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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
Nights are becoming an issue
Hello everyone! I have a 20 month old who has always been a great sleeper until recently. He had a nasty cold for awhile so I was able to blame it on that. However, it seems to be continuing now and I have no idea how to stop it. I always allow him to fall asleep out on the couch or the floor with us at night. He is normally in his crib no later than 9:00. Lately, he wakes up sometime between 12-12:30 screaming. Tonight, I went in there for ten minutes and rubbed his back, than walked out and he screamed again. I waited about ten minutes and went in again and rubbed his back and than walked out again. Now, I am writing this and currently after only 3 minutes of crying, it is quiet in his room. Is this a wise way to handle this? I am at a loss because I love my son and want nothing more than to pick him up but I am a working mom and single parent and I need some reliable sleep pattern back from him or we are both going to lose our minds. Please offer some much needed mom advice. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Nights are becoming an issue
If your gut says pick him up, then pick him up. I can't tell from your post if you go to him immediately or not, but give him a minute or two to fall back asleep on his own before you go in.
We don't get night wake-ups very often, but I usually pick DS up, at least the first time I go in. I sit with him a few minutes until he calms down, then put him back in the crib. That seems to be what he needs, so I do it. Since it's rare, I don't mind. If he is just messing around, I usually don't pick him up a second time because I know he doesn't NEED anything and just wants to play.
If your DS fell into a pattern after being sick, it will probably take a little while to get back to normal - a few days, a week...it just depends. If you know that he has everything that he needs and there is nothing else wrong (hot/cold, teething, ear infection, congestion, or whatever else), then letting him cry for a few minutes is okay. But if your gut says pick him up, then pick him up, at least the first time you go in.
I've read some articles on night terrors and bad dreams and how they could be starting as early as 12 months. That could also be a factor.
I'm so sorry that LO is waking up, but as everything else, I'll hope its a phase. I think if you can just rub his back and it keeps him calm, I'd go that route, rather than picking him up.