13 month old son still waking every hour, crying????

cheekycee · 2025-02-20T21:55:00+00:00

My baby is over 1 and still wakes every hour or so crying for his dummy or sometimes to be picked up and cuddled every hour. This is not a phase or a regression. I reallly don't know what's making him so upset. He is really upset when he wakes up. He goes nursery so he is using up energy, no sign of teething in the day at the moment, he is getting well enough food and liquids in the day and water through the night, too. I do not know where I'm going wrong.

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TinyMouseTheatre · 21/02/2025 07:29

That sounds really tough. Is he the same if he's in bed with you?

TinyMouseTheatre · 21/02/2025 07:34

Sorry forgot to ask, has he had his one year check yet and how did that go?

Original poster

cheekycee · 21/02/2025 11:05

TinyMouseTheatre · 21/02/2025 07:34

Sorry forgot to ask, has he had his one year check yet and how did that go?

My DD sleeps in bed with me and so it isn't really doable to have both in bed with me, he had his one year check everything went fine... it is tough because it's like he is in pain.

OP posts:

LuckyQuoter · 21/02/2025 11:29

It sounds really challenging and frustrating for you. There could be a few things going on.

Separation anxiety: Even though he's at nursery, the transition between sleep and wakefulness might make him feel insecure and he could be seeking comfort through the dummy or cuddles. This can be especially intense around 1 - 2 years old.

Sleep associations: If he's used to falling asleep with a dummy or being cuddled, when he wakes up during a normal sleep cycle (which happens every 45 - 90 minutes in babies), he might expect the same conditions to fall back asleep.

Over - tiredness: Sometimes, despite being active at nursery, if his sleep routine isn't well - regulated, he could be getting overtired. This can make it harder for him to self - soothe and lead to more frequent night wakings.

Environmental factors: Check if the room is too hot, cold, noisy or if there are any new items in his room that might be disturbing him.

To help, you could try gradually reducing his dependence on the dummy by only offering it at the start of sleep and not replacing it when he wakes. For the cuddles, you can start by soothing him while he's in the cot, gradually reducing the amount of physical contact over time. Also, make sure his bedtime routine is consistent and calming, including a dark, quiet and comfortable sleep environment.

Original poster

cheekycee · 21/02/2025 11:37

LuckyQuoter · 21/02/2025 11:29

It sounds really challenging and frustrating for you. There could be a few things going on.

Separation anxiety: Even though he's at nursery, the transition between sleep and wakefulness might make him feel insecure and he could be seeking comfort through the dummy or cuddles. This can be especially intense around 1 - 2 years old.

Sleep associations: If he's used to falling asleep with a dummy or being cuddled, when he wakes up during a normal sleep cycle (which happens every 45 - 90 minutes in babies), he might expect the same conditions to fall back asleep.

Over - tiredness: Sometimes, despite being active at nursery, if his sleep routine isn't well - regulated, he could be getting overtired. This can make it harder for him to self - soothe and lead to more frequent night wakings.

Environmental factors: Check if the room is too hot, cold, noisy or if there are any new items in his room that might be disturbing him.

To help, you could try gradually reducing his dependence on the dummy by only offering it at the start of sleep and not replacing it when he wakes. For the cuddles, you can start by soothing him while he's in the cot, gradually reducing the amount of physical contact over time. Also, make sure his bedtime routine is consistent and calming, including a dark, quiet and comfortable sleep environment.

I feel out of all of them separation anxiety may be a massive factor here cause when I pick him up and pop him dummy in he stops thanks so much

OP posts:

skkyelark · 21/02/2025 14:24

Is he close enough that you can soothe him verbally (or do you have a two-way monitor that you could use)? I used to use the same few lullabies over and over as part of bedtime, then if they woke in the night, the first thing I tried was one of those lullabies (over the monitor if I was still awake, or just through the wall from our room if I'd been asleep). It didn't always work, but sometimes it was enough to reassure them and they'd drop off again.