MAJOR nighttime sleep regression at 9 months
Quick background--LOs have both had wicked colds and double ear infections AND teething in the past 4 weeks. The teething is still going on.
Their nighttime sleep has gone from STTN 7p-6a with occasional (like 1-2 times a night) wake-ups that required a pat on the back/nuk.
In the past month, they are now sleeping 7p-5a (sometimes up at 4a) with 5-8 wake-ups that require rocking back to sleep. Sometimes they WON'T go back to sleep, and then we bring them into bed.
I feel like I've helped to snowball this problem by bringing them into bed, and I honestly don't like having them there, because I get no sleep.
I feel like there's no reason for them to need to get up and start their day at 4a/5a...it's just to early. Any advice? I am at the end of my rope, here.
Thanks girls.
Re: MAJOR nighttime sleep regression at 9 months
I 100% agree with you that there's no reason that they need to get up and start the day at 4 or 5 am.
We went through wakeful nights when they were cutting teething for sure. We just had one this past weekend - so I shouldn't say "went through!" We haven't had ear infections, but I can only imagine that would have made nights worse.
I never rocked to sleep when they woke up- I did back rub/ pacifier. But with teething..it was a different story. I did have to rock to sleep many times, and sometimes I would let the girls sleep with us if it helped them.
We also hit a period where the girls were waking up two hours or so before they were "supposed" to. If I thought they weren't in pain, I started to let them cry for a few minutes, and then they would go back to sleep. Then they would stop crying for a few days but be talking to themselves at 5 am for 15 minutes- but go back to bed. When all was said and done, it took two weeks or so, but they were back to waking up at their "normal" time- maybe take 30 min.
Then we hit a period a couple of weeks ago where we went through separation anxiety and I had to stop the rocking, stop bringing them in to sleep with me, etc. Ugh. It was really hard b/c I couldn't tell if it was teething or if it was separation anxiety. I realized it was the latter, and so I had to stop enabling them.
I don't know if any of this has helped- I guess my point is, we had to troubleshoot each of these sleep changes differently. And it wasn't a one or two night issue- these went on for several days or a couple of weeks. Eventually everything went back to "normal."
Ooooh, no! If it makes you feel any better, YES, we're going through the exact same thing. I was relieved to drop them off at daycare today because they both cried all morning from being exhausted. Then I cried because I felt guilty for being relieved.
Mine have been sick for a couple weeks, they might be getting teeth, and they're in the thick of being clingy and jealous of each other with me. The just cry/whine constantly. And I know it's because they cough themselves up all night and don't get the sleep they need.
Our only recourse for when they get up at night is food. Until recently, they rarely woke up. DS2 coughs but never gets up, but DS1 has been getting up every 2-4 hours recently. If he won't take a bottle (which he won't do after the first time because he's not hungry), we have no clue what to do.
I hate that I only get to spend about 4 hours a day with them and they spend 3.5 hours of that crying or insisting to be held. Plus, DH and I are soooo tired.
Enough babbling about me though. I have zero advice other than no, they shouldn't be starting their day at 4/5. Mama needs her sleep!