Desperate... :(

Zwolaka · September 2014

Good morning ladies, I am reaching out to you for advice! My son is 19 months and was a greattttt sleeper. I think he would wake up maybe just once every 10 days in the middle of the night and would go right back down after checking on him. Where the hell did that baby go?! For the last 2 weeks he has been getting up 2-3x/week, and has only slept through the night one night since this past Wednesday. He now whines and cries whenever we put him to bed (for naps and bedtime), which he neverrrrrr did before. He wakes up not once now but 2-3x/night just standing at his crib crying, saying "up" and reaching out for me. I am not picking him up and bringing him in our room, I go in to make sure he is okay, rub him on the back, tell him I am there to reassure him,etc.. He will stop crying but the second I lie him back down, he pops right back up and cries. Now that he is waking up 2-3x I only go in there the very first time. I am utterly exhausted. This is just a phase, right?! Any advice you can give that I am not already doing?! Not to mention I am a full time PE teacher, and am 30 weeks pregnant with our second baby! I am a walking zombie and could crack at any moment

ANY advice is appreciated!!!!

valeriegp · September 2014

I don't have any advice because I am in a similar boat. My 20 month old has been sleeping horribly. He goes to sleep for a couple of hours at around 7:30 but then anytime between 10 and 1 he wakes up screaming. He is inconsolable. I don't mean crying, I mean carrying on like someone is about to attack him. We have been bringing him into bed with us because we both work full time and need to sleep, but it isn't helping in the long run. Ugh.

ambmama · September 2014

DS went through a few phases like this (he's 20 months). He's been a good sleeper, so when it's something like a few days in a row with bad sleep I figure something is bothering him. Once it was minor ear infections that were obviously bothering him at night. His 2 year molars are now starting to press so I'm anticipating another phase soon. I am pretty strict on him sleeping in his crib every night, but when he was clearly upset and uncomfortable I did bring him into our bed for a few hours a couple of nights. It didn't cause a trend - when he was feeling better he just STTN and woke up as normal. Good luck - hope it gets better!

BelhurstBride · September 2014

Between milestones, Wonder Weeks and teeth there's a lot going on in his little world. I'm against the majority and think that picking him up, snuggling and reassuring him that all is right in his little world isn't going to set you up for a lifetime of an awful sleeper.

Sleepless phases will come and go for years to come. It isn't just infants who suffer from them.

Zwolaka · September 2014

Thank you everyone for your responses so far... what is getting me through it all is hearing "it is just a phase." I do go in and pick him up to reassure him in case it is a nightmare, and he automatically calms down and stops crying. I even put him back down and snuggle him as I sit at his crib and he stands, he does fine...the moment I leave is when he starts crying again. It just breaks my heart. It might be teeth, he has had all his teeth since he was about 13 months but his 2YO molars so those very well could be pushing up early, but I see no other signs along with it - he usually gets a runny nose and is cranky through out the whole entire day. This seems to be just a sleep time thing since during the day he is a-ok. I even ask his babysitter how he is at her house and he goes down without a problem she says!! Like, wtf! Is it just me at home then?! Makes me think he is trying to schmooze me. That's why I am trying to stay strong. I am just trying not to bring him in our room, especially with the baby coming in a couple months I don't want to start a bad habit. DH would help out but 9/10 he doesn't wake up! I feel like its stupid since I always wake with every sound to just wake him up since I am already the one awake. How 'long' do these phases last?! I am dying...

Las135 · September 2014

I could have written this post!!! We are dealing with the same exact thing. For us, I think it is more of a separation anxiety thing. Hoping it passes soon! Good luck momma, I'm right there with ya!!

MrsStanger · September 2014

We are only at 18MO but she will have an off week here and there. The first thing i do is check her forehead for a temp! Teething varies so much from child to child. When we put her down at night we start her music lay her down make sure she has her lovies and ill brush her hair through with my fingers. SO if she wakes in the night i know that doing this routine will put her back into slumber mode. By now every parent should have some sort of understanding as to what cry means what. If she wakes consecutivly in a week i make sure to listen to the cry wimper so i know if i have to go in or not.

In a much earlier post a mommy mentioned that the kiddo learns quickly what will get you into the room/ get your attention and could very well use that to their advantage. Just make sure (which i know is difficult in the wee hours of the morining) you are listening for what kind of cry/whimper/cue your LO is giving you.

PP person said it right when they said every child is different and only YOU know your child. Just never forget, you are doing a great job!

girlnextdoornco · September 2014

Well you're certainly being considerate of your DH! I would have a talk with DH to let him know how exhausted you are, pregnant, work, etc. and see if you can come to an agreement where you can wake up DH when your son wakes up. You need your rest and who knows?..maybe your son will go back down better with your DH. Good luck!

honeydew01 · September 2014

I could have written this post. My DD has been a great sleeper since 9 months old, she is 18 months and for the last 2 nights, she has been waking up at 2-3am and not going back down. It is very unlike her, definitely a new phase for us. She stands up as soon as I leave and cries/whines.

I was dealing with her from 2 to 5 am for the last two nights, husband gets up at 5 both days for work and goes "what's up? why are you up?" This morning, I showed him the monitor, daughter was standing and whining and told him "can you go in and lay her back down?" This was after 3 hours of trying everything, rocking, shooshing, sleeping on the floor with her...finally I decided she is going to her crib and I was going to lay her back down until she gives in and sleeps. So what does husband do? He goes in and grabs her and comes to our room after 2 minutes going "she is not going down!" well thanks! I'm prepared for her to wake up and stand for a much longer period of time tonight. Ugh.

Last night I got 3 hours of sleep, the night before, only 1 hour. I figured with such crappy nights, she'd take good naps, nope 1 hour! I may have drunk the kool aid, she'll never sleep more than 1-1.5 on one nap! I feel like I am back to newborn phase..

Zwolaka · September 2014

We are on night 7 of this lovely "phase" they are going through and I am about to lose it! Last night, our son fell asleep on the couch with his dad so DH put him in his crib and that was that. 1am rolls around and we are awake and whining/crying so I woke DH up to see how Trey would do with his dad going in as I watched on the monitor. DH picks him up, rocks him a bit, lies him back down, he whines for maybe a minute and boom, out again. As ecstatic as I am that this cry fest was only minutes long but....WTF?! Why is it with me he whines for almost an hour after I check on him, but when DH goes in he's out within minutes? Riddle me this...!!

BelhurstBride · September 2014

Sounds like it could be a case of separation anxiety, which is normal for this age. What if you let him sleep in a PnP in your room? Or you sleep on a mattress on the floor in his room?

honeydew01 · September 2014

I've tried both having her sleep on the floor next to us, or I slept with her on the floor in her room, neither worked for us. She thinks it's party time and just won't lay down no matter what I try.

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