Sleep DEPRIVATION!!! For 22 month old and his desperate (single) mum..

[Cullen's Mum]

Hi ladies!
Have spent most of the morning trolling through the wonderful advice and posts on this site, and have gleamed some good information and some reassurance. But as alot of the posts seem to do with little babies, I thought I would put my "problem" out there and see if you guys had any thoughts to help me (and DS) to get some more sleep!

Up until 4 weeks ago DS had been sleeping literally like an angel. After night routine of bath/milk/stories, in his cot at between 7 and 7.30, no crying or mucking about, simply turned over and went straight to sleep and I wouldn't hear from him till around 7.30 the next morning. Then 4 weeks ago, something went awfully pear shaped. He got 2 of his back teeth, so naturally was unhappy. I was getting up to him about once a night for 3 nights or so, giving panadol and soothing him, and off he would go back to sleep.

But the teeth are well and truly through now, and still the waking goes on. Now it has escalated to not letting me leave the room until he's asleep (takes about 20 mins), otherwise he screams blue murder. I tried last week to just leave him as I was at my wits end with him and it took over and hour and 1/2 for him to cry himself to sleep, so I can't do that anymore.

DH left for a job overseas 2 and 1/2 weeks ago and won't be back till Xmas, so I need to find a solution for us to both get some sleep over the next 8 months, as I can't keep going on feeling like I'm a zombie walking around without any sleep.

Currently he goes down with me in the room (takes about 20 mins of me sitting next to him). Then will sleep solidly for about 5 hours. So is waking around 1am. I have ended up sleeping next to his cot for the last week so that when he wakes I don't have to get up, but its getting cold and a bit uncomfortable! He is still waking and needing me to touch him and sshh him back to sleep around 3-4 times a night. And if I'm not in the room (say I have snuck back to my room) then he just stands in his cot and screams the house down. He does this also waking from his daytime nap, will sleep happily for just on 2 hours, but when he does wake, goes from asleep to standing up screaming in a matter of seconds - no nice happy wake ups here!

Can't think of what I've done wrong to make him go from beautiful sleeping angel, to this screaming sleeper?? As I'm on my own (for now) and have very little family support (family is 6 hours away) would so very much appreciate any advice you guys can offer as to what to do next (don't think sleeping on his floor till Xmas is going to be a good idea!).

Cheers from a desperate, tired mum...

[1pj]

hello!Im sorry i might not have much good advice but i just wanted to say your doing so well!!On your own and everything must be super hard!!I also have gone threw similar and many people told me to do the old crying it out thing which i know some arent too bad like they give you different ways of doing it but my husband wasnt supportive so I in the end bad i know is gave her a bottle,its the only thing that seems to soothe my DD,she hardly wakes now in the night but if she does i give her one,and usually if i give her one before sleep she seems to sleep longer,has he got a little blanky or soft toy he likes?Mine never did until she was injured and now is attahced to it so that helps,sorry im not much help,I do have a few books that helped me i can write the names of but all i can hope is its a stage beause thats what it seemed to be for us,i really feel for you because i know that especially when your on your own it must be so hard and you must need sleep to cope!Do you have anyone who can help?

[boomba]

Oh hun...do you think maybe it is because your DH has gone? He is sprobably missing him and cant deal wiht it emotionally...their little brains arent developed to deal wiht stuff like that yet....20mins out of your night is no big deal when it comes to getting him to sleep happy and safe so keep doing that....would you consider co sleeping wiht him till he feels confident to go back to his own bed..that will eliminate you sleeping on the floor and you will both probably sleep better ?
I do the night stuff alone as DH is a baker so I know how you can get so emotional when your triying to sleep! Your doing a great job, just remember he will only need you to help him to sleep for a little while and you will be happy knowing he is happy Good luck xxx

[Shades]

No advice sorry - just wanted to say if your son's name is really Cullen I love it Mine is too LOL although we call him CJ

[Rumpleteaser]

I think there is something developmental going on, in addition to teething and you DH going away. My DS is very similar in behaviour, we have thought maybe scared of the dark, so have left a light on, too hot/cold. We have often resorted to staying in his room untill he has fallen asleep, there is a matress on the floor at the monent, due to increaing cold and for my comfort at 35 wks PG. Also, I or DH can doze or fall asleep if able, DS can be chatty. We have on occasions left him to have a cry, we had 5 mins or whinning this morning before he resettled.
I hope things settle down for you, I know DS will settle for DH quicker sometimes becasue he has missed him all day and likes his dad, I suspect the troubles you are having is more becasue your DH has gone away. Good luck, I hope your DS improves soon.

[Cullen's Mum]

Hi girls, thanks for your replies. DS had another one of "THOSE" nights last night where he was awake from 1.30am till 3.30am even with me on his floor! So in the end took him into my bed, slept till 7.40am!

Had always thought the co-sleeping thing wasn't for me, but maybe if we both get some sleep then whilst DH is away it will be worth going down this track if it works!

Shades - yes name is actually Cullen, gorgeous!

Thanks again everyone, keep sane!

[Kmn]

The other thing is to really run him around during the afternoon as much as you can so he's physically tired as well as mentally!
good luck.