21mths DD nightwaking /cryings

[minkybetty]

help my dd who used to sleep from 7pm - 7am has started waking in the night anywhere between 1.30am - 4.00am crying and screaming. we thought it could be teething but has now gone on (on and off) for about 1 month. Sometimes she sleeps sometimes she doesn't. She is inconsolable and so I have broken all the rules by bringing her into bed with me, though even then she doesn't always settle quickly but if I try putting her back in her cot she screams until she's almost sick. We have tried leaving her but then she becomes too distressed. Just don't know what to do - she is also eating really erratically at the moment and says no to just about everything though she never asks for food in the night... help very tiring particularly on the days I have to go to work

Lovely idea Pinkjenny!

DD slept fairly well. Until 4.30. Then woke up in all sorts of a state. Shrieking and carrying on. Her nappy was pretty wet and she wanted a change. Then she wanted to read stories. Sigh....

She's just zonked out on the sofa now - and we are supposed to be at playgroup in half an hour. Ah well. I should probably get on with doing the washing up and mopping the kitchen floor while she gets 40 winks.

I think that's one of the most frustrating things, whilst they're awake and you're trying to calm them down, you're thinking, 'oh, you are going to be so tired and miserable tomorrow.'

Ah - awake now and in a very pleasant mood. Hurrah! If we sprint we will get to playgroup for 10am.

(Does this mean she won't nap this afternoon and will be all sorts of a horror by tea time?)

Ok Victoria 72's suggestion of muzzle and soundproofing is best so far. AFter the fireworks last night it took me 45mins to get my DD to sleep - she loved the fireworks but obviously was majourly wired afterwards AND she had a litle friend over as well. We had also friends over and by the time I had got my beloved into her cot and asleep all my friends were leaving to relieve their babysitters - woohoo great, nice to see you, enjoyed the chat!(not!). Good thing was that little critter was so exhausted I had to wake her up at 7am so that I could go to work and take her to nursery (so at least we slept through the night) - there she was this morning lookingso sweet and adorable lying in her cot drinking her "milky", like butter wouldn't melt .. aaahh.....chucky....

DVDs: try Bagpuss (any of you remember that?) It's so old fashioned she loves it

LOL at chucky.

Can I join this support thread please. I was going to start my own but it seems I am not alone! DD2 is 26 months and used to be a fairly reliable sleeper, although she has always been easily woken by noises, unlike her sister who stays asleep even if she falls out of bed . DD2 is now waking 2 or 3 times a night and it takes a long time to settle her back down, so I too have resorted to having her in bed with us. But she wriggles and chatters so much we don't get much sleep. This has been going on for 2 weeks and I look dreadful! I can no longer cope with just 5 hours sleep a night.

The night before last she was up three times and stayed awake from 5am. I was under strict instructions not to let her sleep at all during the day (she had dropped her nap while she slept through at night, but not now). So I kept her awake and at 5pm she fell asleep in her dinner, making me feel very guilty . So I took her upstairs got her in her PJs and bingo, wide awake. She then would not go back to sleep until 8.30!!!! Then up at 1am and 5am. Then to put a tin lid on it DD1 (3.5 yrs) wet the bed so we were all in the same bed together getting on each others nerves!

I am thinking that because we get no more sleep when she's in with us I am going to try to crack this the hard way. I have put a stair gate on her room (she's in a bed so can escape) and I am going to let her cry it out for a while before putting her back into bed. I feel I have to resort to this as I cannot cope like this and poor DH needs sleep too as he works long hour and we are all getting very crabby with each other, and she's a bit older too. Wish me luck tonight. I was going to start potty training but I feel my fuse is a little too short at the moment!

Hope everyone has a better night tonight.

Sorry mavis, I LOL at the image of dd2 falling asleep in her dinner.

Good luck tonight everyone. Dd slept from 11.40am until 12.50pm, so no chance of me getting her down tonight.

good luck tonight all- I have no idea what my DD has done today as is at nursery. Hoping it was v active.... Anyway, ready for tonight muzzle, check; straightjacket, check; soundproofing ,check..... just joking, one cry and I'm there... Am off work tomorrow so at least it won't matter if sleep not that great.
BTW Maviscrewit, I would leave that potty training well alone for the time being - don't put yourself through it...
Just remember we all love and adore our little bubbas (even in the middle of the night

I don't know how I managed to get dd to sleep in her own bed last night. It involved an awful lot of crying (or screaming) and messing about though. She got into bed with us at about 11.30pm, which I can live with, but once again we had lots of tears and shuffling in the night.

{tired emotion}

Hi Pinkjenny - sorry you are still feeling rather tired. At least you got dd to sleep in her own bed, in theory it should be easier next time, although we all now thats not true! It is an exhausting business.

Well last night was a disaster, but only because we were hit by the sickness bug. Poor DD1 threw up all over another child just as I was picking her up from nursery and then all over the pavement. She was sick all evening. DD2 took an age to get to sleep, and then woke up at 2. She seemed OK so I tried to settle her and then she projectiled over me and she was very upset by it poor thing. So after an hour cleaning up, I cuddled her to sleep and she flaked out. I feel pretty rough now too, a combination of tiredness and that feeling that the bug is likely to strike at any moment. So I think I will wait until we all feel better before trying to tackle this problem head on. Now we are in quarantine for two days - oh the joys!

Minkybetty - potty training is definitely on the backburner! How was your night last night?

Oh lord. Definitely not the time for sleep training, more like 'whatever gets you through'.

It was v. hard to get her in her own bed, she was screaming, not crying, screaming and shouting, 'why' 'but why'. Twas a palaver.

Oh my - didn't realise the sickness bug was here already - thought that arrived in December???!! we had it last year, what a nightmare - poor you..hope you don't get it..
Our night was good - DD made a kerfuffle going down, lots of screaming so we just left her which I hate but she eventually got herself off to sleep after 1/2 hour. Amazingly she then slept until 7am - Why? I have no idea as we did nothing at all different to any other night - Was it a fluke? I guess we will see tonight.
Pinkjenny, hope you are feeling a bit better - any chance you can grab a nap when yyour DD sleeps at lunchtime?

DS has slept ok for three nights now. Yesterday until 7.20am! I couldn't believe it! He still does wake up at 5.30am though... But I'm enjoying this while it lasts!

NIGHT before last she went 8-6 then screamed v briefly then after dh plugged her in went straight back off till 7.30. Great. Last night, 4am (what is it about 4am?) Total panic, screaming as though the world is ending, everyone woke with a big start, then once again, asleep within seconds of one of us going in.

i am grateful for not having to take ages to resettle, but really if that's all it takes then why bother us at all!?

sympathis to those having to put up with even more mr tumble, night garden etc in the middle of the night, as if you dont' have to watch it enough during the day!

maviscrewit - sounds very squashed in your bed is it king sie?

last night dd did the whole screaming thing at 6 in the evening then I put her to bed at 6.30 as she was so tried. she normally gooes to sleep between 8 and 10 .

She seemed similar to how she is in the middle of the night so am thinking it could be teeth? Has anyone got any views on that?

Also I do not have a great bedtime routine with dd as when I work her bedtime varies so am thinking could that be a cause of this?

Do you all have the normal bath, story bed routine at a reasable hour? If not how does your dc's bedtime go?

With my 16month old dd, she does relaxing play in the evening while I clean up after dinner, then into my bed to watch half an hour of tv then switch it off and sing to her. Cannot do the story book bit as she gets really annoyed with me for not reading enough even if I read 2books 5 times each.

Our routine is dinner around 5.30pm, following by bath, then 6.30pm milk and night garden, bed by 7.15/7.30pm - we do have books, though this consists of DD bringing me a book, I start to read it and then she decides she wants different one etc...
She seems to be sleeping through the night again at the moment but getting her to go to sleep is preceded by screaming and howling for about 10 minutes but we now just walk away, as much as we hate to and she falls asleep. She also has a lullaby CD. I do think that some of her night waking has been due to teething and then getting into the habit of waking up and us going to her!!
maviscrewit hope you have all recovered from your bug...

Hi all. Oh lordy we are in a mess at the moment I don't whether I am coming or going! Bear with me if I nod off!

On Saturday the girls seemed much better, both slept well as still washed out from bug (and I didn't get it hooray, just the odd stomach cramp phew!) They ate a bit and we went for a walk. They both went to bed ok then dd1 vomited all over the bed, walls, herself at 10 pm. She was in a right state so after cleaning it all up she settled down again at 11. Then dd2 woke at 1am, she did not seem unwell in the slightest little minx, but I was nice to her and sat up til she went to sleep. Then she was up at 2, still bright eyed. So I sat with her til she went to sleep. Then she woke 10 mins later so I started controlled crying but underestimated her stamina. I never left her to cry for longer than ten minutes, it took til 4am before she fell asleep. During that time she tried every trick in the book asking for a drink, biscuits, clean nappy, story etc. In the end she stopped crying and just shouted out of anger at me. I persevered and when she fell asleep I slipped into bed and blow me but she was up half an hour later. In the end she fell asleep on the floor but woke when I lifted her into bed. Then she fell asleep on the floor again and woke when I covered her with a blanket. So she fell asleep again so I left her in the cold . But I was desperate and it was 5.30am. She slept for an hour and when she woke again she came in the bed, I was too exhausted. Luckily dd1 slept through it all.

I don't know why I did it I just felt a resolve and that I knew she was just after attention. If sitting with her didn't help I felt the need to do something more drastic. I've done the softly softly approach but the exhaustion is getting to everyone. I know not everyone will agree with this but there you go.

Anyway last night she went to bed without a squeak. OK she fell asleep on the floor but she didn't cry and was fine when I lifted her into bed. She opened her eyes briefly and then went to sleep. She slept til 5.30 and for the first time EVER she stayed put when i put her back and explained it was still night time.

Unfortunately dd1 is still unwell but I feel slightly more human today and dd2 is fine. Incidentally I know its not teeth as she has all hers now so that excuse is not available to her!!

Yes cantpickyourfamily the bed is king size, but still a squish with 4 in it DH is not what you would call slim he likes his beer too much.

We try to stick to a bedtime routine although they are not bathed every night, but they always have milk and a story and are in bed by about 7 to 7.15.

How is everyone else getting on?

Hi maviscrewit - what a weekend!!! I hate those tummy bugs - you did well to not get it! I hope that DD1 gets better soon poor little might!
My DD is sleeping through the night again but being troublesome going to sleep... also just had a drama as I put her in her cot for a lunchtime nap - she was crying so I thought I would just walk out and leave her for a few minutes and then thud she feel out her cot... Not sure who was more upset her or me!!! needless to say lunchtime nap aborted and she is now watching bagpuss. Am sitting looking out at the horrid weather thinking how come it's already 1pm and I haven't had a chance to get in the shower yet today....ho hum...

Oh Minky - we've all been there. I wish I could watch Bagpuss, all poorly dd wants to watch is CBeebies and now the programs are going round again! At least you are getting some sleep at night - hooray, but now she can get out of the cot that could spell trouble . My dd2 stopped napping in her cot at 18 months, so maybe she'll rest when she's tired, in the pushchair or on the sofa maybe?

Now go and get in the shower!!

hi, we are also having these probs, our dd (17.5mths) has always been a great sleeper, but this last month she wakes in the night screaming. We resorted to putting her in our bed but even that doesn't work, she thinks its fun and even when she does go back to sleep she wakes up screaming with us too! Writing this after being awake from 1.40 til 3.30 am and a few of my friends are having similar probs. My eyes are shutting already while dd is racing round with her pram!.

Hi Lilymama - yes there are a few of us in the same position. I am writing this after being woken three times in the night and being awake since 5. I am not coping too well now and feel so tired I am almost teary at the slightest thing. Its a combination of having a sick dd1 and dd2 who is fine but wont sleep and we've been stuck in the house for days!

Last night dd2 woke at 1am i put her back and she settled herself. I remember thinking I must check she's still in bed. Two hours later I woke to find her freezing on the floor. I felt so bad I put her in my bed to warm her up and now I think that was teh wrong thing to do as she has to learn to stay in her own bed. I feel so cr@p at the moment but keep telling myself this phase will pass, but I so need to sort this out now. Its just so infuriating when they used to sleep through but don't now.

I suppose dd2 didn't go out at all yesterday and fell asleep on me in the afternoon (I drifted off too and woke up dribbing - nice!)so she wasn't very tired. Its so hard when you have to stay in with one child while the other is climbing the walls .

DD is currently asleep in my arms (am typing with left hand - scuse typos).

She went to bed fine last night (spent previous 3 nights in with us) woke several times howling but we were so knackered we left her until just before 6am.

Now insisting on having daytime nap on my lap meaning there's not much else I can do until she wakes.

Hi, I haven't read all of the posts I'm afraid, but just wanted to share my experience of this sort of thing.

DD2 slept through 7pm to 7am from about 9 weeks, so I was v smug! Then out of the blue around 13 / 14 months she started waking and crying anywhere between about 2.30 and 4am. If we left her, she'd settle eventually and if I went in she'd settle pretty quickly, so not quite the same as you, but I was going mad as I don't sleep well and once woken don't go back to sleep so I was on my knees through lack of sleep.

It went on (on and off maybe 3 or 4 nights a week with her sleeping through on the other nights) for about 4 months until someone suggested doing 'wake to sleep' - which combats habit waking. The correct way of doing this is to set your alarm and wake the baby an hour or so before she usually wakes. I was slightly loath to try it (although I was desperate) so thought that the first thing I'd try was just waking her before I went to bed myself to see if that disrupted her sleep patters sufficiently. It was a miracle. I'd wake her at 11pm (hard to do, would keep poking her, lifting her up etc until eyes opened and she sort of groaned or snuffled at me), she'd go straight back to sleep and that was that - she slept to morning. After 4 nights I stopped waking her and she slept through again for the next 2 months. Then the waking started again and so I started waking her again and it sorted it immediately. Worth a try? If it doesn't work, you might try setting your alarm for 3 nights and waking at 2am? It realy does help, I couldn't believe it!

Oooh Nelly I like that idea, wake them up and see how they like it!!!! Not sure if I am brave enough to try it though, knowing my luck she would then scream for ages.

Tonight though for the first time in ages I got dd2 to sleep in her bed while I wasn't in the room with her. If I left her to it she would have gone to sleep on the floor but I am determined to get that child in her bed, after all it wasn't cheap! so I kept putting her back every time she got up and it took over an hour but eventually she stayed put. I am feeling proud of myself but who knows what tonight will bring. Time to go to bed. I am so knackered but I almost dread going to bed not knowing when I will be woken - most odd. Sweet dreams all.