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baby won't stay all night in cot

4 replies

AndWhat · 09/05/2014 08:26

My gorgeous 8 month old will not sleep of a night in his cot. We have tried controlled crying and pick up put down and he will eventually drop off some nights but then he wakes up about 1-3 hours later and becomes hysterical sobbing which becomes worse rather than easing off.
So much so he has made himself sick, hits his head against the cot or kicks the cot. He will go in his cot for naps during the day so no problem there.
This is new in the last couple of weeks until then he slept right through. He will calm down if we pick him up for a cuddle but then cries as soon as you lower him into the cot and ends up coming into our bed just to get some sleep. However, as he is getting bigger and more livelier I am struggling to sleep with him next to me where I get woken up with a poke to the eye or a kick to the stomach etc
Anyone got any other advice before I crack up?
Cheers

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
TheresLotsOfFarmyardAnimals · 09/05/2014 08:34

There is an 8 month sleep regression, mainly teething and developmental which you kind of have to ride out. I'd give a dose of calpol at bedtime and be armed and ready with all of the remedies for as and when he wakes.

Do try and be as consistent as you can with your bedtime routine and it should return to normal fairly quickly.

rootypig · 09/05/2014 08:57

It sounds like you've been inconsistent in your approach to his sleep (correct me if I'm wrong) and he's confused and doesn't feel safe in his cot as a result. He has probably also made the connection that if he cries for long enough, you will come.

I think all these methods can get in the way of parental empathy and common sense. Try to imagine it from his point of view, making sense of what you want from him and how this cot business works. Babies (like all of us) rouse slightly between sleep cycles, check out their surroundings, then hopefully drop off again. If there's something there that he doesn't like, or he's bizarrely (from his point of view) moved from where he was when last awake, he's going to be afraid, wake up fully, and yell.

A baby is much more likely to sleep happily in their cot if they feel safe, and imo that is a consequence of you always going to them when they need. I think the idea that if you go to them when they cry, will make them cry for you more, is nonsense. My experience with DD has been the opposite.

If you agree with that...... You need to work hard to make him feel ok again there. The daytime naps are positive. In the evening, get him calm, sleepy and relaxed - always the same routine in the same place. In the room you want him to sleep in is a good idea. Stories, singing and rocking with low light. If you have a nightlight that you can then leave on for the first few nights, so much the better. (Ikea does a great plug in one). Take him to the cot while sleepy and awake. Put him down. If he cries, pick him up and cuddle him til calm and relaxed. Repeat. Stay until he's asleep (as time goes on, you'll need to do this less). If he wakes up and cries you need to go back and comfort him immediately. This is not pick up put down.

rootypig · 09/05/2014 08:58

Or it could just be a sleep regression Grin

EmmaLL25 · 09/05/2014 09:02

Following. Our LO goes to sleep by himself in his cot mainly happy (unless something else is bothering him). Wakes up hysterical. He's almost a year now, this has gone on for months.

I've not been consistent though, which doesn't help. Usually because he's been ill or teething and attempts to resettle in cot lead to hysteria.

I keep waiting for him to grow out of it. Sigh

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