Controlled crying/Cry it out in the night with a 2yr old, any advice?

[slimyak]

Our DD, now 2, suffered a nasty bout of flu followed by teething from hell which has got her into the habit of waking in the night. This has been going on since December and although she always wants milk she now only gets water and she is unsettleable without it. Eats and drinks well during the day.

Not a huge fan of the crying it out thing but feel we are at last resort. DD currently waking about twice in the night, but not at definate times so wake to sleep technique wouldn't be appropriate. So it's time to bite the bullet and let the howling begin.

She's always been great at going to bed but has never been great at staying asleep all night, so I can't say the flu and teeth situation was the cause it just fuelled the problem and put us off sorting it.

Anyone else gone down this road? Any advice, tips or warnings, or even moral support ( I think I may need bucket fulls of that)and will our neighbours hate us for ever more??

I'm sure you've done this, but feel free to ignore. Our DS (aged 22 months) started doing this. A friend recommended going in, not taking him out his cot, just rubbing his back and saying 'DS, it's 'dark dark' and everyone is sleeping, time to go back to bed'. Which of course he would ignore and cry. I would stay a little while, talking and comforting him and then after a while I'd say 'right, I will come back in 1 minute to see if you are Ok'. Then he'd cry more and I'd come after one minute and repeat the same thing - talk to him, in the dark, no taking out of his cot. Then I'd say 'Mummy will come back in 2 minutes' etc. The first night I had to do it 8 times (the longest time out was about 3 minutes) until he got bored and settled himself down. I always went back when I promised though. Over the course of a few nights I had to do a few times but now for the last 3 weeks he's obviously gotten so bored of getting nothing out of the situation that he hasn't woken up again... (LOM touches wood everywhere). He never asked for water though, but I would have stopped giving after a while (well, except for in this heat wave!) Good Luck...

Thanks for that. I have kind of done this but I think in the context it would be a softer approach. Makes me feel a bit better than just going cold turkey. I'll try it and save the last resort of crying it out for hopefully never.

I shall touch wood for your continued sleep and hopefully ours to come.

My dgs has a touch lamp by his bed and a sippy cup of water so if he wakes he can find his dummy/drink and will settle himself without help.Never left to cry and things introduced gradually.

pranma, you read my mind. We're going to sort this starting tonight and DD, who already has touch lamp, but doesn't usually bother with it (except in the day time when turning the light on and off is a magic activity, and lets face it, it is a bit magic) and attached finger for sucking at will, will also be getting an any way up cup for night time water, to avoid waking up in a puddle. Then we'll do the popping back to check you're OK senario. Fingers crossed this will break the cycle - I have no desire to hear my child screaming mummy through the night and not doing anything about it.

i have always left a beaker of water in the dc's cots for bedtime. the anyway up cups are good as they can't get the lids off and they don't leak.

So I have a problem sleeper, dd is 2.2yo, not the same situation as you but I thought you might like some of our ideas.

As people has said above keep contact to minimum, just Shhhhhh and back rub until dc goes to sleep.

We also moved dd into a bed, having the ability to get out of bed has reduced the amount of time she's up.

Finally we use this www.johnlewis.com/230232066/Product.aspx it's a bunny clock. Dd totally gets it and loves the bunny, she tells me "Shhhh bunny's sleeping". Then in the morning she keeps looking at it until bunny is awake, then she hops up and starts to shout "La La La, bunny up".

Good Luck, I know how hard it is still having broken nights after 2 years, nobody warned us about this

I could have written this op!

I have been trying a bit of cc with 1.5yo ds. Never thought I would! Usually a good sleeper until a tummy bug. He gets really tired, but fights sleep. After 2 days he is getting better already.

Good luck!

DS went through a phase of waking in the night between 2 & 3. He would come into our room, have some milk (BM) and went back to sleep with us. Yes it was a pain being woken, but letting him feed and cuddle with us was the easiest way we all got back to sleep quickly.