9 mo old WON'T NAP, WON'T NIGHT SLEEP!!!

[lilimama]

Can't believe I"m posting about this again.

I need your help.

We were on a good rythm with only two awakenings at 1200 and 3.30am then up for good between 6 and 7pm, but it's all gone wrong over the last few days again.

Suggestions?

Have a good bedtime ritual. He sleeps in his own bed in own room as co-sleeping leaves my a hysterial wreck as he sleeps less well in our bed than he does in his own and keeps us awake moving about and crying out all night. The only way is with my nipple in his mouth all night long which is very very uncomfortable and I end up lying there with cramp as I daren't move. Feels ridiculous.
He's an extremely active, highly spirited boy, early with every thing and just stands up all night long in his bed and clings on to the bars crying. I've tried being there, not being there, I've tried pick up and put down a hundred times, The other day it took four attempts to get him to nap over a six hour period. Finally he relented and napped for half an hour.
At night the other night, I went to BF him when he awoke and after 3 mins or so he wasn't really sucking so gently removed him as I was really cold too and he woke as soon as i put him down, cried and stood up. I slowly removed myself ssshhing etc etc and he just screamed, so DP went in and sat next to him and tried to lie him down etc but had to take him out in the end as DS became extremely distressed. So DP held him for a while and he became totally hysterical and screached in such a way that I've never heard before. I leapt out of bed and by the time I got there he was so worked up he was stopping breathing and screaming so hard. We're pretty calm people, but we both panicked and took him to our bed, which we hardly ever do.

This has been going on since he was born, except the two times a night feeding thing of late, which made nights feel manageable for the first time.

Friends whose babies sleep really well at night are all good self soothers which DS is definately not. It's like he stands up in his sleep ( and standing up is not new so it's not that) and that wakes him up. DS doesn't suck them, has never taken to a dummy and doensn't really nestle into a blankie or anything, despite effort on our part.

DP is now going away for 10 days on business and I am dreading the nights and days.

Dear mums and dads, what's next?

There must be a way.

x

I think at this point I would try a soother. If he's 9mo it won't affect bfding and may give him the additional comfort he needs to sooth himself. Also wear a t-shirt/vest all day and give him that as a comfort blanket, just leave it in his cot even if he seems to ignore it while you're there.

You might want to consider weaning him off feeding in the night also. I wasn't able to breast feed wither of mine so not sure what the received wisdom for bf fed babies is but mine both stopped feeding in the night at around 6 months which coincided with weaning and uping their milk during the day.

Can you move his cot into your room? We have the travel cot set up in our room as when he's poorly/teething/feeling lonely ds2 comes in with us and that seems to suit him better than sleeping in our bed (nightmare for everyone).

Can't think pf anything else for now so hope something there helps ((((hugs)))) for you all

Poor you, sounds dreadful.

Two things which have helped my ten month old sleep;

comforter blankie which I have slept with (smells of mummy) which only comes out at nap and sleep time. You say he doesn't nestle into them but DD has only just "taken" to hers so it might be worth persevering; it might be an age thing.

leaving it a while before we go to her. I do go if she is roaring but not if she is just complaining. Count to a hundred, that kind of thing.

I also try to feed her and feed her during the day! and refused to give the boob before 0400. (Invent your own arbitary time here).

Sorry I have missed a bit but have you ever tried controlled crying or is it really not your bag?