14month old waking in the night

[lemontop]

Just wondering if anyone had any advice how to get a baby back to sleep if they wake in the night. My son finally started sleeping through the night from 7-7 from nine months to eleven months but then this just stopped and for the last few months he has been waking every night from approx 2.30-4am and sometimes wakes a couple more times. Both DH and I take turns getting up with him but when he wakes he screams really loudly and just will not settle so we're all awake. We're both knackered and I'm struggling at work cos I'm so tired.

It's no problem getting him to go to sleep at bedtime. He has a bath, bottle then goes down in his cot awake and settles himself to sleep. He normally has one nap in the middle of the day that can range from 30mins-2 hours, but it's getting more difficult to put him down for a nap.

We've tried him with a dummy, without a dummy, in our bed-he just tosses and turns and none of us sleep, he has a muslin he sleeps with and snuggles into, I've tried giving him milk when he wakes just in case he's hungry but he doesn't really want it, I've tried leaving him to cry for a couple of mins but he just screams louder and louder and I'm worried about waking the neighbours. He's not ill. He may be teething but surely this wouldn't last for three months? The waking coincided with me going back to work so I'm thinking it could be separation anxiety, but I only work part time and he's looked after by DH / family when I'm at work.

Is the only answer some form of controlled crying? I'm just worried it'd really distress him.

bump as in exactly the same boat!

Could it be very very start of a cold/ear infection?

oh sorry am daft, just properly read post and see it's not illness. We've been having the same with our 14mo, lots of sympathy as I know what you're going through - partic on the work front. Ours turned out to be a bit of separation anxiety combined with new milestones and then, bang, an ear infection. She was sleepless for a long time before the ear infection finally manifested itself.

Wish there was a solution. We're just muddling through like you. Sometimes when it's really really bad and I can't take anymore DH walks her round the living room in a sling at 3am then puts her back in bed asleep . We've now put kingsize mattress plus single mattress on the floor as one giant bed and let her shuffle and kick for glory while we dive for cover as there's enough space. A friend is trying the baby whisperer on her 14mo. I think this age is a big separation anxiety/disturbed sleep moment. But well done for him sleeping so well before!

A doc told me to avoid protein for dinner and give carb-veg-heavy last meal which did help....

It's literally been going on for three months though. He was ill a while ago but seems to have got over that and is perfectly happy during the day. He is very close to walking so not sure if that's a factor.

missymum you have my sympathy!

Sorry cross posts happybunnies. Might check out the ear infection thing as he's been pulling at his ears a bit-I thought it was because he was teething. Every night I cross my fingers and hope for a better night!

lemontop I think you must be a brilliant mum to have got the wee fella sleeping so well from 9 - 11 months in a sensitive way. That counts as sleep-genius in my book, so it might be just a blip that you have to ride through knowing deep down that you're bloody good at getting babies to sleep and he'll sleep properly again soon!

It might be worth checking out the ear infection route, we had weeks and weeks and weeks of bonkers waking before we realised it was ear infection that had built up over time. Again, I think you must be really sensitive mum, so watching him closely you'll get to the bottom of it!

If he's well it's developmental I'd wager.

Usually when they're close to walking. They wake up, get frustrated, move round a lot, can't settle, seem restless, nothing calms them. That was going to be my first question. Is he showing signs of getting ready to walk? It's textbook.

It's because their brains are busy and they can't do a thing about it. All you can do is ride it out. It's not their fault and it's very upsetting for them not to be able to switch off.

It's very common and major milestones like walking and talking are the worst for it. It'll pass, you just do what you can.

missAnthropy that's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to do CC. He's obviously waking because something is bothering him so it just seems a bit cruel to leave him and make him more distressed. Maybe it's just been a succession of illness/teething/and now gearing up to walking. He's also started saying a couple of words. I guess that's not going to help either, is it?!

But I'd love some lovely sleep. I have a bit of time off work till the new year so hopefully that should help with any SA issues.

happybunnies thanks! I don't feel that brilliant when I'm begging him to sleep in the middle of the night.

well went to docs and it's not an ear infection so looks like it could be developmental. Now how do I get my son to walk?!

Great that he's well. Give it a couple of weeks, he'll be all over the place!

Honestly, it gets so much better in such a short time. And walking really wears them out once they've got it!