1 year old will not sleep PLEASE HELP

[Pops78]

Hi Everybody,

Really hoping some of you might very kindly have some much needed words of advice for a 1st time mum who thinks I have gone wrong somewhere. Essentially my dd is refusing to sleep at the moment and I am so worried about her (and selfishly my sanity). Until 3/4 weeks ago dd had a routine of dinner, bath and in cot by 7/ 7.30 to sleep by 8/8.30, she would often wake an hour later but easily settle again. She has slept in her cot since about 5 months but has generally always woken in the night at varying times to come in with us where she has always settled quickly. Not ideal but I could handle this set up. She has always refused to sleep in her cot during the day and I have to nap with her in our bed, definitely a big prob I know but once your in the habit!!!

3/4 weeks ago she had about 3 nights of sleeping right through in her cot and I was delighted then she started getting temps and very bad diaorrhea. 40/41 every 4 hrs so back and forth to GP etc just gastroenteritis nothing to do but Nurofen/Calpol. Sleeping permanently with me screaming if put in cot and would not sleep. The temps have now stopped and I believe her mainly better though still slightly off poos. Thing is she refuses to sleep point blank anywhere but especially in her cot. I do her routine in evening and she will go to sleep for 10-15mins and then start screaming at the top of her lungs I have spent hrs up there rubbing her back, doing pick up put down and nothing. If I take her into our bed she gets really like oooh playtime and pulls herself down off bed crawls around bed, will not settle. Last night it was 3am before she fell asleep next to me and 6 when she woke up. She got up for 3 hrs then back down at 9 now up again, so she is getting nowhere near the amount of sleep needed. I have tried CC but she screams so loudly and seems to not have an end point plus its not fair on neighbours at her volume they must think I am awful! PLEASE HELP. She has always gone down asleep, never able to settly herself in cot. Is this all normal (turned 1 yesterday), have I stuffed up, do you think there may still be something wrong with her??? Thanks so much for any advice. Sorry for long post.

I doubt you've 'stuffed up'. :) If she's had her sleep pattern disturbed by illness then she may find it difficult to get back into a good sleep habit. She obviously enjoys being in your bed - quite a lot do - so I think what you might have is a combination of 'bad habit' and 'messed up sleep pattern'. The tummy troubles could be teeth-related... or even Calpol-related.

I think you might have to take charge a little more to get things back on track and not give in because of a little noise. I'd include the day-naps in that. Put her in her cot for a nap at the usual time, say 'go to sleep', stick around until she's reasonably well away and then leave so that you can get on with other things. Get her used to sleeping alone, in other words. And during the night, I don't think things are going to get better until you stop letting her play in your bed. If you explain to the neighbours in advance, I'm sure they won't complain. Good luck

Could she be working on some teeth? My DS is the same age, and has a sleep history similar to yours. He's been cutting molars over the past week and I think all the extra saliva has been making him very acidy - he screams like a banshee when laid down, and at varying points in the night... I'm hoping it'll pass once the teeth arrive. Sorry, I know that's not very helpful...