Not so LO taking an hour to sleep!?

valeriej6 · December 2013

Hi Ladies...needing some advice and I definitely consider myself in the attachment parenting camp. DD is 16 months, co-sleeps in our bed and still nurses 3-4 times at night. She doesn't nurse to sleep anymore, rather will de-latch and then toss and turn, play with the covers, play with her feet etc. for almost an HOUR. I can't leave her alone, as she will cry. She seems tired and ready to sleep when we lay down to nurse, but when she de-latches it's almost as if she gets a second wind. We have a routine that we usually follow, but aren't super consistent...could this be the problem? Does anyone else's LO do this? Any idea to remedy the problem? I feel like I'll have no hair if this lasts any longer because I.WILL.PULL.IT.ALL.OUT!!!

Also, I'm reading 'The No Cry Sleep Solution', it seems so involved...anyone had success with it?

Thanks SO MUCH!

Emerald27 · December 2013

I am not a big no cry sleep solution fan, but I know that some mothers on this board have had success with it.

We have/had a similar issue. I found a few things helped:

1. Lots of extra daily exercise! My DS has lots of energy that he seems to store for bedtime. If he's outside running, at the park, or somehow able to really play hard during the day, he falls asleep much more easily in the evenings.

2. Consistent bedtime routine. We do bathtime, diaper and PJs, brush our teeth, read a book with daddy, and mommy sings a song while we nurse in bed. On a good night, he'll unlatch and roll over and go right to sleep. Other nights it's much like your DD...but the routine really gets him into a sleepy state of mind.

3. Make the room very very dark and use a white noise machine, app, or a fan. We bought the darkening curtains to block all light that can come through the windows, and all lights on the second floor to out at bedtime, making it pitch black. We also have a fan that we run at night that's a lot like white noise.

If he's riled or gets that second wind, I firmly but gently make him lay down, I ask him to put his feet down (plays with toes), and I tell him that it's "quiet time". If he speaks, I kiss his forehead and say "shhhhh" ...and if he moves a lot I gently settle him and say "it's quiet time now. We need to go to sleep." Other than that, I try not to interact much and he goes to sleep pretty quickly.

Chances are that this is just a phase. Sleep cycles are always changing, and when you like it, that makes it rough because you know it will likely change soon. When you're miserable, take heart because it will likely change soon. Hang in there, mama!

TiffanyBerry · December 2013

This is my daughter. It always takes her ,somewhere between 30 and 90 minutes to fall asleep if she didn't nurse to sleep (and she weaned herself last week). Some kids take that long. This was when we had to start working on me leaving the room if she wouldn't lay down and try to be "still and quiet". I won't say it was without tears, but it was a discipline issue like any other - make a consistent and appropriate rule (she didn't have to be perfectly still!) and stick with it. Changing bedtimes never did much for us - she needs a long time to wind down. That's ok. Kids don't have to be asleep five minutes after they get into bed, and you can't force them to sleep anyway. But you have to think about what boundaries are both enforceable and reasonable.

MamaMuslima01 · December 2013

DS does the exact same thing. It is soooo stressful! He wont sleep unless I am by him and he throws a huge fit EVERY NIGHT at bed time. Im not sure how to make it easier on him and less stressful on me,, I too am pulling my hair out at bed time. I thought co-sleeping and all would make life easier, because I am anti-cry it out, but NOOOO! im sorry for you I wish us both luck. DS is 9 months how old is yours?

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