waking 5+ times a night

[hj1981]

DD2 now 19mths is waking at least 5 times a night and it is wearing me out!
They are only quick get ups, i simply just have to give her a quick cuddle and lay her back down but it's taking alot out of me!
This has been going on for a few weeks now (i know only a few weeks, but DD1 isn't the best sleeper either, i don't think i have had a decent nights sleep in 4yrs)

She has been sick with a cold and an ear infection (blooming winter), but even when she is not sick she still wakes up a million times a night!

Is this a stage?

Is she maybe ready for a big big girl bed? she is in a toddler bed atm.

I don't think it is teething as she never needs any gel, panadol or anything, just a cuddle and a lay back down.

Any suggestions on what to do or what could be wrong? I have tried to let her cry it out, but i can't ignore her for too long, breaks my heart, even though it is not a distressed cry it is more of a grizzle if that makes sense?

Thank you in advance

[Heaven]

I reckon its just a stage coz she's usually a great sleeper. How is she in the day? Has she been more clingy than usual? Maybe just a stage of separation anxiety and she needs a few more cuddles?

[milka]

My 19 month old son was a perfect sleeper... Until 3 months ago. Suddenly every night or 2nd night would wake at 11pm or so screaming for at least 2 hours. Would not accept a cuddle would stand in his cot screaming holding his arms up, would carry on in the lounge, even in our bed & would finally pass out from exhaustion 2 hours later. I had also just become pregnant with #3 which his crazy antics coincided with.
Anyway suddenly 2 weeks ago he is back to "normal"... I did nothing different he just took his dummy peacefully and since then sleeps peacefully once again.

So I have no answer for you but might just be a crazy stage with no reason like my son. Now DS1 is becoming the crazy one!

[onthefly]

they have spikes in separation anxiety at times. perhaps it's just a stage?
my daughter's been waking like that for about 10 months now not so much a stage I guess.

[hj1981]

Heaven she has been majorly clingy to me for over a month now which has been nice but so exhausting. Her day sleeps are not the best either anymore, but will still go down for at least 1hr during the day

milka eeekkkkk i guess i should be thanking my lucky stars that my get ups to DD2 are only quick little ones, and not like your 2hr+ long ones

MadB 10mths!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how do you manage?

[Heaven]

Haha MadB I hear you. 16 months and counting.

Ooh hopefully that explains it then, just some separation anxiety. They go through phases. Just go with it, exhausting as it is. I find if I try to resist it it just makes it worse eek!

[hj1981]

i want sleep LOL
Im trying to go with the flow, but just pray for the day where both girls sleep through, but i will prob wake up worried if that happens LOL we can't win can we?!

[Liviam]

Could she be cold? No real idea as all mine wake up so you probably don't want my help, LOL!! Just wanted to give cause it truely is exhausting! Hope you get some sleep soon.

[hj1981]

Thanks Liviam, i don't think she is cold, she has heaps of blankets on her bed, that she does not sleep under so i dress her in a singlet, flannelette pj's with leggings underneath to keep her feet warm as she won't wear sock, i think she is more of a warm baby and not a cold one. Hugs help it is hard and exhausting and i know it comes with the territory but sometimes a break would be nice

When i go into her when she wakes she is down the other end of her bed, so i thought maybe she is a bit disorientated but she has always slept upside down, so that is what got me thinking if maybe we moved her into a big single bed and out of the toddler bed, she may sleep better being able to roll around more and not be so "cramped" if that makes sense? but part of me does not want to get rid of the toddler bed (which was the cot) cause once that is gone than no more cot for us See i want her to "grow up" and sleep through, but i don't want her to grow up

[Babyluv]

Oh my gosh hj1981 I could have written your post about my 18 month old. At first I thought it was teeth but she's fine too. She gets up needs a quick cuddle and goes straight back to sleep. After about the 4th time getting up and struggling with awful nighttime morning sickness, I give up and she sleeps with us. I think it could be a phase, a bit of separation anxiety. I'm just hoping I get my good sleeper back, she was sleeping 12 hrs a night for a couple months there. Will be interested to see what other posters have to say! Good luck. Hope we both get sleep soon!

[Babyluv]

Ahh I didn't even think about the bed size! Maybe the toddler bed is too small, my dd is a really active sleeper too.

[hj1981]

Oh my gosh hj1981 I could have written your post about my 18 month old. At first I thought it was teeth but she's fine too. She gets up needs a quick cuddle and goes straight back to sleep. After about the 4th time getting up and struggling with awful nighttime morning sickness, I give up and she sleeps with us. I think it could be a phase, a bit of separation anxiety. I'm just hoping I get my good sleeper back, she was sleeping 12 hrs a night for a couple months there. Will be interested to see what other posters have to say! Good luck. Hope we both get sleep soon!

LOL Babyluv, sounds like your DD has caught my DD's restless sleeping disease because DD2 was an awesome sleeper too, around 12hrs a night also. Part of me thinks it might be the toddler bed, but wondered if that sounded silly?!
I hope you get some sleep too, more so than me, you have bubba #2 on board you need sleep

[Liviam]

A bigger bed might be worth a consideration - is that doable?

[Muppity]

My DD did this too at about the same age. She has never been a good sleeper but 18 to about 23 months was a killer!

While I'm not an advocate of leaving them to scream I found that if I left DD she grizzled for literally 90 seconds then rolled over and went back to sleep. I still wake but at least I'm not getting up. Now I probably hear her once or twice a night most nights which is a great improvement.

Oh, and someone told me recently to remember that eventually they will be teenagers and then sleep constantly! Lol

[hj1981]

A bigger bed might be worth a consideration - is that doable?

we went hunting for a bigger bed today ordered one and it will arrive in 2wks

[hj1981]

Muppity, i am not a fan of leaving them to cry either, but sometimes i think it has it's place, and by getting up to them all the time i believe can make things worse if that makes sense, but i have tried leaving her for a bit but she gets worked up even more and my quick get up to cuddle and lay her back down turns into a longer get up but i definatly leave her for a bit in hopes that she rolls over and goes back to sleep instead of jumping up the minute she starts
I had to laugh at the teenage thing! that is soooooo true! as parents we can't win can we LOL

[onthefly]

If she's grizzling and rolling over then that's quite different to leaving her to cry, I reckon. You know as soon as you hear her whether she needs you or not, even if it's only for a very quick resettle. sometimes they really do need that. sometimes they just make some noise and doze off again.

[Babyluv]

I wish my dd would grizzle, roll over and go back to sleep but she too goes from grizzle to hysterical very quickly. Let me know how the big bed goes HJ, we are looking for one at the moment!