11m DD waking during night, can't fall back asleep

[Trillian42]

DD has started waking during the night - well that bits not new - but now can't fall back asleep. She used to either feed back asleep, or I'd burp her and put in soother, but recently it's like she can't fall asleep. She'll be awake for over an hour and will try feeding back to sleep. She'll change position and crawl around the bed - but in a sleepy way, collapsing every now and then. She'll rest her head on my tummy sometimes. I try and rub her side, cuddle her, feed her as often as she wants, give her her soother, stay still... nothing works. I tried to give her Nurofen a couple of times in case it's teething, but she cries, pushes away my hands and spits it out again. She'll sleep for a couple of minutes, then wake again crying. This morning I realised when she finally fell asleep, she was upside down in the bed - head at my waist, feet at my head.

I don't think it's teething though because she does it sometimes at bedtime too after having calpol or nurofen, although for a shorter time period. I can see her top teeth are close to coming through so I've been giving her some if she's gnawing frantically during the day.

I have a room thermometer and room was 19deg, and she was wearing a 2.5 tog grobag so that shouldn't be it. Anything else it could be? She's a bit constipated at the moment, but her tummy doesn't bother her during the day.

I don't know what to do, because I'm already pretty sleep deprived and last night she was semi-awake from 12.30-1 and again from 3.30 to 5.30, waking again at 6.30 for the morning. :(

It may help to have her in her own cot/bed.
It sounds like unsafe if she ends up asleep in such positions..where does the duvet end up?
In the long run now she is getting bigger she might settle better in her own space. Plus you deserve some more decent sleep.
11months is surely past the real need for night feeds.?

She starts the night in her cot in her own room (a minor recent victory for us! ) but won't take a bottle for DH or be resettled at her midnight wake up so he brings her into me after a while. I know she's at the stage where she should go through the night with less feeding but it's very difficult not to give in when she's roaring the house down. I find it heart-breaking to hear her cry for so long and she won't calm for him at all.

Hey Trillian,

My DS is 8.5months and is still waking in the night. Similarly to you, he starts the night in his own cot but comes in with me part way through the night, simply because it is the only way I can stay sane with the night feeds.

Anyway, he was waking - at best - twice a night and he would resettle easily after a feed. However, just recently he's taken to waking up fully in the middle of the night, sometimes taking a couple of hours to resettle.

As far as I can tell, this has been coinciding with growth spurts and then teething. Teething pain is worse at night, so it may be worth dosing up with Calpol and applying something like liquid Anbesol to the gums to see if that helps. Otherwise, give it a bit longer and see what happens - your LO may be learning to do something new!

Sorry it's not more practical help...

x

sounds very like my DD, the bad news? she's 21 months. we do have runs of good nights and STTN then we get lots of waking and howling, usually related to teeth though

hugs, sleep deprivation is torture but after almost 2 years I can't remember a full night's sleep so it bothers me so much less now

balletmoo Her teeth are definitely at her alright - I can see how close one of the top ones is to coming through and she's gnawing at everything at the moment. I gave her Nurofen before bed and will give her Calpol if she wakes in the early hours and is upset again.

sleeplessinderbyshire :( I hope this doesn't continue for as long as your DD! I got used to frequent wakings and had adapted, but I honestly don't know if I can get by on any less sleep. There's been a couple of days when I've avoided driving in case I was a danger behind the wheel But maybe I'll adapt :( Return hugs!

i'm in same boat dd almost 10 mths, fining it so hard on lack of sleep. AHHHHH wish i could speak 'baby'.