9 mo crawling in sleep and waking himself up constantly, help/advice please

[OldieButGoldie]

My 9mo DS has always been a frequent waker and is bf to sleep. I have half heartedly tried to stop this but his hysterical crying was too much to deal with so I decided to go with the flow for a while.

About a month ago when he became more mobile his sleep actually improved for a bit as he would roll onto his side or tummy to sleep and seemed to be more comfortable. He even started to settle without a bf if I lay down with him. But the past couple of weeks all hell has broken loose! He crawls in his sleep banging his head on the cot bars and waking himself up. He also sits up in his sleep then falls over and cracks his head. I haven't got cot bumpers yet, but don't know how much they would help as he keeps trying to crawl with his head pressed up against the side and gets in a right state.

I do take him in to my bed and hang on to his pyjamas in a semi slumber as he clambers about. I've thought about a mattress on the floor but don't want him crawling about the room in the night!

Anyway, I could go on and on, what I want to know is - is this just a phase as he has learned a new skill and if so how long will it last. Is he likely to sleepwalk when he's older or is it unrelated? The longest spell of sleep I had last night was 1hr 20min. No one else I know has this problem with their DC.

Help!

[angel1976]

Hi,

Just wanted to send you my sympathies! I don't really have any solutions... But you said that no one else you know has this problem with their DC but my DS has started doing this as well. He's 10 months old and he has been mobile for a while but he has very recently taken to crawling right up to the top of the cot and then banging his head on the headboard! It's awful hearing him! I went into the room today (during his morning nap) and just kept dragging him down and just saying very calmly, 'no, don't do that. It's sleep sleep time' and walk out. I did it about 3-4 times before he fell asleep. I've also put a cot bumper on as I can't bear to hear the banging noise!

For this very reason, I no longer take him into bed with me as I have fallen asleep quite deeply to find he has crawled out of my arms (I usually hang onto his grobag as well!) and hanging precariously off the bed! I just pick him up (if he wakes at night or headbanging), calm him down and put him back down in the cot. I think you just need to persevere in showing that you are serious about him sleeping in his cot... My DS did get used to co-sleeping and a few weeks ago, he was crying to get into bed with us. I hardened my resolve and it took 3 nights of bad sleep but by the fourth night, he started sleeping through in his cot... GL!

Ax

[OldieButGoldie]

Thanks Angel, good to know I'm not alone! I have been trying to keep him in his cot but last night when I had to get up for the 7th time (yes, I was counting!) I caved in. Its so hard when I know he would go straight back to sleep if in with me. But like you I woke to find he had turned 180 degrees and was about to crawl off the end of the bed.

Hopefully he will calm down soon, previously he never moved an inch from where he was laid.

[angel1976]

Hi OldieButGoldie,

I find it really helps if I have a plan of action before I even go to bed. I agree with you that it is extremely hard when you have gotten up for the god-know-how-many-times and they just won't go to sleep in their cot. But if you tell yourself that this is for their good and your own good and that you WILL NOT CAVE tonight and brace yourself for a few bad nights, then I can tell you that it really does help when you are up in the middle of the night and can't think straight. We had a few good nights of sleep and last night, because I've got a bit of a cough and I kept waking my LO up, I caved at 5am and took him into bed but had the worst night sleep as my arm was sore, he kept trying to crawl off and I might as well have just stuck to the original plan... So this is IT and I intend to move him into his room in the new year so I am not going to cave anymore. Maybe we should just support each other through this...

Ax

[Gavlaar]

Hi

Sympathies, my ds wax exactly the same when he learned to crawl. It was as if his body just couldn't stop doing this exciting new thing even when asleep!

It lasted about 4 weeks with my ds and then he just stopped. We found a cot bumper helped because when he got to the top of the cot he would kind of snuggle in and curl up.

I'm afraid you'll just have to wait it out which is annoying I know, but it won't last much longer!

[OldieButGoldie]

Gavlaar - that's exactly what its like, as if the crawl button has been left switched on Its the same with sitting up, when I try to lay him down to change him he spins round and sits up really really quickly and looks a bit surprised, almost as if he didn't mean to do it. So by your reckoning I have another couple of weeks to go. Ho hum.

Angel - yes I agree, a plan of action for the night made in advance. I'm wanting to move DS to his own room in the New Year too (if I ever get my junk cleared out of there ) He has been asleep in his cot for 10min so far and already has his knees pulled up under himself ready for the off! At this time of night I can find that quite funny but not at 5am. If the number of wakenings would just drop down a little I'm sure I could make it to morning. Good luck tonight, let me know how you go

[angel1976]

OldieButGoldie - How did your night go? We had a good night... DS slept through until close to 7 when I heard a loud bang followed by a distressed cry and he had obviously hit his head hard on the side of the cot...

[OldieButGoldie]

Well good and bad Angel, he was still in his cot when we got to getting up time (8am) but not without much effort and being awake from 11.20pm till 2.10am most of which was spent crying and screaming. After that he woke another twice which is just normal for him, he never sleeps through. All in all I didn't notice as much crawling etc last night, the crying was just because I wouldn't take him into my bed incase he crawled out.

Sleeping through till 7 sounds like heaven! I'm still hopeful my DS will suddenly do this. Maybe even tonight

[angel1976]

Good luck OldieButGoldie! I think you should give yourself a pat on the back for not bringing him into bed. That's one small battle won. Keep on with it tonight and he should learn to stay in his cot (and hopefully asleep!) soon.