9/10/11 month sleep issues - how long did it last and how did you fix?

[LittleMilla]

I have been commenting on some other people's threads in sleep, but wanted to get some perspective from people that have gone through this.

DS is almost 10 months and for the last 3 weeks has been waking earlier and earlier - it was 4:40am today. I am slowly, but very surely, cracking up. I am about to take wine and earplugs to upstairs neighbours (we live in a flat) and DH are I are coming to blows. I am on my own Mon-Thurs as he's away from home, so I think this am was a shock for him (and 1.5 earlier than when he left on Monday!).

A really desperate SOS on this. I have read in wonder weeks that this 'phase' can last up to 5/6 weeks. But will he magically start sleeping again, or will we have to go down the CC route.

We're trying to leave him for a bit but he's going ballistic - crying like never before, ear splitting, almost like he's being tortured with hot pokers. He just wants to be up and playing.

Tried earlier to bed, later to bed. More naps, fewer naps. NOTHING seems to be helping and I really am starting to lose it.

TIA

Hi there, if you put him to bed with you would he go back to sleep?
The only reason I ask this is because my dd went through this she is nearly 11months now. I realised that it was because she was cold. I would put her in bed with me as I didn't want to wake the house and she would go to sleep. I then decided to cover her with an extra blanket when she woke which was between 3-4am. And it seemed to work. I did that for a couple of days just to make sure. Now I put the extra blanket on at night. She also has a dummy which although I wished she didn't it does seem to keep her calm.
Not sure if that's any help.

Thanks for the reply Blubelle2. I stopped bf him about two months ago and since then, any hope of him settling in bed has gone. Bed = playtime for him.

I had wondered about cold and tried putting a blanket on him when I went to bed, but he actually started waking up not long after, which makes me think he got hot.

It's a nightmare.

How long did this phase last for with you dd?

I feel for you. Nothings worse than lack of sleep! It was about 3 weeks so hopefully your little one will give in soon.

Sorry I don't have any more advice I'm a first time mummy and I'm still learning everyday.

We're on week three, so fingers crossed not much more to go!

Anyone else have any advice/experiences?

My DS1 did this, for him I think it was a bit of separation anxiety and the fact that I fed him to sleep in the evenings and then when he woke up he didn't have the skills to put himself back to sleep. I just used to get up with him if it was after 5am or we had a single bed in his room so I would take him out the cot and pop him in there with me, he'd often cry and wrestle to get up but only for a minute before he went back to sleep on me. I think it lasted about 8 weeks but it felt like forever at the time! He definitely stopped by the time his first birthday came around so it wasn't too long a phase! I found it easier just to go with it as I was never good at leaving him to cry.

Oh something I just remembered was a comfort blankie. Have you tried getting her attached to a teddy or blanket so she associates it with being comforted and sleep. With DS I gave him one of my t shirts I had been wearing which smelt of me but he gradually got attached to it so after I while I cut it in half so I had a spare one incase. He is 4 now and still has it under his pillow!

He's got a sucky thing, but isn't particularly 'attached' per se. He's self settled since he was about 2 months old, so no probs there. Just doesn't want to go back to sleep!!

If anyone else has experienced this i'd be keen to know thoughts. Did it correct itself or did you have to resort to severe measures? (Praying it'll magically fix itself tonight!)

It lasted about eight weeks for us. It was torture. I felt drunk with tiredness. I felt really low, even though I had always previously really enjoyed my DS. Like you my DH works away during the week so it was just me. Luckily I was still bf so was at least able to lie down with him and try and rest a bit at night. Hope it passes quickly for you. I did nothing, it just passed.