please help with sleep/crying/teeth advice asap?

[pamelat]

DD 12 months. Until last night she normally slept well 630-6am ish or if she did wake (teeth, colds, whatever) it would be for a quick hug, dummy etc and she would resettle.

Last night we had the night from hell (it was her birthday yesterday too) and it looks like we are going to have the same tonight, unless you can help.

Last night, very tired. Put her to bed, 20 mins later, she cries. Go in pick up put down, give dummy (not needed every night) and go out. This continues and each time I have to go in. On some occassions as soon as I picked her up she would relax and fall to sleep on me, on others she wouuld be arching her back and pulling way and continuing to cry (very tired)

This went on until 5am. Seriously, neither me, nor DH or DD had any sleep until 5am.

At 5am DH takes her out in the car, she falls to sleep instantly. He drives for an hour and then pulls up and sits for an hour, DD and me get 2 hours sleep.

7am I take her downstairs and DH gets 2 hours sleep.

I did not expect to be having nights of a total of 2 hours sleep with a 12 month old?

However, spoke to NHS direct as was worried about how out of sorts this behaviour was and they diagnose teething Apparently teething can be this bad.

Last night we gave calpol twice. Tonight we put her to bed with calpol and nurofen and bonjela. She went down ok and has now woken after half an hour, crying again. DH has been in and she found no comfort in pick up.put down. She is so so tired (after only 2 hours sleep last night).

So, what do I do?

Do I leave her to cry it out? She has now been crying 10 minutes but I genuinely can't re-do last night. I have to drive my grandad to the hospital in the morning and DH is at work, I am scared that if we keep going in and out that she will just keep doing it again, like last night.

At some points last night she would scream, we would go and she would laugh and throw a bear at me and say "Mummy". Cute but I just cant do it again.

Today we have been walking zombies. We drove for 3 hours (randomly!) at lunch so that she would sleep.

For the last 8 months she has been able to settle herself or just needed a pick up.put down. What do I do please?

[wrinklytum]

Is it definitely teeth?

I mean she hasn't got any other symptoms of illness???

[pamelat]

am trying to justify the leaving to cry but struggling.

but leaving her could result in less overall crying that the 5 or 6 hours of crying last night.

I tried putting her in our bed, it worked for 2 minutes but then she started crawling over us and standing up on my head.

I tried lying on her floor, she threw bears at me and peeked through the bars.

Tried rocking to sleep, sometimes it worked but she woke every instant I put her down.

Is there anything I can do to avoid last night or to explain last night???? Is it teeth (like NHS lady said) ?????

[pamelat]

Hello wrinklytum, she has had a cold but she has had it for weeks. Nothing else that I can detect, no rash etc

I think its extreme for teeth but the lady NHS doctor said it can happen.

I really dont know what to do.

Also she has been fine (other than tired) today.

[pamelat]

NHS check list went through lots of things and she was negative to all of them.

They did not seem worried about this, they said to just cuddle her and drive around today. This is fine but seriously I dont think I can do a second night of no sleep, especially as she would only sleep (today) in the car (moving). It would be unsafe for me to do this by myself tomorrow.

[wrinklytum]

Oh dear.She isn't rubbing her ear or anything?

I can sympathise with lack of sleep as dd was refluxy horror for 13 months of he rlife!!Never slept.I was on my knees.Other than reflux though the worst thing to keep her awake was when she had an ear infection boy did she wail poor mite.

I can tell you all the tricks I did with refluxy bub which included walking up and downstairs endlessly (It sent her to sleep for some reason) to taking her out in her pram at night for a walk around the block,to driving around.Keep up with the calpol and nurofen.

Hopefully if it is her teeth when they eventually emerge she will be more settled.

[pamelat]

Thank you. She had an ear infection a few months back and I would say that this time she does not (but obviously am not an expert), no ear pulling or sudden crying. Just crying when in bed by herself, but as soon as me or Dh are there she is stopping or trying to play (except a few times between 4 and 5am when she was so so tired that she was just cross and pulling back)

She had lots of tummy issues when she was very young but got a lot better at 5 months. She never used to sleep but I somehow managed then, today I have been useless.

I am going to take her to the actual docs tomorrow if she continues to cry.

I am torn between instinct and wanting to go in and comfort her and real anxiety that 1) she will pick up on my anxiety about her not sleeping, 2) that she will just do it all night again and 3) that she will become exhausted again by not sleeping and that it will never get better.

All has gone quiet but she cried for 21 minutes. I guess like it or not we did controlled crying by just not knowing (DH was stood outside her door ready to go in if she started screaming, like last night). I feel quite bad and still anxious about what sort of night we will have.

[pamelat]

or maybe uncontrolled crying.

[moocowme]

it does sound like teething. molars can be hell. my DS got 3 of his for christmas at 14mo. i gave him the maximum dose of nurofen for a 1yo plus every time he woke i put gel on him. we co slept and i just kept cuddling and patting thru the night. i did manage 6 hours through the night so it was bearable plus had a sleep in the day with him. i think it lasted about a week. took a couple more weeks for sleep to gradually improve.

[pamelat]

Oh thank you moocowme (like the name).

Last night was a lot lot better, she woke once and I went in and cuddled her, calpol and dummy and then that was it! Brilliant.

I felt bad letting herself cry/whimper herself to sleep that first time but to be honest she was so so tired (with so little sleep on Saturday night) that I think she was just utterly shattered and needed to vent (she was not screaming obviously )

Anyway I have had 8 hours sleep (!) because I went to bed at 830pm. Feel pretty much back to normal, so fingers crossed.

Do the molars tend to be the next ones?