9m old sitting/standing in cot at bedtime

[islingtongirl]

Do they grow out of this? Nearly 9m old DD has been crawling for a month or so now but recently started to wake up about an hr after going down and sit up/try to stand up in her grobag - whilst crying. I tried waiting and seeing if she went back down (video monitor) but she just keeps crying and trying to stand, whilst rubbing eyes and clearly tired. I go back in and have to settle her back down and she eventually goes back to sleep. She doesnt seem to do this for the rest of the night. Do they grow out of it and learn to lie back down? What is the best thing to do in the meantime? Im mostly bothering as I am out tonight and my brother is babysitting and I just know she will wake up and do this and he will panic! She used to go down and no peep heard till early next morn (I know, lucky!) so I know she can settle herself...but she seems intent on rolling onto her front and sitting up and waking herself up in the process! TIA!

Without wanting to state the bleeding obvious (which I will anway) - they obvs do grow out of it, because you don't see teenagers standing up in bed crying, do you.

I would continue doing what you're doing - ie going back up to settle her, if you're sure she won't settle herself eventually.

I'm sure your brother wont panic as long as you warn him about what's likely to happen, and how to deal with it. Or you could delay your going out until after the standing up/re-settling bit, if it's early enough in the evening to still allow you a decent evening out.

It is a developmental spurt. Totally normal. Mine both did it. When asleep her brain is making vital connections which will result in walking and in confusion, it's waking her and she is compelled to stand and practice the required skills. It will pass. She will be scrambling to her feet before even awake. Reassure, resettle and it will pass.

Ok yes I take your point! I suppose I just wondered when rather than 'if' and whether there is anything I can do to encourage it. The poor thing gets herself into a right state.

Just go and sort her out. I did. You can also take the time to show her how to get down again as she might not know how!

When the developmental spurt is over and the synaptical pathways established. Couple of weeks at most probably. So hard to know. Good news is good sleepers invariably go back to previous patterns. She will find it tough. She wants to sleep as much as you want her to. Chocolate cake helps. You obviously. Look out for a similar developmental leap at 12-14 months and again at 18 months +. Walking, talking in sentences etc. All affect sleep patterns early in the night.

My DS has been doing this for a couple of months now not weeks!! Bugger

Definitely approve of the chocolate cake cure!

Definitely approve of the chocolate cake cure!

Approve so much, my tablet said it twice!

Haha yup chocolate cake cures all ills thanks - hopefully will be over soon. Just got in after night out and bro said she woke up twice but he resettled her. She has also become sensitive to you leaving the room before she has gone properly back to sleep! So he had to wait a bit before he left her or she would hear him and cry, I have noticed this too...ahhh all these phases! Glad to know I am not alone though! Strangely she seems ok from 11-6...just 8-11 that she wakes up a lot now...guess could be worse!

Ahh Antinous I see you mention early night - I wonder why that is? A lighter sleep perhaps?

Me too! Glad I'm not alone!! DS is 9.5mo and being doing this for 3 weeks. He is obsessed with standing in the day too. Really hope it passes soon as I'm tiiiiirrreeed!

It usually manifests itself in the earlier sleep cycles before they drop into a deeper stage of sleep. Probably 45-90 minutes after falling asleep. You also find that they find it harder to settle and yes they need you there while they are settling. It's reassurance mostly. They do find it most confusing and no wonder, switching your brain off is something most adults struggle with.

It's like when you have a new job or a big test/exam and you can't sleep for the stuff running through your head. You find yourself doing the job in your sleep, waking up with a shout talking about it etc. Sleep's always the first thing to go when learning something new and with a baby, there are some very new and very big things to learn. Trouble is the one new thing then segues into another and you can have a few months of it.

It's still worth clinging onto the fact that it passes. And you find often that they sleep better afterwards due to having a brand new skill which keeps them busy during the day.

Thanks Antinous
We are still having the wake ups, once at 2.30am but mostly still between going to bed and 11pm. Coupled with early wake ups...sigh. Am hoping these pathways get established soon!

Could it be you need to drop a nap during the day so she is more tired in the evening?

Hi curious, well we are down to 2 naps and have been for a while (unless the curse of the 30 min nap has occurred then may try to get another in). Generally 9.30ish for anything between 30mins to 1 hr and 1.30ish for the same, sometimes even 1.5 hr but this is rare and usually at home where I can resettle her. The days she has rubbish naps and where she has better ones dont seem to affect the wakeups that much. She always used to stir but its the immediate sitting, then standing up, which is causing the prob as she wont lie back down till we go in and put her down! Please learn baby, will be better for all of us! Also am wondering if a bit of separation anxiety? She likes us to be there I think, falls asleep easily with a pat and soothing word, but woe betide she hears you leave!

9 months is such a tricky age, I remember it being really hard to settle DS at that age. He only ever napped for 45 mins max. Plus he then started nursery and caught every disease known to man, so didn't sleep without coughing for months! Sorry, i had no idea what to do either, but dropping a nap helped (you've already done that though!)
But by 12 months he was a million times better and would feed to sleep and then not wake up till 5am.

Here is to 12m then haha! She is starting nursery next month...will be interesting to see what routine (if any!) she gets into there...we had nap refusal in cot this morn, ended up on our bed and slept for over an hr, but only 30 mins this afternoon (in buggy) - so random!