Waking at night-seperation anxiety or something else

My boys have been sttn since about 4 months. For the last few weeks, Jake will wake after I put them to bed. Sometimes it's once, but last night was the first time it was really bad. First, they did not take their afternoon nap. They just layed there and talked. I put them to bed around 6:30 which was a little early since they did not have that nap and within in hour, Jake was screaming and standing in his crib. He did this about 3 more times before I went to bed around 10:30. Usually, I just pick him up for less than a minute and then lay him down and he'll fall back asleep.

12:30 a.m it started again and lasted until 3:30. Each time, he was standing in his crib screaming. At first, I'd pick him up and as soon as I would lay him down, he'd fall back asleep. But 5 minutes later he'd wake up. I tried to take him to bed with me, that did nothing. So finally, when he would wake, I would just go in and lay him down, not pick him up. He slept until 7:30 this morning.

What should I be doing? I don't think going in there every time will help because he'll then cry when I leave. Should I not pick him up or not go in there at all?

He went down right away for his morning nap today.

Any suggestions....please!!

 

These types of things are so hard to address. Everyone feels so differently about it.

I think if this were one of MY kids (who did not STTN till 11 months, but if you pretend that they started at 4 months like yours, lucky mama!)... I would probably give them at least 15 minutes or so to kind of work it out. If you have never done CIO, then 15 minutes might not work at all. If it continues for over a week, maybe you might consider just doing CIO? Maybe go in the first time just to check for a poopy diaper, etc... tell him it's night time and we need to keep sleeping... then after that don't go in and just let him work it out. I hated CIO but could not have survived without it.

Good luck!!

 

IS he learning smething new? supposively things like that happen when babies ar working on developmental milestones and although he may look awake he can be doing this in his sleep!

Im not a fan of CIO - but i have just started reading that book " healthy sleep habits, happy child" and it gives some fairly good suggestions.

My two went to bed early last night beacuse they were tired and I wasnt keeping them up tll "bedtime". Normally, if they wake up after they have been put down and its just whining, fussing, chattering etc I let it go. If its full on screaming, I cant do nothing so I go make sure their diapers are clean, they arent hungry, etc.

I think you know your baby. If you know hes tired, and he needs to sleep, if it makes things worse to go in and help him try to lay back down etc then maybe wait as long as you can 5-10 min or whatever it may be and see if he works it out himself. I agree you cant go in everytime. Thats not good for you and it doesnt help him to learn how to soothe himself back to sleep...

sleep is so hard. I hope you find something that works for you soon! sorry I wanst much help!

 

I agree with the other posters- I would probably let them cry/fuss unless it was hysterical in which case I'd prob let it go for a few minutes and then go in and check but would NOT go in again and again and again- My kiddos get one check and re-settle, after that as long as I know they're not sick/hungry/poopy/etc.... than they I know they know how to put themselves to sleep so I leave them to do so--

good luck it's also true that as they learn new skills they want to stay up and practice and don't have as much interest in sleep, hopefully its just a phase...

 

I agree w/ all the pp but I also wanted to mention that overtired babies dont sleep as well. . so maybe he was just over tired from not taking his nap.

As an aside: My oldest son is almost 5 and sometimes he wakes in the night crying and I cant console him. . i read about the 'symptoms' and found that it might be night terrors or a mild version of it, and the research says that it can come from being overtired.