STTN Issue

So I have a great sleeper and a not so great sleeper. My DS gets up most nights, sometimes 2/night. He used to sleep great but these past few weeks have been, well, not so fun. It's never at a consistent time so I'm not thinking he's getting up because he's hungry (although a few times it would take forever to get him back to sleep and those times he did take a bottle). MOST of the time we can shush him back to sleep the earlier in the night he wakes up. If it's later in the night ... we have to rock him and it takes longer to get him to fall asleep. I think what we're doing is effective as far as getting him back to sleep but I don't get why he's getting up. I do notice that if he's not had two naps during the day he's more likely to wake during the night -- like today. We had to go to a friends b-day party at 11 am so they didn't get a a.m. nap. They were REALLY tired when we left, falling asleep in the car and not even waking for the transfer to their crib. Then they only sleep for 1.5 hours. (GRRR on that one) He went to bed at 8 and he just woke up about 20 minutes ago ... it was like an instant cry and by the time I got upstairs he was already standing up. I had to rock him but it didn't take long for him to go back down. My bets are that he will get up again tonight....*sigh* ... Any thoughts?? Words of encouragement??? Sometimes I think that this stage is harder than when they were newborns. Then they didn't fight to go to sleep. LOL.

 

When he wakes up, do you go in there right away? I had the same problem with my one son around that age. He would fall asleep ok, but then wake a few times at night but only for a minute or two. I would run in there, pick him up and he would go back to sleep. Then one night it went on for almost 4 hours. At the point I figured out he just wanted me and he knew if he cried, I'd coming running in.

The next time it happens, I would wait at least 5 minutes before entering his room. He may have to learn to put himself back to sleep.

Even at 21 months, my son will still wake every now and then, but he will fall back asleep within a few minutes. I do not go into his room.

You should also check to see if he's working on any teeth. Does he have his one year molars? The next time he wakes you can try giving him some tylenol or motrin and see if that does the trick.

 

I agree with the PPer. It sounds like he hasn't learned how to put himself back to sleep. Babies normally wake through the night, but then put themselves back to sleep. I would stop rocking him and picking him up--he loves the nighttime playtime. Give him 5-10 min. If he still hasn't gone back down, lay him down, and leave, no talking, no cuddling. Once he realizes playtime isn't coming, he will start going back on his own. It may take a few rough nights, but they will be worth it for everyone in the end.

 

I guess it depends on what your bedtime routine is, and if you do something to help them fall asleep or just put them down in the crib. But I'm guessing that if he knows you will come in when he cries, if he wakes up and wants you to come, he'll cry, and that might not stop any time soon. I'd start by giving him 10 minutes to see if he will fall back asleep, then see how that goes.

 

at that age, you know for sure he does not need food/milk, he just wants to comfort and soothing. and with you going in, you do give that to him, so he knows and the night wakings probably won't stop, he gets what he wants.

teething usually should not create night wakings....and even if, in my experience, it would not really help to go back down for our son, if I knew he was teething badly, I gave him a bit tylenol or motrin before night sleep.

I had the same issues you're having now with my boy, only back when they were 8 months old...that's when my daughter started automatically STTN but not my son.

he would wake at least 2 -3 times a night just crying, I did a couple weeks of going in, rocking, music, everything....then I got soo exhausted of doing that every night with no changes in his sleeping behavior, I decided to let him cry it out. I did hardcore, not going in at all, 1st night he would wake at 10pm, I let him cry for a very long time...believe me, it was very hard. he then stopped (after I thought the neighbors will call child service on me) and slept until the morning.

the 2nd night, he woke again! at 10pm, screamed for 10min, then slept until the morning.

the 3rd night, he slept through already and does since then....

I know it's not for everybody, there are other "softer" versions of letting him try to soothe himself to sleep, but that is what he needs to learn, self soothing.

did you ever had a period of time that he would sleep through or not at all?

GL

 

We had to do CIO to get them to sleep through the night. The first night was the hardest, but it took us 4 nights and they have slept through ever since. Now I know that if they wake in the night crying for more than just a minute something is really wrong (and it was, the last time this happened he had lost his lovey...then we got crib tents to prevent that).

 

He used to be are good sleeper. He did sleep through the night until about a month or two ago. Now it's almost every night that he gets up and cries at least once. We tried to let him CIO the other night and boy was that a big mistake. Worst night yet. He cried so hard and loud that he woke his brother (they share a room) and it took us probably 3.5 hours to get them back down (no joke). Aaden (the non-sleeper) went back down after about 30 min of rocking but his brother just would not go back down. We ended up giving him a bottle and finally went to sleep at 6 am. Bad night. So my question is ... how do you do CIO when they are in the same room and he wakes up the other one?? I don't want to continually go in there everynight because I do agree that he knows when he cries mommy or daddy are going to come and save me. I'm tired and just want to sleep but I just don't know what else to do. Thoughts?

 

I feel your pain. We have gone through the same issue and it has not been easy. I feel your pain! As far as waking at earlier times of the night, I had to stop picking him up. We made a hard rule that we would only pat him and shush but not pick him up. The transition was difficult but it made a big difference. Then we gradually got to the point where we would just go in and sit down and shush him but not pat or touch him at all. He bagan to get more comfortable on his own in the crib. Now we just suffer through early risers- like 4:30 5am and not going back to sleep. Usually it is one at a time and we dont want the second one woken up so we bring him in bed with us. He usually falls back asleep withus until about 5:45-6 when they both get up.

Keep working on it but I say dont pick him up. Gradually back off of the soothing and it will work. But, you may have some crying during the transition.

Good luck


[quote name='Izak&Aaden's_mommy' date='28 ctober 2009 - 11:17 PM' timestamp='1256786261' post='1490983']
He used to be are good sleeper. He did sleep through the night until about a month or two ago. Now it's almost every night that he gets up and cries at least once. We tried to let him CIO the other night and boy was that a big mistake. Worst night yet. He cried so hard and loud that he woke his brother (they share a room) and it took us probably 3.5 hours to get them back down (no joke). Aaden (the non-sleeper) went back down after about 30 min of rocking but his brother just would not go back down. We ended up giving him a bottle and finally went to sleep at 6 am. Bad night. So my question is ... how do you do CIO when they are in the same room and he wakes up the other one?? I don't want to continually go in there everynight because I do agree that he knows when he cries mommy or daddy are going to come and save me. I'm tired and just want to sleep but I just don't know what else to do. Thoughts?
[/quote]

 

i feel your pain, as well. we do not do cio (at least not alone) but we've followed good advice in a few books about helping them learn to sleep on their own and letting them cry, but again, not alone.... i have no advice. just wanted you to know you're not the only one! neither of mine have ever slept longer than like 5 hours, generally less. once it was 8, but just once... one of these days!