13m wakes only wanting muslin for comfort - every sleep cycle

[ilovemywellies]

hey,
have not chatted on here much before, but read tonnes of ppls discussions and always found helpful. have googled high and low and cant find a discussion on this in particular, so starting a thread.

Have a 13m old who slept through the night pretty much (bar the odd cold) 7pm-7am from 9weeks-11months, then got 2x viruses back to back. Has now woken 5-8 on average (sometimes up to 12 times) every night since mid sep.

Generally all he seems to want is to be given his label from his muslin (his comforter), and laid back down. I know i should be grateful he's not up all night, and settles again so well, but chronic fatigue is now getting worse and cant help but try to work out what is waking him.

I know he goes back to sleep if he has a label, but that doesnt seem to be whats actually waking him. i think he just cant find his label once he wakes, then gets upset.

• Have tried letting him cry it out, but he just gets worse and doesn't seem to want to be awake anyway, so seems counterintuitive.
• Have tried putting a million muslins in there but he gets tangled.
• Tried light on/off,
• tried house colder (16') and then warmer (22').
• tried with/without grow bag.
• tried co sleeping, but when my husband is in the bed he wakes up and gets excited, and then we have a nigthmare re settling him.
• made a taggie painfully one night, and he doesnt seem to want it.
• tried no tv all day, to no effect.

Anyone been in the same boat or able to offer great wisdom and experience? beginning to loose my mind ever so slightly and work dont seem very impressed with the foggy headed mummy approach! Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Instead of a taggie could you sew loads of labels onto a muslin? Or is that what you did before?

Other than that, can only sympathise.

Thanks so much spatchcook. I created a mutant muslin by sewing a few together and adding labels. It seems he only like M&S muslins (how very middle class of us!) and not any other fabric.

I also bought him a cot duvet and very snuggly cover, but only put a sleepsuit on him. We've had two better nights of sleep, but he is starting a cold so only time will tell.

Could you knot the muslin so the pointy end has the tag and maybe easier for him to find?

My DD had a 'silky' a square of satin with cotton on the other side. I got up most night to find it for her in the night for 2/3 years (!!). She is now 6.5 and a great sleeper. Silky is still part of her life but usually on the floor while she snores. It brought/brings her great comfort and was fab for traveling. I made 6 in the end, so they could be washed and not lost.

DS is 8 months and only wants to suck his cot sheet. I wish he would fall for a muslin!!

It sounds like you've really tried to think of every possibility. Sometimes it's just hard for a while (months!) I can only wish you a good night soon!