We've created a monster - help!

Kate has not slept through the night for about 2 months now. She will go to sleep just fine in her bed and sleep for about 4 hours. Then she wakes up crying. At first, we would bring her in bed with us until she fell asleep and then move her back to her bed. Now when we do that, she wakes up and cries. So, she is usually in bed with us from 11PM until 6AM. I have tried letting her cry it out, moving her bedtime earlier and later, etc... Nothing works. She obviously has gotten used to the security of having us right there b/c she sleeps so good once she comes into our room. Of course DH and I don't because neither of us feel comfortable having her in our bed. We wake up at the lightest movement...
Please don't judge me for letting her sleep with us. I am asking for help in the situation and what worked for you getting your child out of your bed.

TIA!

 

Kate has not slept through the night for about 2 months now. She will go to sleep just fine in her bed and sleep for about 4 hours. Then she wakes up crying. At first, we would bring her in bed with us until she fell asleep and then move her back to her bed. Now when we do that, she wakes up and cries. So, she is usually in bed with us from 11PM until 6AM. I have tried letting her cry it out, moving her bedtime earlier and later, etc... Nothing works. She obviously has gotten used to the security of having us right there b/c she sleeps so good once she comes into our room. Of course DH and I don't because neither of us feel comfortable having her in our bed. We wake up at the lightest movement...
Please don't judge me for letting her sleep with us. I am asking for help in the situation and what worked for you getting your child out of your bed.

TIA!

 

HI, I can offer no suggestions as I am in the same boat. I have one great sleeper and one that is not. It started off in the same way your situation started. My husband works a graveyard shift so I am alone at night. I started bringing our one son to bed until he fell asleep and then put him in his crib. Then it just got progressivly worse. I just don't know what to do. It makes it really hard being home alone. At least if my husband was at home it would be easier to really try the CIO. Sorry I couldn't help but I wish you luck in trying to solve this problem.

April

 

I have 2 in that situation because when we were in Cali I did everything by myself everyday. To get sleep myself it was easier just to put them in bed with us.

 

Maybe try a pack and play in your room to transition her out of your bed, and then eventually move the pack and play into her room, and then get rid of it altogether. She is young enough that she really won't understand the change. But maybe if you did the PNP right near you at first so you could reach in and touch her for comfort, and then graduate it back to her room.

Good luck!

 

quote:
Maybe try a pack and play in your room to transition her out of your bed, and then eventually move the pack and play into her room, and then get rid of it altogether. She is young enough that she really won't understand the change. But maybe if you did the PNP right near you at first so you could reach in and touch her for comfort, and then graduate it back to her room.

That is what I was going to suggest. If you have a crib/PNP in your room you won't have to worry about her being in the bed and she should feel secure enough to sleep.

The other thing that might work is setting up a mattress on the floor in her room, right next to her bed. Then when she wakes up you or your DH can lie on that until she falls back to sleep. Of course you might end up going back and forth during the night if she wakes up again, but hopefully she will begin to be happy to sleep by herself.

 

I had the same problem for many months. My g/g twins are 12 months and for the last week we finally got them to stay in their beds everynight til around 7am. Like you, it was just easier putting them in the bed with us so we can get some sleep. With twins you are up twice as much at night tending to both so after the 3rd trip to the nursery I call it quites and give in. I knew it was a comfort thing, because hey would always go right back to sleep just as soon as we put them in our bed and would sleep sound for the rest of the night. Everyone says in time it will get better and it is--slowly. We just also starting putting them in their bed 1 hour before bedtime to get them to try and to sleep on their own rather than rocking them. they play for a little while and one goes to sleep on her own and the other will cry right before she's ready and won't go to sleep unless I rock her. I try to put her back down while she is somewhat awake, this way they are aware of where they are when they fall asleep. I think that has helped because when they wake now in the middle of the night they just reach for their pacifiers (I have a few in the bed) and go back to sleep. This may or may not have been the trick but it all came together at the same time. Of course just last night, I had one in my bed around 2am. So don't think it will entirely go away but I'm sure in time it gets better.

 

We were in the same boat for a long time! Kenna was the worlds worst sleeper! Then we started putting her in the pnp after she fell asleep. The pnp was right next to my bed. If she woke up I would let her see me in my bed and tell her it was ok. Didn't work at first but eventually we moved her further from my bed then to her crib. Well first we started putting her in the pnp to fall asleep and she would cry a little but not as bas as on the crib ib her room. Then no crying. Now she just goes in her crib to go to bed.

good luck!!!

 

I've been tempted to put the girls or Gabe in bed with me at times, but I am so afraid if they start they won't stop!

My niece is 5, will be 6 in May, she still sleeps with her mommy. I don't think I could handle that in my house. May just be me though! My SIL doesn't seem to mind. My brother does though........

Sorry, I'm no help, but I would recommend that you make some sort of effort to stop it now, if that's what you want!

 

I second the matress on the floor idea. One of our girls would wake up crying or want to get out of bed after putting her in. Cry it out DID NOT WORK for her. She would cry for hours until she hyperventilated. I started lying on her floor next to her crib instead of getting her out. It is amazing. After 1-2 weeks she now goes to sleep with no problem. If for some reason she wakes up crying, I never get her out of bed, just lie next to her until she falls back asleep. I don't talk to her or play with her, just me being physically present in her room has helped.