1 Year Old Cries and Cries...

[Mikejf]

We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. The 1 year old seems to cry all the time, mainly at night. We can't seem to put him down to sleep on his own as he cries constantly and we risk waking our 3 year old and the neighbours!!

He has his top and bottom front 2 teeth and no others so we are wondering if its his gums bothering him. When should they all pop through?

The only way we can get him to sleep is to walk up and down with him in our arms, well my arms as he is too heavy for my wife to carry for long periods. Sometimes I can be over an hour walking up and down before he seems to be asleep. Then when I finally lay him in his cot, he wakes and screams and so I have to repeat the walking up and down. Eventually he goes off but it can take ages. Sometimes he is happy in my arms standing but as soon as I try and sit down he cries and I have to stand up again. Its like he has an in built sensor!

He is eating solids fine and has about 3 bottles of milk a day. No problem crawling and he it just about standing on his own but not quite walking.

Anyone else experience this or have any tips to settle him?

Many Thanks

Mike

At some point you will have to get him used to going to sleep lying down, we had this with our first but our second went in a cot from day one!

To make it as easy as possible you start off sat by the cot with your arm through the bars to sooth him.

If he starts to get more unsettled you might pick him up to sooth him but get him back into the cot asap.

You could google pick up put down and rapid retreat methods but personally I would avoid anything which involves controlled crying.

Hopefully others will be along with their suggestions, I can recomend a book called No cry sleep solution (lovingly known as No sleep cry solution).

Thanks for the message. We have tried sitting next to the cot him stroking him etc but he just wont stop crying without picking him up. We have left him to cry but he gets so worked up he starts coughing and gagging so we have to pick him up.

Rapid return doesn't work as as soon as you lay him down he is up crying. We don't even have time to walk away.

We will call the health visitor tomorrow but I don't hold much hope.
Mike

Hi mike. My 12 mth old ds is going through this at the moment. I've been rocking etc until finally resorting to sitting him on our knee and letting him sleep in front of the tv. Hardly ideal!

Anyway, I had a break through tonight. I fed him as normal and did the usual bedtime routine, then laid him on the pillow and tucked the duvet under his arms a bit like we would sleep.

I then held both hands and shushed him. After about 30 secs of moaning (not crying) he calmed down and after 10 mins of staring into space he went to sleep and I was able to transfer him into his cot once he was fully asleep.

I don't know if it would work for you, but it's worth a try! Good luck

I laid him on our bed! Sorry, I missed that bit out!

I can't remember exactly what it's called but the gradual retreat method worked the best with my DCs. I think it's in No Cry Sleep Solution and Baby Whisperer books. If you can't even put him in the cot without him crying then try getting him to fall asleep with you holding him sat next to it/in the same room as it and gradually get him used to it. try to do it with daytime naps first before you tackle bedtime. it will take a while but if you and your wife choose a technique and gear yourselves up to dealing with this over a few weeks you'll crack it!