Maintaining a routine when they are poorly!

[Bodensmummy]

How on earth do you maintain a sleep routine and all the good habits you worked hard to achieve when ds is getting colds and just doesn't settle.
Normally he has good nights and sleeps through and although we sometimes struggle with daytime naps he does put himself off to sleep and usually has one bigger daytime nap.
I'm sitting here with him sucking a dummy which he doesnt normally have withhim sleeping on my lap after only 10 mins in his cot......how come it's easy to stat asleep on me.....?!!! Hmmm!
Any advice gratefully received!

You don't as need to go with flow and feed cuddle let them sleep as needed. Then Gp back to routine when they are better - it might take a few days but usually they will get into it.

You can't from my experience, you have to relax and then start the routine when they are better. You can do things to help them though, raise one end of the cot slightly to help with breathing and I use the plug in vapourisers to help them breathe easier when they are full of cold. Hope your little one is better soon.

If he is very little they do just want to sleep on you (vivid memories of being up all night with 16 week old dd)

Don't try. Just cuddle and look after until they are better, than get back to it. My oldest is 7 and she just needs snuggling, lots to drink, stories, sleeping on sofa and being in our bed if she's waking a lot and can't breathe, feverish etc. Likewise the 6 and 3 year old and another one due so will be the same for them. Mostly they all sleep well etc but not with snuffles and temperatures. Wish your little one better soon and enjoy the cuddling.

I've just had this too - a week of 20mins in cot, then up to 1.5 hours on my shoulder - that one was a killer. Last night we were back to one wake up after four days of DD being awake between 12 and 1am. Was beginning to think I would have to retrain her to just wake at 3am again, but am hopeful she has done it herself now the cold is a bit better! Ah, 20mins into the nap, she's just woken up....

My Dd is only 8mo and has just had a cold preceded by a gastro type bug. The gastro didn't seem to bother her at night, but the cold did. We had a few nights of being up and down a lot with her, mainly because she couldn't breathe, but she has gone right back to her routine now. I think once the routine is established, then unless it is seriously disrupted, they have already learnt all the right building blocks so to speak.

Even though DD was awake quite a bit in the night when she was ill, I still kept the lights low, quiet talking/hushing etc. and rocking (which we don't normally do), and then morning was morning and lights on etc. Once her nose was clear again, she went right back to self-settling and sleeping through.

TBH, I don't sleep that well when I've got a cold, it's horrid. It's easier for him to sleep on you because it's comfy and reassuring, like we all need a hug when we're poorly.

D

PS, try propping one end of the cot up so he's not lying completely flat (like I need more pillows when I have a cold), and also calpol and olbas oil are your friend. Olbas oil is actually great for clearing the nose without actually 'medicating' so to speak.