Any ideas on why my DD has suddenly started waking in the night?

[Redbush]

Hi guys - need a bit of help. Have DD who has been fab sleeper all along and for at least 2 months now (since stopping breast feeding) has slept 12 hrs (goes to bed at 7pm). Because we did a bit of gentle cajoling at a reasonably early age she has always been good at going to sleep on her own - still not a problem - put her in bed wide awake, walk away and she takes herself off to sleep. However we have now had a couple of instances in the last week when she has woken up again about 2-3hrs later. She then won't settle - won't be put back down and we've ended up playing with her to calm her down and then eventually we can repeat the bedtime routine of a nappy change and song and get her to go down again with a bit of crying only. Have heard of controlled crying and realise getting her up to play is not a good solution. Do you pick them up with this or just go into the room talk to them and come out again. We tried twice tonight but by then she was sobbing her heart out!! Any help greatly appreciated

How old is dd? I used control crying and it worked but was very hard and i have to admit i wasn't that great so went in more often then your meant to.

DD is one now - did you pick your little one up when you went in or just talk to them?

If it's only been a couple of times I would assume it's a phase and go with it for now tbh.

My 11 month old DD does this too occasionally, and I am convinced it is to do with her wanting to play/practice her new skills, cant sleep as brain working overtime. Might not be the same for your LO, and I might be wrong about mine too!

I go into her, put on her twinkle music, stroke her hair. If she is standing in cot, I gently put her back down, lights dim, tell her about all the people who love her and then leave the room. Usually works, but sometimes I do let her play boo for 5 mins which she really wants to do at 3am !! .

I have, however heard it could sometimes be seperation anxiety, that some babies who dont suffer badly from it can feel it at night as its when they are most alone? I dont know how true that it, but makes sense at 1 year old?

At first i'd leave her for say ten mins go in and pick her up. Realised it didn't help so then i stopped picking her up and stroked her face. I then left her for longer periods and then one night she just didn't make a fuss. She still had a bit of milk once in night and she still does at 18 months but she now just wakes and doesn't have milk but i'm starting to think its just habit of hers. Hope that helps somewhat?

Really interesting comment about the separation anxiety PavlovtheCat - actually spent my very first night away from home last night. She is very used to spending time with DH and we take it in turns putting her to bed so she went down no problem at all last night and slept through - wonder if it could be that on my return she realised I'd not been here!?

Redbush - it could well be...? Maybe afraid you will go out? Did you leave before she went to bed?

Yes I left in the afternoon on Sat so she knew I wasn't there when she went to bed yesterday.

I reckon your theory is a possibilty then...if she knew, she might have missed you...