When will this end?

[Nosleeptillgodknowswhen]

DS, 16 months now, is STILL waking in the night. If it was just a grumble that would be fine, but his speciality is being awake for 2 hours and there is absolutely nothing that helps him get back to sleep sooner.

Apart from the lack of sleep - last i went ot bed at 11.30 after being out, he woke at 12 was awake until 2 and then woke at 6 - it's depressing listening to him wail on and off for 2 hours. I try not to go in and if I do it's just to say night night.

It's not every night, and we had a good couple of months when he didn't do this, but at the mo it's probably 4 nights a week and i just can't see how to get him out of it.

No one have any ideas? Another night last night of cry for one min, quiet for 15, cry for one minute, repeat ad nauseum for 2 hours until finally asleep. I didn't even go in at all last night so there is no reward fr waking IYSWIM.

But it's mightily depressing. There's no way i can sleep in the intervals as i know he's not asleep yet and it just feels like controlled crying every single night. At least he only cries at 70% and it's not full blown howling. But it just seems end less....

Anyway off to work today so not back onMN till later.

Could it be teeth? Is it his molars coming through? I'd probably try dosing with ibuprofen (gp said prob better than calpol for teeth).

Sorry, no real ideas/suggestions other than that but you're not alone. We have a wakeful DD too who has just got even worse in the last 7 days. I would be the opposite in terms of I do go in to plug dummy etc back in. If I get 5 hrs sleep I can just about function; it was 90 mins in total on Sat night. DD'll be 2 on Saturday but has been bad since she was fairly seriously sick in November at 17 mo; bad habits definitely started then I guess. I suspect it may be the final two molars with her (she won't let me look, but there's lots and lots of chewing) plus maybe trapped wind. She either doesn't eat or likes something so much she swallows it whole and there's only so small you can chop stuff before you're back to purees.

I class a good night as one where I am up only once. I even write them down when they happen. Assuming they aren't just a sleep-deprived hallucination

Good luck....

Maybe hes cold? Sorry for 2simplistic" suggestion, but I think our DS was a bit cod when he cries out a lot at night for a while

How much is he napping during the day? DS only started sleeping through (although not every night - but probably 4 or 5 nights out of 7 which is a HUMUNGOUS improvement) after we cut his daytime nap down to 45 mins/1 hour depending on what time he woke in the morning (when he was 20 months old).

Also second trying the ibuprofen or calpol in case it's teething pain.

Or thirsty? DS sometimes still now wakes up thirsty in the night.

I was in exactly the same position as you when DS was 16 months old so I feel your pain :(

Thanks all for the responses. Ginga your situation sounds really lousy - 90 minutes is NOT a nights sleep. Have a on me. I assume your DD is walking? I was kind of hoping DS might sleep better once he's walking more.

I have in the past tried going in with calpol/water etc but have learnt that nothing seems to help him go back to sleep quicker and in fact I think possibly contributing. But you do feel that you need to do something to help. I do sometimes still go in with calpol thinking that he must have something bothering him but I don't like giving nonspecific calpol really. He has a cup of water (non-spil obviously ) in his cot, so that's that covered. Think he's warm enough (but not too warm).

Napwise he has one long nap after lunch (2hrs). Have cut out the morning nap to limit the early waking.... but he stilll sometimes has 5 min catnap in the car if we are driving around 11. Maybe I should cut back the 2 hrs? am worried about him being over tired and making it worse (although he isn't normally too bad at bedtime in terms of knackeredness). He goes to sleep just fine at naps and bedtime - hasn't got a bottle/milk problem/anyother falling asleep problem.

I don't know about you Ginga or Bicnod but I think the most depressing thing is how it makes me a really crap grumpy parent with the other DCs after a bad night .

how long between waking from nap and bedtime? My DS at that age would wake if the time was too long - even though he wouldn't appear overtired!!

Nosleep, my DD went through a very long phase like that at around the same age. Theo nly way I could setlle her was to give her a full cup of milk in the middle of the night, every night. Everyone told me not to, but it got us through. I then moved her nap from after lunch to before lunch, and bingo.... she started going through. she is now 21mo and sleeps from about 11 ( for less time, prob about 1hr 20) and goes to bed at 6.45 and sleeps for 12hrs plus.

it might be worth experimenting a little- I figure that he earlier sleep means she doesnt need quite as much of a nap.

good luck.

About 4 1/2 hours from nap waking to bed time jazzandh.

Thanks olivo earlier nap might be worth a try as he is usually tired around 11. Will try that this weekend when i have three days not in work to give it a good go.

I finally got round to trying the early nap yesterday (he'd been having a good week so i didn't want to rock the boat) and he slept through until 7! I can't remember the last time he slept till 7 and i don't think he's ever done it without being awake for 2 hrs in the night. So thank you olivo am hoping for a repeat performance tonight....

Of course I spoke too soon! 7.30 wake this morning, but only after being awake for 2 1/2 hours from 11.30 onwards

Nosleep, I'm an oldie with 2 grown up kids and grandchild and also 2 teenage SLD boys who have never slept so you have my sympathy. My elder boy who is now 14 (and still doesn't sleep lol) used to get 'night terrors', lasted for first few yrs, where he would simply wake up screaming like the proverbial banshee, on average 4 times a night. Nothing would console him (of course now I know part of it is his Fragile X syndrome but didn't know that then) and it was very frustrating, esp when i had his brother a little while later. But I wondered if your son has the same thing. if it is that then they do grow out of it eventually. Does he have calm down time before bed? Ya know a routine; tea, bath, cuddle up, book read session etc. Sorry if I sound patronising, don't mean to, but those things really do help.
My daughter is always moaning her gorgeous little princess (15 months now)doesn't go to bed until so late at night-like 11pm or later- but that's cos she never got her routine sorted (Of course I can't say anything cos I'd be interfering lol)
Also does he have juice in the evening cos sometimes this can make them a little hyper at night?
It's so hard when ylou also have to work like you do, I worked too at the time and would go to work just for the break! But it's so tiring. I hope you get him sorted soon.

My DS went through a phase like this from about 13/14mo was very like this - until about a month ago (he's now 19mo).

We now get about 4 sleep-throughs a week, and the others are minor wake ups maybe at 12 and or 3ish with a quick pat/head stroke reassurance.
Not sure how long it'll last, but you might want to know what we did :
Nothing. Abso-bloody-lutely nothing.

Same routine, as in one nap around 11.30-12 for no longer than 90 mins and bath 6.30, bed at 7.

I don't mean to suggest that you shouldn't try something, it's just to give you a bit of hope that he might just stop it for his own wee reasons, whatever they be!

Good luck - sleep dep is all the circles of hell in one tidy heap...

Thanks guys. Ok night last night, so am bit more human today.

But yes, has stories, bath etc before bed. Doesn't drink juice anyway. He's been like this since birth pretty much (ie nothing helps him to go back to sleep) so i think you are right, just have to hope he grows out of it some day.