At my wits end....sleep issues...kinda LONG

jarbatz · December 2010

So we did the whole Ferber thing with B at 4 months..she responded great and was going to bed w/o a peep within 3 nights and would sleep 12 hours straight. No diaper change, no feeding, nothing. She has continued to STTN with a cold, her 7 teeth never really seemed to affect her sleeping either. But lately, I would say the last month or so, she has been waking up and can not put herself to back to sleep. For a while she would cry for 2-3 minutes and then go back to sleep...but lately its been more like 15 mins and we've had to go in and soothe, pick-up whatever. The last week she's been waking up and will cry off and on for an hour.....and tonight, she woke up 30 mins after going down (always goes down w/o a peep), we let her cry but she got hysterical so DH went up and she would still not settle down so I went up and she immediately settled, and fell asleep on my shoulder. I rocked her until she was calm but immediately when I put her down she started screaming again. I really don't know what to do and I'm sure some of you think I'm a terrible person for letting her cry at all, and I respect your opinion, but i'm just looking for advice here from some other moms who have encountered this after sleep training and what they did.

Is this seperation anxiety? Do I start Ferber all over again? Or do straight CIO?

Also - we have a bumper in the crib...she has basically figured out how to grab on to the edge of the bumper and scrunch it down....she can't pull herself up or anything but she can get her arm out between the rails and will even lay her head on the scrunched up bumper. But she likes to sleep with her head right up against the bumper...should I be concerned about the bumper??

snwfields · December 2010

F goes in cycles as far as his sleep. He's always been a great sleeper, STTN super early on without having to do any type of sleep technique. However, every now and then he'll go a few nights in a row with similar issues to what you're talking about. He'll wake up and cry, be fine when you go in but as soon as you leave the room he cries again. We let him CIO and he eventually gives up and goes to sleep. Then he resumes for months without it happening again. Not sure if I have any answers for you but just wanted you to know that I think it's normal. Hopefully she'll return to normal sleep soon!

MrsKLS · December 2010

Hey Liz - Has Brenna been sick at all lately or had a slight fever? If so she could have an ear infection. WE just went through this exact thing with Jackson. We also have problems like this when he is teething. As far as the bumper we got rid of that a while ago because Jack was using it as a step to try to climb the crib Indifferent

Hope she starts sleeping better again soon!!!

Piranha54 · December 2010

Liz - I'm so sorry she's still having problems sleeping! I don't really have much for you - sounds like she's still going to sleep well, just having problems staying asleep, so CIO could work. Ellie will wake up every once in a while at night - if she cries for more than 5 min, we make sure she hasn't had a blowout etc and then will usually let her cry. When she was sick, I was a sucker and we'd rock her. But she rarely wakes up more than say 1 night in 10, so...Didn't Fiona do something like this for a few weeks right around her birthday? Maybe ask Tara. Good luck!

leffe1 · December 2010

This has been our typical nights lately also. We usually let Gracie CIO for 5-10 minutes. She usually will fall back asleep if not then I go in. I have tried the extinction but I just can't let her cry for an unlimited period of time.

I am hoping this phase passes soon for both of us. I dread the night at this time. I am not sure about the bumper issue. Maybe check with your dr.

robynlesley · December 2010

Since this is unusual, perhaps make sure it's nothing medical (ie. ear infection) first. I had similar issues with Aaron for quite some time but it was BEFORE he truly started STTN. And it went on for a while, unfortunately. But, again, it was before he slept well.

I wish I had some advice for you. I hope things get better.

racampbell1 · December 2010

Maybe it could be the 9 month wakeful? Unfortunately for us, T has always been a crap sleeper. We did sleep training at 7 months using the Baby Whisperer methods and Ferber at 11 months (yes, I am a total wuss and couldn't bring myself to do it before then) and things improved a lot after that. But I remember at 9 months just having the worst time getting her to go down and stay down. Someone suggested I google 9 month wakeful and for us, it fit. There's just a lot going on developmentally at that age, so that could be what's up. It could also be separation anxiety, we have had spells of that with T off and on, which we dealt with by first trying to soothe as much as possible and as a last resort would let her cry for the 5/10/15 minutes that we did before. It stinks, but sometimes for us that is the ONLY thing that works. I would also, as pp have suggested rule out illness, teething, etc. We took T's bumper out when she could pull up and stand, only because she's such a monkey I was worried about her trying to climb out using it as a step. I would ask your pedi about that.

jarbatz · December 2010

Thanks to everyone for responding! A little sleep deprivation and I become a lunatic! Once Brenna fell asleep last night, she stayed asleep until almost 9 AM and woke up happy as a lark.

I did take her to the Pedi though and she has a little fluid on the one ear but its not infected or inflamed at all....but she did still suggest Motrin and ear numbing drops for the next few nights....and then to bring her back in if she still seems to be in pain.

I do think it is more the developmental/separation anxiety/9 month wakeful thing though...her naps at daycare have turned to complete crap too in the last few months so I also think it could be some over-tiredness too.

SO......we're going to try the Motrin and putting her to bed earlier tonight and see how that goes. Never a dull moment, I tell ya'! Thanks again for listening and helping!

ateytelb · December 2010

When did she start day care? If recently, she could be stressed. My 3 y.o. was crying like crazy half of the night in the beginning.

Want a personalized experience?

At my wits end....sleep issues...kinda LONG

Re: At my wits end....sleep issues...kinda LONG

Choose Another Board

Search Boards