Omg go to sleep!!!

[BrightSparkles]

DD is 8 months old. We were in a great routine where she'd have dinner around 6, dinner about 6.30 bath then was in bed by 7.30pm. She would wake about 3am then wouldn't wake again until 7am.

The last 4 nights, she's waking every 40mins to an hour and screaming. And when i say screaming i mean screaming. I try everything i can to settle her. I've been doing the walk in, don't say anything, lay her back down res my hand on her then walk back out routine for about 3 weeks. It seemed to be wrking until now. I thought maybe because she was a little sick with a cold, so i elevated the bed, put the vapouriser on, made sure the room wasn't too hot etc and kept up panadol. Now, she is still scream 2 hours after a doe of nurofen that sends her to sleep. Shes not hungry, doesn't want water and has a clean nappy on.

I'm so tired. I'm not coping with this at all and its all being comppunded by other issues (but thats a whole other thread...)

Whats going on with her??? Why won't she go to sleep??? I even considered trying to wrap her a little bit to see if that would help????
WDYT???

[Von]

I have a 2 y.o and I have been having similar problems and the lack of sleep is begining to really do my head in....

I really can not suggest anything else for you to do you seem to be doing everything that I would in the same situation...the only other things I would probably do is maybe give in and give a cuddle I remember when my dd was young and hit a patch like you are facing and the only way I got through it was to cuddle her back to sleep and before i knew it she was sleeping through again....

Good luck with it, I know that lack of sleep and a crying baby can really test our patience I think mine has just about reached it's limits many times...hang in there

[~breeze~]

Firstly I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time atm

I cant really give any advice sorry hun, the only things that come to mind is...
1. sick, maybe a cold coming on?
2. teething?
3. Growth spurt?

I wish there was a way I could help her sleep for you hun. I will say though that DS went through a phase of having a hard time to get to sleep at night time (for about a week) DH walked out once & accidentally left his enterance light on, DS stopped crying & went to sleep. The only thing we can think of is that having the little bit of light fooled DS into thinking someone was still in the room with him & he settled. Has she got a little bit of light in her room? Thats the only suggestion I have sorry hun.

Wishing you the best of luck... I hope she gets back into a good sleep routine soon!

xoxo

[~breeze~]

the only other things I would probably do is maybe give in and give a cuddle I remember when my dd was young and hit a patch like you are facing and the only way I got through it was to cuddle her back to sleep and before i knew it she was sleeping through again....

I agree with this.... my 2 sleep through without being rocked etc (although I do rock DS every now & then since he started teething) BUT I have rocked them & cuddled them when they're sick/teething. From my experience DD went back into her routine after about 3 weeks of me rocking/cuddling her to sleep when she was about 8 months old.

[~Jo~]

First thing I thought was maybe ear infection??

Jo

[sazzafrazz]

Oh how stressful for you! I have certainly been there too Night after night of getting up every half hour or so is so draining and it is very hard not to get frustrated and angry. Especially if you just cant find a reason for it. to you cause I know it isnt a lot of fun. Remember though that you're not alone, there are probably thousands of Mums up at that time of night for the same thing, although you do feel very alone when it's happening!!!

Have you checked if she is maybe having a wonder week? I found my DD had them pretty much on time to the info your MCH nurse should have given you. We had some terrible nights with that around that age and around the 12month mark too. Is she learning something like crawling just now? Major developmental milestones can make a huge difference to her sleep routine as the brain is working overtime while doing this stuff.

I dont think you could blame teething as I would have thought panadol and nuraphen would have taken the edge off of that.

My only other thought is it maybe the begining of seperation anxiety. Is she becoming much clingier in the daytime like wanting to be carried around and not letting you leave the room? I have read that it begins a little later but my DD started around the same age your DD is. They wake looking for you when normally they would have resettled themself. I had a period where I would have to pick her up for a 3 or 4 min cuddle then I could put her back to bed and she would go to sleep after a little cry (not distressed like when she woke) and I had to do it probably twice a night on and off for about a month although it wasnt every night. I found she also didnt actually need anything else like nappy or feed etc.

Hope tonight is the night you get a good nights sleep!!!! Good luck!

[BrightSparkles]

sazzafrazz - what are wonder weeks???? I have never seen a MCHN... I just couldn't get an appointment at our local clinc, so i've always jsut taken her to the GP.

shes recently sarted pulling herself up and trying to wakl along the lounges???

[sazzafrazz]

They call them wonder weeks cause you wonder what the hell is wrong with the kid that week!!! lol . It's a period where the brain is working overtime on a new process like crawling, walking, speech, etc and the child is unusually cranky, upset, clingy for no other apparent reason.

Have a read here: Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Wonder weeks

I foud them to be pretty acurate to within a week or so. I think the older the child is the longer the "week" is but the longer between them also. I am wondering if they still have them after 1year but havent read it anywhere yet.

The good news is that the usually have a "sunny week" after when they kinda go "AHHH that's better" and are super pleasant and happy, having accomplished whatever they were working on.

take care,
Sazz

[sazzafrazz]

Just re read your original post... the "other issues" you mention, could they be effecting her? Dont know what you are talking about but if there is emotional stuff going on she may be picking up on it and being anxious about that..... just a thought.

[Mak]

Its so hard with little sleep - often the next day DD would have symptoms of a cold/ear infection/teething - so I now try to cuddle and settle without worrying about anything but her....we had a night like that last night and she's almost 3. I try and remind myself that it will pass too!!! Hope you can grab a nap to catch up.

[beckoes]

my DD isabout the same age as your and we have just have five days of terrible sleep, would wake twice where a quick cuddle or a feed and she was off to sleep again, then at about 2am she would wake for an hour or so and id just have to stand there over her cot with my hand on her back holding her other hand and EVENTUALLY she would go to sleep, but if i left she would be histerical!! she had had a cold (we all have) and i know i feel rotten so im guessing she is too, also her top teeth are coming through AND she has just started to stand up on her own for short periods at a time...BUT last night she slept from 6.30 till 5.30am with only one wake up! so something worked....it was a little cooler here last night, she had panadol before bed, she had more sleeps in the day than normal, or could have been a bunch of other things i dont know about....maybe her teeth feel better, colds not so bad, mastered the standing up...ect...Deffinatley a WONDER week, like sazzafrazz said....it always leaves me wondering! what my point is, it will change and go back to some kind of normal routine..hopefully sooner rather than later! but it sounds like your doing all the right things.big hugs

[Just Me]

I just wanted to check in and see if your DD was sleeping any better. I really hope things improved for you ...

[mummy of many]

Hi hun,hugs to you hope your feeling a little better.
I thought of maybe now that the weather is getting cold,she just might be a hungry bub,try extra feeds...wrap her up if need be,my youngest was still being wrapped up at 10 months.

Otherwisejust a thought like the other ladies.....
teething, too hot or waking up feeling cold.
wind pains or collic
not sure if your BF or Bottlefeeding...could it be an Allergy?

I think if it continues you should deffinately see your Gp or childhood nurse.
Thinking of you,it`s the pit`s when we try everythin,and nothing seems to work,so stressful for us,hugs. Every bub is so different!

[BrightSparkles]

still battling through. Its so draining. I can feel myself getting stressed. I hae to just put her in her bed and let her scream until i can go away and calm down.

i'll keep working on it thanks girls. xxx

[sazzafrazz]

Oh big to you!

You are doing the right thing there with going out of the room to compose yourself. It would only become more difficult to settle her if you are angry and frustrated with her. So well done there.

I just wanted to check on you and encourage you. Eventually she will get herself back into a routine and this will all be a distant nightmare!. I wonder if you should get her ears checked? I have a friend whose bub was the same at night, just screaming all the time, and they had an infection. I always thought that a child would be miserable all day long with one but they weren't. Perhaps a visit to the GP to rule out anything. Or maybe see your health nurse for more ideas.

Good luck tonight.

[jamakin]

Hi, just read your thread now. its awful when they are so unsettled. i have been through the same thing with ds, so your not alone!
Just some other ideas - what about a bath and massage before bed? is she sleeping enough during the day? or maybe too much? is she overtired? is there something new in her diet? (or yours if bfing?) does she have a favourite teddy? or maybe you could put a piece of your clothing in her cot to comfort her? i really think bubs can feel if your stressed and it makes things alot worse, could your partner do some of the settling so you could get some rest? i'm sure you have tried everything, you just have to take each day as it comes.. i know easier said than done. i think you can drive yourself crazy wondering whats wrong with them but the fact is it could be 100 differant things or it could just be nothing. when ds is going through a bad stage i just say to myself 'ok i'm going to be up alot tonight' i accept it, and it makes easier to deal with. plus if they sleep better than your expectations its a bonus!
hang in there, im sure it will get better.

ETA i also agree with sazzafrazz a trip to the doctors is prob not a bad idea.

[BrightSparkles]

Shes only sleeping for about 20mins at a time during the day and even for her to do that I have to cuddle her to sleep. She's only finishing half her bottle at a time despite all my best efforts.
I thought it may be a change in formula, but that should have settled now, shes had that one before so i know shes not allergic to it.

Tonight i've half wrapped her and although she only had half a bottle shes been asleep now for just over 2 hours. Longer than any sleep shes had for the last little while. So fingers crossed....

but yes...a trip to the dr sounds like a good idea.

[Mak]

Agree - our daughter started getting ear infections at that age - she was always happy and no real temp just caused havoc with her sleep. May be worth a trip to the Dr.

Good luck - it is so stressful