18 month old, 4am waking, tiring!

[Kjaysmum]

hi, my ds has started waking up earlier everyday. He is still getting teeth although is not showing his clasic symptoms at the moment (nappy rash, blotches) but these are his last teeth so wondered if they are still quite far down. I bought a thermostat heater for his room as the waking seemed to coincide with the start of the cold weather but he's still waking. He does have a bottle at night and in the morning and feel the urge to break the morning bottle habbit as maybe he's waking up for it but he only goes back to sleep for ten munites or so after having his bottle. Reluctant to leave him to cry so was up with him this morning until he fell asleep on me. I realy hope is just teething and will pass, any suggestions?

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oh dear that sounds tuff, must be hard on you both. I really know I should be counting my lucky stars, the thing is he's always been such a good sleeper, I'm surprised he's going backwards with it so I'd just like to figure out what's going on with him

K - am in same position - our 18 month old WAS sleeping through 7 to 6.30 am - but for past week has been waking anywhere from 3 am and demanding/screaming for milk. When given it he downs 9 ounces in about 30 seconds - wondering if he is hungry so have been trying to get him to eat more during the day, but doesn't seem to be working. Wish I knew what was going on too!

This is interesting, does he go back to sleep at all after dinking the milk?

I know exactly what you are all going through. I currently have another thread going re the same subject. DD2 is 18 months and has been waking every 45 mins for the past 5 nights. past 2 nights been giving 10ml of medised to try and help her but still up from 2 til 4 this morning. Going to try some homeopathic remedies I think.

controled cruing or pick up put down

was just looking at "askdrsears.com" hidden medical causes of night waking, none of it fits though he does seem to have a hard time waking up from his afternoon nap these days, really upset with tantrums, guess it would fit in with a teething pattern but it seems strange it's only on waking and then he's happy as larry again.

like to look at your other thread, tegan, abit new to mumsnet er where would I find it

sorry folks but a bit on one about this...Mud...so what do you think about giving him a bottle of milk then, I am reluctant to give him his morning bottle any more especially at 3.45 in the morning, do you agree if so offering him water seems to make it worse but he may be thirsty of course?

4am is not early wakind its nighttmie waking. i would say no bottle at all. jsut back to sleep methjods

Sleep : Do I kill dd or myself through lack of sleep

Had some good comments have a peek something might help you. Last night dd2 only woke twice which was quite good.

thanks shall take a look, Ds woke twice too but got himself back to sleep quickly phew, up again at 5.30 though

k - yes, he goes back to sleep after the milk - but this is no ideal - he will start expecting the milk, and that's not a good thing - i think we need to do some control cry/pupd as Mud suggests - especially when we have ascertained he is eating enough during the day++

not so sure what the routine is with controlled crying and pick up put down can you direct me to a website or somewhere explaining it?

Koalabear, I am going over to the thread Tegan started as I don't have time to check two threads, please join us it has some interesting comments on it, perhaps you would too Mud...thanks

Try giving him a massive owl of porridge, or other filling food, straight before bed. It works for my ds. Then you can swap the milk for water, and you know it's not hunger.

Also, 18 moths old is about molar time, so how about setting the alarm (for you) for 2 am, and givinghim some calpol then, if he seems in pain. Has he had nasty nappies? That can be a sign of teething and always was in my ds.

4 am is a very cold time, is he kicking his blankets off? He may do better in a sleeping bag.

Is he getting enough sleep? At his age he should be getting 12-14 hours a day. This doesn't apply to all children, but if he is reluctant to wake from his nap it does point towards him still being very tired. Have you tried letting him finish his nap, putting him to bed when he seems to be getting tired instead of bedtime (but still using his normal routine) and seeing what happens?

What time does he go to bed? is it very early?

Other than that, I agree with Mud. It's not early waking at all, it's nighttime waking, and if you have the stomach for controlled crying once you have eliminated the possibilties, it usually works.

ds goes to sleep at 8-8.30 after a bath,books, no tv and a bottle of milk, he is prone to be mucusy on cows milk so I varie it beteen soya and cows. He had just started having one nap instead of two in the afternoon but due to the night waking he falls to sleep in the mornings again just lately. I let him have a full nap but he wakes up very stressed out and only calms down when ignored (find that heart rending) I have just taken his morning bottle away and am giving him water instead which sends him into writhing fits, he just gets so stressed out. I think I need to do controlled crying when he wakes at 4am so I guess I just go in give him his water but he never wants to lie down again he just scrambles to the corner of his cat and bashes his head on it and when I leave the room he screams his head off for 20 minutes, which we find so hard, I am feeling very fuzzy and confused!

he does have a sleeping bag and a thermostat heater in his room now, so is not the cold. Am going to start giving him stronger pain relief on waking at night

Just caught up with this, but we've been having the same problem. DS's 18 months too and has had a run of stuff - gastric bug, then a cold, but we think it's molars. When he was so ill with the gastric bug we took deep pity on him (he really was sick!), and took to letting him go to sleep in our arms in a chair. Big mistake - we've now had a month of his waking every couple of hours and expecting to be held.

Anyway, I got desperate as sleep deprivation was making me ill too, so started pick up/ put down on Thursday night. It's definitely working. I've put a makeshift bed on the floor next to his cot - I can just imagine you all howling reading this, but am dead soft and not worried if it takes a bit longer. Basically I don't sleep in the room, but go in when he cries, I pick him up, give him a cuddle, then put him back down. I then lie down on the makeshift bed by his cot. If he cries lots, I repeat - once he's given in and dosing off, I go back to my own bed.

Last night was night three of this, and he only woke once at 1.30 am - took me 3/4 of an hour to get him back to sleep but then he slept through to 7.30am.

Okay, so it's a bit more soft hearted and definitely takes longer, but I'd recommend it. I almost had eight hours sleep last night - yeay!!

smee come and join us on this thread Sleep : Do I kill dd or myself through lack of sleep it might help you

Will do Tegan, thanks I've had a peep. Though actually i think i'm finally beginning to win a few battles in the sleep department. Will I be saying that after tonight though, I wonder...

I'm sure the weather change is something to do with it. My 21 month old has started waking again last week after months of sleeping through.

I think you're right Flum - mine definitely woke last night because he was cold. Hard to convince him to go back to sleep when his feet are like ice. Can't say I blame him for crying really. Trouble is you wrap them up too much and they wake you in the mood from hell because they're cooked. IMHO you can't win..

really like to know peoples opinion on this waking thing, every afternoon when he wakes he has a total tantrum it took three quaters of a hour to calm him down today. He wants things then when you give them he pushes or throws them away he does the same with me, he runs up to me and takes my hands off my lap then pushes them away if I try and hold him he doesn't want me but if I ignore him he want a hug then won't take one. Is it due to the teething if so why does it happen just when he wakes...he's fine now after finally getting some teething granuals down him...a little angel, maybe I'm missing something obvious

Not sure, but personally I don't think it's related to teething as DS has always been like that. These days I tread very slowly when he wakes. What seems to work best for us lots of cuddles and to sit quietly with a book/ music on and munch on a few raisins. Am not sure what version of that would work for you if your lo is pushing you away so vehemently. Reason I say raisins though, is because a woman I met on a bus said she had similar problems with her boy and realised his blood sugar was probably just low, hence the grumps. Made no sense to me - I mean why isn't it the same when they wake in the morning?? Still, she was so nice and so sure, that I gave it a go and it does seem to work.