Sleep problems!!

[myotherbagisgucci]

Hi

My DD is 8 months and has been a good sleeper since she was 3 months old. We moved her into her own room at 6 months and apart from the odd night, she adjusted to the change really well.

Just over 3 weeks ago we came home after a 2 week holiday, where we were all sharing a room, and now the problem has started!

DD goes to bed around 7pm perfectly fine, but will wake around 1am screaming unconsolably, until I pick her up for a cuddle. I've tried not to do this and sit by the cot and rub her back or tummy, but she just continues to scream.

She will also cry again as soon as I put her down or try to leave the room. In desperation for sleep, I have put her in bed with me, and she will go to sleep pretty much straight away.

I'm back at work in 4 weeks, so I'm eager to nip this in the bud but I'm unsure what to do. DH said we should just leave her and she'll go back to sleep, but I can't bring myself to leave her to cry.

Any ideas or suggestions?

(I know I shouldn't put her in bed with me, but all reasonable logic goes out the window when you're knackered and it's the middle of the night.. lol)

Anyone?

Separation anxiety kicking in?

Or 9 month regression?

I think general advice (from various sleep sites) is to try and get her to sleep in her cot -perhaps with you close by. It's up to you how you deal with it though

Thanks for the comments, when she wakes up, she just screams until I pick her up and refuses to go back in her cot. Is it worth trying controlled crying or is that just cruel? My DH said she'll just go back to sleep if we let her cry it out?!

I guess you'll know by how much she's screaming! I have done controlled crying for nap times and it does work for us. I'm not so sure about wake ups though- I've not done it yet as their cries seem more incessant. I would try it though if I felt I needed to and nothing else was working. You could try it. Or perhaps try gentler methods first. I went through a phase of rocking baby back to sleep near his cot ( even though he was well past the rocking stage) seemed to work at the time. This was when he was teething I think.

I just didn't want him in the bed, 1. Because neither of us sleep well this way- he tosses and turns! and 2. Because I didn't want him thinking that he cries and goes in my bed.

However, you may be happy with your baby in bed with you- horses for courses and all that.

As for the controlled crying- some would say it was cruel and others not.

I guess for separation anxiety though it could be a tricky one and you wouldn't want to reinforce the anxiety. Perhaps do a google and see what the sleep sites suggest?

Both mine have co slept after that first wake up. Ds1 is 3 and stopped co sleeping at 15 months. Ds2 is 18 months and still co sleeps but there's just me now (single) so there's room in the bed and it won't be forever. We both sleep better. If you don't mind it then no reason to not carry on.

I don't mind her sleeping in our bed, but DH says she'll never stop if we carry on.

I also don't sleep properly when she does as I'm constantly waking up to check she's ok.