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Sleep

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Original poster

Am I the only one with an 11mth old who won't sleep?

39 replies

catwhiskers10 · 29/01/2011 08:47

I'm quickly reaching the end of my tether with DD who is 11 months and waking constantly through the night. It's so often now that I lose count of how many times she is up.
She's never been a great sleeper and used to be up 2-3 times in 12 hours which I didn't mind as she was quickly settled either by feeding (she is BF) or coming into our bed.
The past 6 weeks she has been getting up more and more and will only sleep being rocked in my arms and as soon as she is put down she sits up again and starts crying until I lift her.
I'm not keen to leave her to cry as she quickly becomes hysterical, goes purple and sweats and takes ages to calm down again.
I just really wanted to know if there are others with babies of this age in the same boat? How do you cope? It seems everyone has a baby that sleeps except me!

OP posts:

Teaandcakeplease · 04/02/2011 17:12

LaTristesse when they first learn to pull themselves up and crawl they do regress a bit. I used to go in lie mine down and leave again.

Would he sleep if you lay with him?

LaTristesse · 04/02/2011 17:28

Thanks Teaandcake... I hope it is just a regression. He's only recently learned to self-settle so I'm worried I'm doing something wrong and he's unlearning again!

He'd sleep if I lay with him... and feed him! But that's what we've spent a long hard month trying to get away from! He seems to want me in the room (he gets worse if I leave), but doesn't want me to touch him (PUPD suggests keeping a light hand on him to reassure, but he gets annoyed by this.)

I'll just roll with it. And seek comfort here when it all gets too much!

Original poster

catwhiskers10 · 04/02/2011 18:04

latristesse I agree it seems easier to feed them back to sleep. DD had cut down to one feed a night before this 'regression' but now has gone back to 2-3 feeds a night, I'm maybe making a rod for my own back going along with it because everyone keeps telling me not to feed her.
My problems started when she got more mobile too (although she's never been a great sleeper).

OP posts:

Teaandcakeplease · 04/02/2011 19:45

It does get easier I promise. Consistency is key.

I wouldn't revert back to co sleeping if you've been trying hard to stop I seemed to miss that before. Teething and colds always put a spanner in the works though I find and you have to try to remain consistent time after time. It's hard but it does get better honestly. Have a glass of

Murl · 08/02/2011 07:26

DD only woke once last night!!! (sorry, had to share!) now got to work on not getting my hopes up that tonight will be as good, I have learnt that lesson before!
duvet and pillow definitely seem to help as things have got better - she moves so much that I am not surprised she woke so much when in a sleeping bag.
hows it going catwhiskers?

weazelm · 08/02/2011 21:24

a really good company that helps with sleep problems is called Cocoon UK www.cocoon.uk.com - they are an agency but with reasonable prices and get great results.
Try calling them

kalo12 · 08/02/2011 21:29

my 3 year old has never slept through the night. iirc 1 months was the absolute worst point.

i bfed til 22 months but at 17-18 months I did dr jay's night weaning - more gently than he describes.

me and ds co sleep because i couldn't be bothered with musical beds anymore. my dh sleeps in his room instead. but we've got a new one on the way so will have to do something at some point

kalo12 · 08/02/2011 21:30

i mean 16 months was the worst not 1 month!

specialmagiclady · 08/02/2011 21:37

I would just like to second - or third - the "sleep breeds sleep" hypothesis. Neither of mine slept well during the night until they could do a good couple of hours all by themselves during the day. I think they used to do an hour at 9ish and then a couple of hours at 1ish. Eventually I managed to cut back that 9 clock nap to half an hour and then finally right out.

Neither of them would sleep during the day - or night for that matter - if teething. If your LO has 8 teeth, it's molars next. They're much much harder as there are 4 points on each tooth to break through. Oh the hell. At one stage I was getting through a bottle of calpol in a week!

We were terrible with our first! We used to say "Plug 'im"(dummy) then drug'im (Calpol)". Basically, if the dummy didn't work he was probably in pain so worth trying calpol. If that didnm't work then we were in trouble.

Also, if they suddenly have a night of terrible sleeplessness when they've been fine, don't rule out ear pain. It's agony and they can't lie down without pain.

Original poster

catwhiskers10 · 11/02/2011 07:22

Well, after a pretty good few days DD gave us a night of hell last night. She was up every hour and up at 6am this morning. Can't complain about the good few days though and the night before last she slept for 8.5 hours straight (heaven)!
Definitely think the pillow is helping. Hopefully last night was a one off!
We just need to keep telling ourselves that this isn't forever and one day they will sleep through!

OP posts:

Teaandcakeplease · 12/02/2011 08:31

They do sleep through eventually, when the teeth are through and they're not ill

How was last night?

Original poster

catwhiskers10 · 12/02/2011 08:34

Last night was better! DD slept 7pm-11pm back in cot at 11.20 then slept till 5am. Could get used to that! She was up again for good at 6 but I don't mind that as long as she is sleeping at night.
Could this be a sign of light at the end of the (very long) tunnel? :)

OP posts:

Original poster

catwhiskers10 · 22/02/2011 08:41

Just an update on this thread I started a few weeks ago.
DD is now sleeping through the night.!!!!!
Was at the HV last week and she suggested CC. I was not keen on the idea but thought I might as well try as DH and I were exhausted.
I began by putting DD in her cot when she was sleepy (normally we would rock her to sleep) she started screaming straight away but there were no tears, she was just very cross. I returned after 1 minute and soothed her and left the room again, returned after 2 mins, then 3 mins and so on. We never got to 7 mins and she was fast asleep and slept right through!
The following night I expected a fight but we never reached 2 mins! We are now past the 5th night and last night she didn't cry at all and has slept through every night. I really can't believe it worked so quickly.
I always thought CC was cruel and the first night it was torture for me listening to her cries but now she is much happier at night and DH and I are much happier too as we are all getting enough sleep.
Really glad this looooong period of sleeplessness has come to an end.

OP posts:

Teaandcakeplease · 23/02/2011 07:33

That's really good, that method worked well with my second child actually. When you're sure it's not teeth, clean nappy, well fed and they're tired I did push through with settling and leaving with him. Worked much better than PUPD. However PUPD worked with my DD great.

Of course they both regressed from time to time when ill but when 99% of the time they sleep better, you feel a million bucks

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