What happened to my lovely sleeping baby?!

[ginortea]

Gahhhhh hoping someone can help me before I start wearing mismatched shoes when I leave the house and falling asleep at my desk.

1yr old DS who used to sleep really pretty well (7 till 7 for ages, then for a few months waking at 5am and getting into our bed where he'd go straight back to sleep) is very suddenly waking at 2.30, standing up and SCREAMING till we either turn the lights on and let him play or we give him a bottle (when he'll then go straight off again).

He hasn't had a bottle during the night since he was about 4 months. He does have a dummy at night (I know, I know...) but it used to be that if he woke we could just pop it back in and he'd nod straight off. Suddenly he seems wide awake and ready for the day unless fed. Only problem is that his parents absolutely are not...

Ideas? He's got a REAL voice on him, so even if we wanted to CC he'd scream for at least an hour (from daytime tantrum experience) and it wouldn't be fair on neighbours.

Growth spurt. Try giving him something to eat before bed. We did 'supper' of stuff like rice cakes, crackers, bread and butter when ours were little.

He eats a huge amount at tea time! But that's five thirty. Bedtime is seven. Maybe I should try to tank him up directly before bed?

He's also teething and learning to walk. So it's a full-on time for him, I know. But I don't think letting him have a bottle at night is helping him in the long term, yet if I don't, all hell breaks loose..

Is really tricky. I would give yourself a break at night and not worry too much about long term bad habits. Mine were dreadful at night at one and both sleep beautifully now. If he goes straight back to sleep and doesn't bother you again I'd be inclined to give him the milk for a few more weeks tbh

Ah, thanks for the chilled out support! It's just that we caved 'for the short term' letting him into our bed at 5am, and now that's a permanent fixture...

I've just come on this topic as am having similar problems with DS who is 1!!

He slept through from approx 6 weeks and for months 7-7. He then went to waking up at 5.30am for a while then back to 7-7. Since around Christmas he has started waking at random times or not wanting to go to sleep at all. He is has started to really fight it. He nodded off at 7pm tonight easily but has already woken up twice.

Last night he woke at 1am and i ended up getting up with him - he did eventually go back to sleep after a bottle - at 3am!!

He has a tooth coming through but has been walking for a month or so.

I can't leave him to cry as it breaks my heart!! I feel like as he once slept perfectly there must be a reason and therefore i feel bad letting him cry.

Sorry for my totally unhelpful post!! I'm now wondering if he too is possibly having a growth spurt and needs more milk but he does have a lot...

Oh and he very often ends up in our bed which i think he is getting to like/get used to

I feel the same naughty - since the 'night tantrum' thing is new and he's learning to walk and has his fist in his mouth all day, I feel like I should give him a break. But if we cave on night milk then we've broken EVERY rule - dummy, bed with us AND milk...

There'll be nothing left to bargain with next time he decides to have a regression.

My son is 18 months and has been waking in the night, not wanting to go to bed etc. for about two month. He has had teeth, an illness, Christmas away and more teeth. Maybe nightmares too?

CC absolutely does not work ATM. He is inconsolable and doesn't even sit down let alone sleep. He can scream for a very long time. It just seems cruel.

I have caved in every respect: sitting and patting while he goes to sleep for his first sleep, milk, bed, cuddles. He hasn't had milk at night since about 7months.

I used to pop him in his cot and he'd roll over and go to sleep. He'd wake about 5am and that was that. Those days are gone.

I feel a bit apprehensive about it all, but I work on the principle that that is the way everyone gets the most sleep. This is important as he shares a room with DD. I'm just dreading the moment that she realises where he is really sleeping from about midnight and wants to join in too because she is a real PITA to sleep with.

Oh god, Christmases away, had forgotten that latrucha. We stayed in three different places over 10 days during Christmas.

Poor little guy. Totally understand that it's all fair play and part of the growing up process.

I just don't know whether it's better for him, in the long run, if I take some kind of firmer strategy. Can't for the life of me think what that would be though, since CC would result in hours of full power screaming.

it's a dilemma, isn't it? I just felt it really wasnt going to help right now. I decided that when it becomes more of a problem than it solves (again the criterion being the maximum amount of sleep for the maximum amount of people) I'll work out what to do then.

Got the same thing happening here with ds 11months, he is trying to walk and teething as well as getting over his first cold, not a good time. OH and I bit the bullet 2 nights ago and started cc as we were both so tired. It's not strictly cc but still hard and he has started to respond already. We live in a flat so I hate to think what the people upstairs think but we only let him cry for a couple of minutes, four mins max, between going in and laying him back down. I really thought he would cry for hours but the first time he only cried for twenty mins and last night five. It is horrible though and I was pacing outside his door fighting back tears and the urge to go in and pick him up. Do whatever you feel is best and good luck!

Meant to add that if he seems really awake then do you think it's time to cut back on the amount of sleep he has in the day? Maybe that would help?

Hmmmm... Trying a similar strategy to yours as I type NeedToSleepZZZ, but working up to ten minute intervals. It's now 45 mins since I put him down. No sign of stopping...