1yo - angel during the day, spawn of Satan as soon as the sun goes down. Normal?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Yes, I know that would make me Satan.

DS has always been a slightly discontented baby, but just recently he's transformed and is now cute, funny, mischevious, sociable, generally wonderful. The payoff (isn't there always one) is that he has started waking every couple of hours during the night.

Feeding is the best/quickest way to settle him, but it doesn't always work. It's not thirst related because he always has a big thuddy nappy in the morning; doesn't seem to be linked to whether he's had a lot to eat during the day (though he is eating like a horse atm). Calpol doesn't help. Coming into our bed doesn't help. Leaving him to cry doesn't help - in the past he used to self-settle after literally a couple of minutes, but now it becomes clear very quickly that he's just getting himself more worked up. (NB never left him to cry for more than 5 minutes.)

Anyone had anything similar? When am I going to get my lovely happy baby who sleeps 7-7?

[lucidlady]

Your title Made me laugh - my DD is exactly the same. I'm hoping it's a phase...

[MimsyBorogroves]

Mine is like it too. Sigh.

[DomesticGoddess31]

My thoughts....teeth....developmental.....it passes. Then it comes back. Then it passes. Then it sort of comes back but is less bad. Then it passes.....etc etc.

[nickelbabylyinginamanger]

yup.

dd has always been lovely when awake properly.
definitely spawn of Satan at night

i hope it'll pass too.

i think we're supposed to just grin and bear it. keep cuddling,feeding, reassuring. until it's over.

maybe [lightbulb] we should treat this bit as a newborn with toddler tendencies

[QTPie]

Teething probably - we had about 6 months of it. We put a mattress on the floor next to DS's cot (as mentioned in my replies to this thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/1645064-My-19month-old-Son-hits-me-and-doesnt-listen-at-breaking-point ).

[tribpot]

This sounds like a version of Gremlins - don't feed them after midnight etc.

Could he be afraid of the dark?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

tribpot Gremlins could be the answer. At the moment he's clutching a Ritz cracker in each hand and sort of baying at the ceiling.

Not afraid of the dark though, he seems to thrive in it. We're starting to get afraid of the dark though...

[tribpot]

Hmm, so perhaps more like Princess Fiona in Shrek, turning into a (good-natured and rather splendid frog-spawned) ogre when the sun sets?

[forcedinsomnia]

Ditto here. Been ace for ages now reverted to being a pita at night!! He's now 17mo and sleeping as he did at 17 wo! :-( I'm sure it'll pass.....either that or I'm moving out?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Dunno about that, but he certainly looks like Shrek

17mo forced? Ohhhh no. No no nonono. This is a short-lived phase which will magically end at 13mo.

[forcedinsomnia]

Whoops.....sorry. Typo..... It was meant to say this is a short-lived phase which will magically end at 13mo!! Auto correct!?
On a brighter note he slept for 11 hours straight last night?!?! Did nothing different except no bath before bed (we were out for dinner). Sure he'll be back to his usual pita self tonight. But I can dream cant I????

[TheWalkingDead]

Both of my DS's went through periods like this. Would sleep really well, then be wakeful for a few weeks. It was either their teeth or a developmental 'step' where after their sleep settled again they could do something new. It was bizarre and annoying, and I really hope that it's just a stage for your DS

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

forced

WalkingDead I suspect it could be developmental. DS's latest new developments are:

a) He loves me very very much
b) He wishes to bite a baby-mouth-sized chunk of flesh out of any exposed area of my skin that happens to be within his reach

[Iggly]

13 month sleep regression

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Thanks Iggly, really interesting

I'll add that to my collection of sleep regressions - so far I've got months 0-13 Do I win a prize for having the complete set?

[gallicgirl]

Nope - my 23 MO DD is like this too :)

[Iggly]

No I think I do! my DD's sleep is but it's not all regressions - reflux, food intolerances and tongue tie causing trouble

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Damn. Frankly this is not how I envisaged parenthood. Pre-baby I had a sort of montage running through my head which included one, perhaps two sleepless nights... then faded to him learning to walk and say 'mama'.

[Iggly]

I had a similar montage. I made the stupid mistake of reading gina ford before I had mine. I remember earnestly telling DH that it made sense and it would be good to follow. Then ds arrived and one of my earliest memories was sitting there with a 6 week old DS looking at the book saying "what should he be doing next!!?". Ds didn't sleep consistently well until 18-24 months (acid reflux and dairy intolerant).

Then we had dd. before she arrived I was convinced she'd be a perfect sleeper - couldn't possibly be two in a row? Certainly couldn't be worse?!

How wrong I was. I've now ruled out a third despite aching for one.