Hi all,
I'm feeling despirate. My daughter is 15 months old, and she's been in the bed with us since she was 4 months. It's been a bumpy ride, but, for the most part, we've all had a positive experience with bedsharing. Lately, however, I feel that the dynamic has somehow changed. Several times a week, for several weeks now, she wakes up and stays up...for 3-4 hours. I realize she's getting her molars, learning language skills, etc., but I can't help but feel that I'm doing something wrong - that in trying to do what's best for her, I'm actually hurting her. In no way, shape, or form do I want to "baby train," but am I denying her sleep by having her in the bed with us? I'm so confused and feel a little defeated right now.
I guess I'm asking for your experiences with similar situations you and your baby(ies) have gone through. Thanks for your support.
Re: For those of you who bedshare...
what is your DD like when she wakes up? is she cranky and hard to settle? or is she wide awake and ready to party? what time does she wake up? is she in the process of dropping her 2nd nap during the day? could she be going to sleep too late or too early? is your room too hot for her? could she be thirsty or hungry? is the room too bright? is she having nightmares? if she's teething, could you give her some advil when she wakes, or right before bed? at this age, i would try to look for a specific cause for the waking and attempt to address it.
do you have her crib or toddler bed in your room with you? even if you can't find a specific reason for her night waking, at the very least, when she wakes you could put her in her bed and say, "it's time to rest now. if you want to stay up, you have to play quietly in your bed so mommy and daddy can sleep. if you want to go to sleep, then you can come in the big bed with us."
what is your DD like when she wakes up? is she cranky and hard to settle? or is she wide awake and ready to party? Depends and varies. Last night, for example, she experienced all of the above during her 4 hour sleep strike. what time does she wake up? Normally, she wakes up around 7. We have to be out the door by 8:15ish. This morning, I had to wake her at 8:15 because she'd only gotten like 6 hours of sleep all night. She wasn't a happy camper. is she in the process of dropping her 2nd nap during the day? She's been down to 1 nap a day since she was 11 months old. That's when she moved to the 1 year old class at daycare, and naptime is from 12-2. On the weekends, she'll sometimes take 2 naps, but not often. could she be going to sleep too late or too early? We try to get her in bed by 8:30. Sometimes it's a little later, depending on our evening. is your room too hot for her? could she be thirsty or hungry? is the room too bright? is she having nightmares? Could be; maybe i'll experiment with these. if she's teething, could you give her some advil when she wakes, or right before bed? I sometimes give her meds before bed. Maybe i'll try doing it consistantly for a few day to see if she reponds well. at this age, i would try to look for a specific cause for the waking and attempt to address it.
Thank you for your response!!
if she got hardly any sleep last night, i'd try to get her into bed way early tonight.
hopefully someone else will weigh in, too.