Help!! My baby has stopped sleeping!

crazy cat lady

Hi boardies, I need some help

Megan is 9 and a half months and has stopped sleeping!

Its only really started since I have gone back to work which leads me to think its to do with separation anxiety, but the past few nights it has gotten really bad!

We have a nice little bedtime routine, bath, story, boppy, bed, which seems to work without too much fuss most nights. She'll go down between 7 and half 7. But the past few nights she has been waking in the night and instead of going back down with a bit of comforting, she is staying up for 3 hours or more and proper crying if she is in her cot. She also seems to get quite upset if her daddy attends to her.

We've tried doing the whole controlled crying technique and it doesn't seem to be working. We probably haven't been as consistent as we should, but its hard at 3am! What are peoples experiences of it? Has it worked for you?

Also, she seems to have all but given up on sleeping during the day. We're lucky to get a 40 minute nap out of her.

Oh and she's on the go all the time!! She literally doesn't stop from morning to night. Do I have the makings of a hyperactive child?

Please help, I'm so tired

Dades

Have you ruled out the obvious like teething or a growth spurt (hunger)?

Hang in there!

Cat Melodeon

My lad has been doing this since about the same age. Goes to bed no bother, but wakes up most nights around 2 or 3am really upset. Sometimes he'll go back to sleep in his cot, but I probably ruined him in the beginning by taking him into the bed with us - it was the easiest way for us all to get back to sleep. He's been teething pretty much non-stop since he was 9months old (14m now) and has had all the associated problems - face pain, nappy rash, bad wind.

It's the wind that wakes him up. I find that controlled crying doesn't really work in this case - ten minutes of lying tummy-to-tummy sees him expel enough hot air to outdo the Dáil so I have no doubt it is the pain that wakes him up. He usually goes back to sleep very quickly once the wind is out - but by that stage I've usually fallen asleep too, so I now spend the second part of most nights in the spare bed in his room (with him). One of these days I'm going to do the whole 'pick up put down' thing that so many parents rave about. This night-time shared custody thing between son and husband is only okay because I'm not working, but hopefully that will change sometime soon.

I can only say to check for all the usual culprits -

is it a growth spurt?
is he teething?
is he warm enough (sleeping bags are great)?
is it dark enough?
is he just lonely?

then ask yourself:
are you strong enough at 2am to do controlled crying (I'm not)? It takes 7 nights of hell but it's supposed to work. Parents with experience of it might be able to give you better advice on this.

is co-sleeping out of the question?

janmc

Cat Melodeon wrote: »

sees him expel enough hot air to outdo the Dáil

:D

crazy cat lady

Surely if there was anything 'wrong' with her she wouldn't stop crying as soon as she is picked up?

She got 6 teeth without as much hoo-ha as I'm getting now, and it really doesn't sound like a pain cry to be honest.

She eats loads during the day and never finishes her bottle at night or in the morning so I don't think its hunger.

Even now, she is tired but will not sleep! She took her bottle, was almost asleep and then she just wakes right up full of life. She's been up since 7 this morning, and was awake between half 12 and 4 during the night. Why isn't she tired enough to just go asleep!! She had half an hour this morning whilst nanny was minding her but thats it!

I've landed her in her cot now to see will she go to sleep but so far its not looking good. Just crying!

Does anyone think I should be worried about hyperactivity?

Das Kitty

I'd say it is separation anxiety ccl. My lad is a bit the same now and I'm dreading going back to work in 2 weeks.

I was told that the separation anxiety gets bad once they start to crawl around. It settles down then and kicks in again when they start walking for a while.

All I can say is give her as much attention as you can when she's awake and it should pass in time. I'll probably be back here in a couple of weeks with the same problem.

Dades

I can't remember but is around 9 months the time when they become really "self-aware"?

i.e. That they are 'alone' when they wake up? I remember I usen't to be able to leave the room until our daughter was completely asleep. (I even had to oil the door hinges to aid escape).

Nicki123

I have an 18 month old who goes through phases of this by times. They lull you into a false sense of security by sleeping soundly for a couple of months then bang, 2am screaming and a zombie mammy and daddy for a couple of weeks. The only thing I can tell you is that you should try not to make a habit out of putting her in your bed or anything like that otherwise it'll be a habit that'll stick when the sleep pattern gets back to normal.

I've read that their sleep can be disturbed when they're working on a major new skill and we're testament to that - crawling, walking, self feeding all coincided with broken sleep in our house.

I know when you're in the middle of it you feel like you're never going to sleep again but I wouldn't worry about hyperactivity yet - it all sounds terribly normal :eek:

crazy cat lady

Thanks peeps!

She's just starting to walk so I'd say what many of you have said makes sense!

I read a bit about hyperactivity and apparently its caused by artificial stuff in foods and I make all of her food so I think we might be safe there.

I put her to bed an hour earlier last night at half 6, and took myself off to bed not too long after. The little scamp only slept for a full 12 hours!!

gowayouttadat

Totally agree with Nicki! I have a 14 month old who also does this on and off. Three things I've come up with, teeth (even when you think it's not!), wind (he's a fierce windy baby), and seperation anxiety.

We've done controlled crying in this house and have to say it was the best thing we ever did. Whoever said it takes 7 days is incorrect. Every baby is different but in our case it literaly takes one night. We've had to do it once or twice after sickness etc and every time after one night he starts sleeping properly again!

If I was you, and boy have I been through these days and had no answers myself so am by no means an expert but this is what I'd do if it was me!

1) Painkiller before bed
2) A small bit of cereal before bed
3) Make sure the room is warm enough. DS was waking up last week and we discovered he was cold.
4) try controlled crying. On this one you HAVE to be consistent. It's tough but worked in our case. There's no point doing it if you're not going to be consistent. Weekends are prob best time if you are both off.

She's probably not sleeping during the day because she's not sleeping at night. It seems to have a total knock on effect. The total opposite of what you'd think!

cbyrd

We have snotty nose cold and teething waking up at the moment... it's draining but at least i have the luxury of not having to go to work all week.
I haven't lifted him out of the cot yet, i learned after the first baby that it's not worth the 3 and a half year battle to get her out of the bed again :eek: i just put him lying back down and rub his back for a minute. I do find a bottle of water beside the cot helps as sometimes he's just thirsty (saves me having to go downstairs )
My bedtime list for the locker is
nurofen
karvol
spare dodi's
tissues
water
saline drops..

I think the only thing you can do is remind yourself every time they wake up is this'll pass in a night or 2, that way it's not as daunting to walk away knowing in 20 minutes they'll be awake again!! And i have great faith that each time he does wake will be the last for the night :rolleyes: yeah sure

lolli

OH CCC I think shes getting cute. They really start getting cute at 9 months dont they. I'd say she knows if I cry mammy will pick me up.

Hopefully she'll start to settle more for you. I cant believe she has 6 teeth already! my little lady has none!

Khannie

[QUOTE=crazy cat lady;68596473Oh and she's on the go all the time!! She literally doesn't stop from morning to night. Do I have the makings of a hyperactive child?

Please help, I'm so tired [/QUOTE]

Sounds a lot like ours to be honest. We call her "the struggler". Good jesus. All she does is struggle! This morning she had managed to get her right leg out of the leg of her jammies and crossed over still inside the jammes. Not sure how the hell she managed it!!!

She might be teething during the night? Our kids always navigate towards mum when they're in discomfort. I used to take it personally.

crazy cat lady

Well we've had 2 good nights now! Last night she slept from half 6 to 5! I wonder if she's going for a hatrick!

She actually had an hour and a quarter nap this afternoon too.

She's still a little scally tho

Das Kitty

We had a middle of the night wake up last night for the first time since he was 14 weeks. He had his second tooth this morning.

January

Teething Addison is getting her back molars in at the moment... it's been a long and painful few weeks with a few full nights sleeps in between...

3DataModem

gowayouttadat wrote: »

Totally agree with Nicki! I have a 14 month old who also does this on and off. Three things I've come up with, teeth (even when you think it's not!), wind (he's a fierce windy baby), and seperation anxiety.

We've done controlled crying in this house and have to say it was the best thing we ever did. Whoever said it takes 7 days is incorrect. Every baby is different but in our case it literaly takes one night. We've had to do it once or twice after sickness etc and every time after one night he starts sleeping properly again!

If I was you, and boy have I been through these days and had no answers myself so am by no means an expert but this is what I'd do if it was me!

1) Painkiller before bed
2) A small bit of cereal before bed
3) Make sure the room is warm enough. DS was waking up last week and we discovered he was cold.
4) try controlled crying. On this one you HAVE to be consistent. It's tough but worked in our case. There's no point doing it if you're not going to be consistent. Weekends are prob best time if you are both off.

She's probably not sleeping during the day because she's not sleeping at night. It seems to have a total knock on effect. The total opposite of what you'd think!

I was going to post a long response, but this covers it all.
- controlled crying works works works...
- warmth at night v important
- sleep begets sleep

cbyrd

Well the fourth tooth just broke through and we are back sleeping all night since sat I wen tinto penney's on saturday morning and bought him the fluffy all in one jammies (he threw up on his sleeping bag) and discovered that the sleeping bag wasn't warm enough which was contributing to the waking up!!:rolleyes: so he's snug now in a vest babygro and the fluffy jammies over them with 2 blankets and a duvet!!! i'd be roasted but he seems to love it!!;)

Das Kitty

cbyrd wrote: »

Well the fourth tooth just broke through and we are back sleeping all night since sat I wen tinto penney's on saturday morning and bought him the fluffy all in one jammies (he threw up on his sleeping bag) and discovered that the sleeping bag wasn't warm enough which was contributing to the waking up!!:rolleyes: so he's snug now in a vest babygro and the fluffy jammies over them with 2 blankets and a duvet!!! i'd be roasted but he seems to love it!!;)

My lad's the same, can't sleep when he's at the recommended temperature (more fuel to my theory that a lot of the anti-cot death measures they recommend are about not letting the baby sleep very well).

Hannibal Smith

Nicki123 wrote: »

They lull you into a false sense of security by sleeping soundly for a couple of months then bang, 2am screaming and a zombie mammy and daddy for a couple of weeks.

this made me snigger...it's so true

limericklassy

And what is that saying 'sleep like a baby'!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who ever made it famous never had one..my fellow didnt like sleeping till he was about two..I remember he was a week out of hospital and he was awake all day..and I am thinking to myself..some one was lying..

crazy cat lady

Well we had a few nights of sleeping all night! Back to waking up in the night now tho. She's definately teething :rolleyes: