sudden sleep disruption 14MO - help!

[notsonervousmum]

Up until a week ago, my 14 month old son was sleeping like a dream from 8pm till 8am every night, on the basis of tea at around 5.30pm, then a bottle of milk which he would finish at around 7.30 having dozed off. I would then leave him to sleep for a bit in my arms then take him up to his cot, and that was him out for the night.

A week ago, we had to take him on a long car journey (2.5 hours each way, with the return journey from 4pm). As usual, he went to sleep in the car, but this meant he had too much sleep during the day and so was a little so-and-so come bedtime and we resorted to sticking him in our bed as my DP had to be up early the next day. All well and good...

...except that even though we're back in the normal routine of him having his lunchtime nap, he's totally refusing to go to sleep at night in his cot. I give him his milk as before and i swear he deliberately fidgets to keep himself awake, and even if he does doze off, as soon as i take him upstairs and lay him in his cot he wakes up and screams the house down. If by some miracle i do get him down, it lasts a total of 2 hours before he starts screaming again and despite every trick in the book, he will not settle back down in his own bed.

I fear we've got into a vicious vircle with this, as he howls so we resort to sticking him in with us (DP and I are both nurses and work 12.5 hour shifts, therefore need the sleep!), which just keeps this going! I really need an answer, as DP and i are getting married a week on Friday, and i don't want the event marred by a screaming child on our wedding night as he's supposed to be staying with my mum, and all the time we keep on like this i just can't see it happening

Any advice, suggestions gratefully received! Thanks, NSNM x

[notsonervousmum]

anyone?

[fransmom]

i understand how hard it is to get an active toddler to sleep - it's like they're afraid of missing something! have you discounted the usual like teething?

[notsonervousmum]

well it's been a while since his last teeth, so maybe its that, but he's not normally affected like this and it would usually only be for a few days.

[fransmom]

it sounds like that may be half the problem. let me put it this way - how would you feel if you feel asleep in one place, then awoke in another? you might have a go at the people around you. his screaming etc might just be his way of vocalising his fear etc. how about starting him on a new bedtime routine (not schedule), give him bath, bottle then bed in that order. try and keep as far as possible to similar times although you say that might be hard with your work life. wear him out with a nice warm bath, dress him in pj's(?) then his last milk of the night. then take him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and then to bed for a story. perhaps for the first few nights he could have a comfy with him to give him something familiar to hold with he change in his bedtime?

when i was trying to get dd used to sleeping onher own, i used the monitor a lot. as soon as she cried i went in to reassure her that she was ok and that i was still there for her. the first time she got a proper cuddle, the 2nd varied in that now she gets stand up cuddle (where she stands in her cot and i bend over to cuddle her. not so good on my back maybe but she knows i won't pick her up unless she truly really mega upset. she then gets just her blanket etc put back and shushed and told and signed to that we love her and that her monitors on so we can hear if she needs us.sometimes it takes a while and sometimes not.

[Yokefleet]

I hope that you have had a better night last night nsnm I know CC is not for everyone but it worked for us when Thomas was 8mo. We do tea around 5.30pm with his last beaker of milk, then bath/teeth, get him in to sleepsuit, story on our bed for a few minutes then into his own room whilst still awake. (once we have gone up to have the bath we don't bring him downstairs again, we made the mistake of brining him down to see my mum before putting him down one night and that just gave him a second wind so never again!!) If you want anymore info on cc then MB has done it to and you know where we are

[notsonervousmum]

thanks guys. Without wishing to jinx anything, he appears to be back to his normal routine again (for now...!)