in pain, I get that. I'm not talking about those times, but all the other nights when she wakes up at 3 - 3:30am like clockwork and is just up. It's like the 4 month wakeful period all over again. UGH!!!!!!! I thought this was supposed to get better! Anyone else going through this? Any ideas why she might be getting up when she seems to be perfectly fine (not cold, not in pain, not sick)? Can babies forget how to put themselves back to sleep after they've already learned how? One other thing - this seemed to get worse when she started pulling up because now she wakes up and pulls herself up in her crib immediately. This is not a brand new skill - she's been doing it for probably a month and a half - but her not going back to sleep on her own seems to have gotten way worse since she has been doing this.

kali55 · October 2012

We are totally going through the same thing!

I just read that babies can go through a 8-10 month sleep regression. I believe that it should sort itself out within 1-3 weeks.

I'm sorry that I don't have any advice on how to get through it. We are in the same boat just wondering why it feels like we have a newborn again

lageorgiapaperie · October 2012

Been there, done that .

I think all babies go through another wakeful period around 9 months!

When DS started pulling up as soon as we put him in the crib we started rocking him to sleep and then putting him in the crib. Bad idea! When he woke up he was scared that he wasn't in the same place. That is key!

Your LO will stop pulling up eventually, DS doesn't do it at all anymore and he now STTN like a champ again! GL

janinekrause · October 2012

many babies go through weird stages like that. either you wait it out, or let her cry.

noahchristopher · October 2012

According to this (click the link below), there are several sleep regressions off and on.

Good times, huh?

https://www.motherhoodsupport.com/2010/08/sleep-regressions-what-they-are-and-how-to-deal-2/

brewcitybride · October 2012

It will happen again, throughout the years, so enjoy the ride! I have an almost 4 year old, so I have been through pretty much every sleep-related transition you could think of. Usually, as kids' brain and bodies develop, the transitions happen in their sleep, which can cause waking up. It usually means the child is on the verge of another develomental skill. I would not go to her and rock her, but just leave her. She WILL fall back asleep. Also, I wouldn't over think it - this is what kids do!

janicemarieh · October 2012

brewcitybride:
It will happen again, throughout the years, so enjoy the ride! I have an almost 4 year old, so I have been through pretty much every sleep-related transition you could think of. Usually, as kids' brain and bodies develop, the transitions happen in their sleep, which can cause waking up. It usually means the child is on the verge of another develomental skill. I would not go to her and rock her, but just leave her. She WILL fall back asleep. Also, I wouldn't over think it - this is what kids do!

You would leave her even if she gets hysterical? She usually starts out fine and I leave her until she really starts to cry (last night it took about an hour of her being just awake and hanging out before she started to really cry). I've been debating about letting her cry, but I'm not sure how I should do it - like do checks or just leave her? Put a time limit on it? What would you do?

brewcitybride · October 2012

Oh. Well, I guess hysterical is subjective. Would I leave her if it's 3 a.m. and she's just whining and fussing? Yes. Would I check on her if she was hysterical? Yes, to make sure she's ok. But, no, I would not pick her up at 3 a.m. every night. That is the reason why she's waking up every night at 3 a.m., because she knows Mom will come pick her up!

NoodleM · October 2012

I've been going through this sleep regression too, and it sucks! She finally start sleeping longer then one day she wants to be up before 5 am every morning. And there might be a time or two at night that she tries to get up as well.

I've down CIO 3 times in the past few weeks and she gets better for a few days then just reverts back.

I'm just hoping it ends soon!

nsilva2930 · October 2012

Yes we just finished up with this also and it was terrible. I would try to leave her to CIO but a few times just got to be too bad and as she would start to relax she would start again. So after about a half hour of this I would go in and hold her till she caught her breath, then I would lay her back down in her crib awake and let her CIO again. Usually she would already be so worn out that she would go to sleep shorty after. Other times she would go to sleep on her own. Hope this helps. And remember that this will pass.