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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

help,im knackered,16 month baby wont sleep

16 replies

mummysue · 09/04/2007 21:00

hi,please can anyone help and advise me what to do.ive a 16 month baby girl,my first.she was never a good sleeper and in 16 months shes never slept through the night or past 6am.but now i dont know whats happening.she wakes,could be 11pm or 12,or 2am.and shes crying.i go in to her give her her dummy and rita....her comfort blanket.then you hear these being thrown on the floor and she starts crying.this can go on for ages in the end im so tired i end up taking her in the bed....yes i know this is wrong but im just so tired.ive tried cutting out naps,walking her loads to make her tired.you name it ive done it.for some reason she doesnt fall asleep even if i leave her she just gets more and more awake.im so tired that im starting to dread the night times.i have to go in as she has to have her comfort blanket and dummy for nights.ive even toys in the cot and she doesnt want to know.sorry for rattling on but this has been going on for about a month now,i dont know what else to do.

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reece · 09/04/2007 21:32

My thoughts are with you mummysue. Can't really offer much advice as both my ds's are pretty good sleepers but I know how hard it can be when you are sleep deprived.
Does your DD have all her teeth?
We have just gone through a few weeks of night waking from DS2 (2). We brought him into our bed a couple of times because he wouldn't settle and then he expected us to do it every night which is not what we wanted to do. We had to be really tough and we followed the pick up put down method which after a while worked a treat. Have you tried it? Maybe she just needs to learn how to get herself off to sleep. Just an idea...

Original poster

mummysue · 09/04/2007 21:50

hi reece,the pick up put down method i have tried picking her up but then when i put her down she gets hysterical.she never cries really but now its every night.when she sees me she stops so i know nothing can be wrong.if her dad goes in she doesnt stop crying for him so its down to me.someone told me to leave a drop of milk in her botle and leave it in her cot,what do you think.shes already stiring.....

OP posts:

Beauregard · 09/04/2007 22:00

Hi
My dd2 (15months)is the same and me and dp have seriously had enough of having no sleep.dd has never been a really good sleeper and i have relented to bringing her in our bed during the night because of her screaming waking dd1 and the neighbours.dd has been ill on/off for months and months so i know that this has disrupted her sleep pattern even more.The last few night 's we have been lying her back down in her cot as soon as she starts screaming and repeating this over and over and over.........and over .She screams with rage but eventually she will give up and go to sleep ,usually 5-10 mins is enough .We don't enjoy doing this as we worry that we are mean but it does seem to work

Original poster

mummysue · 09/04/2007 22:03

hi pelvicfloornomore,i tried this the last few nights,it went on for over a hour.....shes stiring so i know im in for a long night again,

OP posts:

Beauregard · 09/04/2007 22:11

Good luck keep plodding on
Let your dh/dp do it as well ,take shifts.

Moomin · 09/04/2007 22:18

dd2 has been doing this for AGES - she's 18m tomorrow. The only way she'll go back to sleep straight away is to give her some milk. Not saying this is what you should do, but that's what causes us the least amount of disruption. We have tried the seeing-it-through nights but it completely shattered us and she cried til she was sick - not nice and I don't want her to go through it again.

This age is typical for changes to sleep patterns anyway, they start getting bad dreams, they're teething..... IMO it's a mistake to think just because they've slept through up to now that them waking is a 'problem' - it's just part and parcel of a child's changing sleep patterns. (of course it's a problem in that it's keeping you all awake - but I just think that you set yourself up for grief if you expect kids to stay the same). Hopefully it's a phase anyway. sorry not to be of more help. I do know what it's like being woken every night though, if that's any consolation!

kidsrus · 09/04/2007 22:19

mummysue it could be the molars cutting my dd is 15mths and cutting hers, try some teething gel or calpol and let her sleep as much as poss i find the more they sleep the more they want to and try to get a routine.
My dd is 10.30-12 and 3.30-5.00 then 8.00-7.00. which seems pretty general for the age group hope this helps.
The only problem with all this sleep is we don't get out much because when shes not sleeping shes eating and pooing. lol

divastrop · 09/04/2007 22:27

my dd2 is 16mo also,she has been terrible with her teeth so when she wakes in the night i usually assume its that and give her some calpol or teething powder or teething gel,check she doesnt need changing,then leave the room.she slept really well till she was about 10 months then started waking,so i was giving her milk in the night to settle her back down,and then she started waking every night wanting milk again.in the end i stopped giving her milk and gave her juice instead,and she stopped waking as often.

Moomin · 09/04/2007 22:45

juice at night?

kidsrus · 09/04/2007 22:50

water is better after all would you wake up for water!
Also make sure shes warm enough sleep her in a fleece all in one with a vest under because they don't stay in one place too long.

divastrop · 10/04/2007 16:56

very watered down apple juice which is all she drinks.is it not even acceptable to give children fruit juice now??

RachelG · 10/04/2007 17:08

I really sympathise. My DS is 19 months, and has NEVER slept for more than 4 hours at a stretch. I honestly can't remeber what it feels like to not be tired.

I just pick him up and bring him in to bed with me. At least when he wakes I can settle him down quickly while I'm still lying down. Anyone who says that's wrong can come and spend a few nights of sleep deprivation with me!

I also give him water, sometimes milk.

There are numerous reasons why kids can start crying at night - teeth, nightmares, separation anxiety phases etc etc.

I remember 16 months was particularly bad, so I'm sure this bad phase will pass.

Original poster

mummysue · 10/04/2007 20:11

thank you all for advice,im so glad that theres people that agree in taking her in bed,giving milk etc.....a lot of the "experts" frown upon these methods so you think you shouldnt do it.

at least im not alone as was starting to wonder if i was doing something wrong.anyway im so used to the bags under my eyes that i can nearly carry all the shopping in them .god you have to laugh......thanks again

OP posts:

Moomin · 10/04/2007 20:15

divastrop - it's just because it's at night - drinking it out of a bottle puts it straight onto their teeth and corrodes them, esp as they sometimes fall asleep with bottles in their mouths. Apple juice is quite concentrated for (natural) sugars as well I think. Not meaning to criticise - just wondered if you knew

mymatemax · 10/04/2007 21:06

sleep deprivation is torture... ds2(4) goes through bouts of poor sleeping, with him it is a habit thing & once we have one night of good sleep it gets him out of his poor sleep cycle, so I drug him..... sounds awful- before you all shout me down..... The gp advised Piroton syrup it works, we only use it in desperation does him no harm but returns me to a normal functioning human being.

amidaiwish · 10/04/2007 22:05

DD2 is 18m and still wakes at least once a night.
we give her milk now, very watered down, she just takes it and goes back to sleep.
if she would come into bed with me i would do that. but she won't!

anyway i sympathise and empathise with you. you will get through this! just do what you have to do to get whatever sleep you can. If this means giving her a drink in the night in her cot, then do it.

and DD2 has just woken up. joy...

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