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Need a little support ...

8 replies

xStarGirl · 17/05/2011 20:25

Am at my wits end with DS. Until we moved him into his own room, he slept fine in his cot. Now, he hates it with a passion, and no matter how asleep I think he is when I put him in it, he rolls straight over and is wide awake and standing up, screaming if nobody is in the room/takes him out of the cot quickly.

We've tried everything we can think of. PUPD, gradual withdrawal, I even slept on his bedroom floor for a week, but it made no difference. Even if I could get him down, as soon as he was disurbed by a noise/breeze/whatever, he'd be up and howling.

The past two weeks me and DP have been taking it in turns to share the bed with him while the other goes on the sofa, and it just isn't viable anymore. When he's with DP it's alright, but I fidget a lot in my sleep, which wakes DS up, which makes him grumpy and more likely to move around, which results in him falling off the bed Sad
So I have to stay half-awake to stop him falling off, and I can't sleep properly on the sofa. I'm functioning on less than two hours sleep a night most nights, and I just can't keep doing it when I have to look after DS on my own every day. I'm losing the will to live, and the energy to do anything but the most basic tasks.

We've thought hard about it and are going to try CC when/if DS ever decides to go to sleep. I know it's going to be awful, his crying goes right through me, but I don't see any other solution.
Sad
Would appreciate any hand-holding/advice.

OP posts:
DialsMavis · 17/05/2011 20:54

How old is he xStarGirl? Does he have a good bedtime routine? I would consider just moving the cot back until you are rested and ready to try again

xStarGirl · 17/05/2011 21:11

11mo. His bedtime routine is basically useless because most of the time he refuses to go to sleep until he literally drops. But we do bath at half-six, followed by quiet time in his room with his night-time bottle and a story. But nine times out of ten he's wide awake and refuses to settle to sleep, and crawls/cruises around until he wears himself out.

OP posts:
K999 · 17/05/2011 21:14

I have done CC and it worked. It is hard but only took us 3 nights and it was worth it. Smile

Angeliz · 17/05/2011 21:17

I agree with the first suggestion, just move him back into your room for a while and everyone will hopefully be happy again.
It's amazing how much they change in weeks/months so it may not be long before he's ready to try his room again. You could spend time during the day playing in there, stick stickers ready fro when he sleeps in there and bring it in gently. It may get appealing to him then he'll love his room+

DialsMavis · 17/05/2011 21:25

I am totally out of practice with 11 mo olds as mine are 8 years and 6 months! But I think I would move the cot back into your room, choose a new bedtime that is around the time he usually crashes out. Get him back into going to sleep in his cot with the sleep associations from the routine and gradually move his bedtime back to a sensible early evening time. Get yourselves rested as it must be awful trying to cope on 2 hours a night. Then try the move again as you will be rested and chilled, he will be that bit older and hopefully used to going to bed earlier so even if he kicks off a bit you wont be up all night (hopefully).

Could you use something in your room (light box that projects onto the ceiling/ gentle music/ those glow in the dark stars stuck on the ceiling etc) that moves with him into his room so that it isn't alien to him? or maybe introduce a teddy/comforter?

I am sure that someone with DC a similar age will be along with something tried and tested soon but I just wanted to suggest some ideas other than things you have already tried/CC/ or co-sleeping as that isn't working out for you (wouldn't for me either).
Smile

DialsMavis · 17/05/2011 21:28

I am not against CC by the way but i would work on at least getting him on an even keel with a rough idea of a bedtime and not frightened in his room first.

xStarGirl · 17/05/2011 21:45

Well DP just put DS to bed and so far, all is quiet ...
I reckon if he stays in there just one night it'll be okay, especially if his daddy is there when he wakes up (DP intends to sleep in there in his sleeping bag).

Thankyou for your suggestions - I didn't really want to move him back into our bedroom but tbh if it comes to it and the crying becomes too much, that's what I'll do. I really don't know what happened, he used to be such a good sleeper, asleep by 7, waking at 7. Now it's flaking out at 9-10 unless he's skipped a nap, in which case he's massively grumpy and tired, and waking about half 5-6.

Am going to bed now to try and catch up on some sleep. Thanks again!

OP posts:
DialsMavis · 17/05/2011 22:38

Good luck hopefully he has tuned a corner tonight and you will be able to see it through. It is my worst nightmare that my DD will stop sleeping... it's just not fair when they move the goal posts like that!

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