15 month old terrible sleeper – new baby on the way! HELP ME!

[KKKKaty]

Does anyone have any practical advice as to what strategies I could employ to persuade DS, 15 months, to sleep better? He does go through phases of sleeping OKish, but only very rarely sleeps through, and never has done so consistently and reliably. He is generally OK to put down at night ? most nights he might stand up once or twice after we?ve put him in his cot and cry out until we come, and we?ll lay him back down again, but will be asleep within 15 minutes usually.

He then wakes up after about an hour, usually, cries out, and we go and lie him down again. He might do this once or twice more until about 11, when he then usually sleeps til 2ish, when he?ll wake again, sometimes several times over the course of an hour, and then will sleep again until half six, seven. And that?s a good night.

Some nights he?ll cry out and need to be laid down again every fifteen minutes for two hours in the middle of the night, other nights he?ll wake up at 5 and not go back to sleep again ? there?s no rhyme or reason to it.

Will controlled crying work, do you think? I know some people don?t agree with this, but I am not one of them! Should we do this when we put him to bed, and during the night, i.e. never go in when he gets up in the night? This seems a bit extreme ? I would worry that he was ill or something? Would it work if we go in once to make sure he?s OK, then leave him? Does anyone have any other ideas?

I just need to get him sorted before our new baby comes in a few months? time, not only because I?m absolutely knackered now because I?m pregnant, but because I can?t be going in to him in the middle of the night all the time as well as feeding a new baby and trying to get some sleep then.

Any practical advice would be gratefully received.

[Igglystuffedfullofturkey]

Could he be teething? My DS is a similar age and teething has messed his sleep up - you can see the teeth making an appearance and he gets grizzly in the day, rubbing his ear and chewing his fingers. He needs a bit more reassurance at bedtime - so I have to stay and keep my hand on him until he sleeps. Also calpol at bedtime helps.
He doesn't sleep through though - he gets wind in the early hours so wakes at 2/3ish.

[KKKKaty]

Sorry, not sure what happened with the apostrophes turning into question marks, there.

Thanks for your reply Iggly. Yes, no doubt sometimes teething is the problem. I do tend to err on the side of caution and give him gel and calpol if I'm in any doubt or have exhausted all other possibilities, but it can't explain why he NEVER sleeps through.

I've had a suggestion that if he would bond with a teddy he'd turn to that in the middle of the night for reassurance rather than calling out for us. Might this help? If so, how do we get him to bond with his bear?!

[Igglystuffedfullofturkey]

Yes our DS has a duck soother which he sleeps with. He lives in the cot and we tuck him in with DS at bedtime. We know he grabs him in the night as we find him all over the place the next day! So maybe get something small that can stay with him?

You could also tried CC. if it works it'll only take a few nights. So you do your usual routine then reassure every 2/4/6 mins etc. I'd say less every time you reassure. My SIL used it on her two eldest and it took three nights. You do it for every waking. If he's getting distressed e.g crying is escalating or he's not reassured or it's taking longer then is give up and try something like gradual withdrawal. Sometimes when my DS doesn't settle I'll do something like that - so reassure by saying goodnight, cuddle then put down and leave my hand on for a min then walk away (staying in room). Then just say night and put my hand on him if he doesn't settle. Then just my hand... If he seems to be getting upset then I give up, otherwise he will settle quickly. I've only used that technique after feeds though!