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20 month - why has his sleep become so bad?

2 replies

emmyloo2 · 23/07/2012 03:40

My DH and I are just completely at a loss at the moment, in relation to my 20 month old DS. Every since he turned around 12-13 months his nighttime sleep has really gone downhill. He used to consistently sleep through the night in his first year and then it started with early waking (5am 5.30am) and then that became 4am or 3.30am, then he would have some good nights and now he waking at around 11pm or 12pm and won't re-settle. He only settles in our bed or with a bottle. We are doing everything wrong and suddenly we have him in our bed which I said I would never do. His day time sleeps are now virtually non-existent - one nap for 45 minutes. He often wakes from them crying so clearly still tired but won't go back to sleep. It seems his ability to self settle has been lost somewhere along the way.

I think the day time sleeps are linked to the night time sleeps but I just can't seem to make any changes. We try different things - I will lie by his cot at night and he will then often fall back asleep. I just am concerned he isn't getting enough sleep and it's starting to get me depressed and overtake everything else in my life because it's all I think about.

Does anyone have any experience, advice, words of wisdom to share? One thing I should add - is sometimes at night it seems as if he is uncomfortable in his stomach? He farts a bit and he will fall asleep and start snoring then wake and cry a bit a short tme after then fall asleep and then wake etc etc. So it's as if he can't get comfortable. Perhaps I am overanalysing it?? I just wondered whether it could be wind?

Thanks

OP posts:
omama · 24/07/2012 22:36

(((hugs))) hun

can you post his daytime routine - wakeup time, naptime and bedtime please? It will help us get a sense of what's what.

His nap does sound short & it sounds as if he may be overtired as a result (esp given he is crying), but I need to see the routine first to see if he's napping too early or too late. Do you ever offer him an early bedtime when he only takes a short nap like that? As that can help lots.

Also wrt giving him milk in the night and/or bringing him into your bed, is this something you are wanting/willing to change? As getting him sleeping back in his own bed and without expecting milk will no doubt improve the night-time situation.

I'll check back in tomorrow.x

RugBugs · 24/07/2012 23:02

DD is 20months and went through a similar bout of early waking, I decided it was due to the light mornings and got her a stick on blackout blind which straight away kept her sleeping through to 8am.

She seemed to lose the ability to self-settle a month ago too, on the third night we did some controlled crying and it worked a treat, have no idea why she suddenly was fidgeting around, trying to get comfortable when she had always zonked straight out still clutching her kitties.

I do have a lot of trouble getting dd to nap, most days I have to cuddle her on my lap but she does tend to get at least an hour and a half in (and it's 50/50 if she wakes with a grin or a grump).

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