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Original poster

Any one elses 10m old waking up to play?

35 replies

ruth2007 · 28/06/2007 10:04

DD is 10m and as well as having started to mess with her food she has also started to wake in the night to play. She has never really slept though which didn't bother me as I would just bf her and she would drop back off. Recently she has her milk then wakes as soon as I put her down and wants to play - 2 hours last night

Is this a symptom of her age or something else do you think?

TIA

OP posts:
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Manictigger · 28/06/2007 13:42

My dd 9.5m seems to be going through this as well. She's always woken a couple of times in the night to feed but up until recently, she's always gone straight back to sleep. Lately she either seems to want to play or she'll just scream the instant I put her down.

Her sleep patterns seem to have started going haywire when she started on solids. (her poo habits have changed as well, she never used to poo at nights, then got into a habit of pooing every few days, now every nappy is dirty and I have to change her several times a night)

However, I have no real idea what's causing it. Current theories include;

a) separation anxiety
b) sore tummy
c) teething
d) hunger

or a combination of any of the above. It's really hard isn't it because you're so tired and you worry that you're doing something wrong or setting up bad habits for the future. Everyone goes on about the first 6 weeks being hard but I'm finding it way harder now (partly because other people now expect you to have got it sussed and be back to doing usual everyday stuff again and also they think you're 'soft' to put up with it).

Anyway, I'm afraid I've got no real solutions (although I'm considering buying a baby massage book) except the usual, don't talk to her at night or play with her, try to make it all as boring as possible etc. And don't feel you're doing anything wrong, I think some babies are just like this and we've just got to survive it any way we can. It'll all seem irrelevant when they're five (sleep deprivation is a bitch tho', I sometimes don't go out purely because I feel unfit to drive)

DaddyJ · 28/06/2007 14:40

Are you the same Ruth whose thread
sucked me into MN? Long time!

Night wakings are a pain but I hope it
is just a phase - sorry can't help more
but bumping this.

Original poster
ruth2007 · 28/06/2007 15:34

Thanks Daddyj yes it's me (keeping my head down this time I hope!)have been without a pc for a while so have not been around.

Manic - thanks as well your lo sounds identical to DD! oh well at least we're in it together I suppose

OP posts:
DaddyJ · 28/06/2007 15:52

Nice to have you back.

How do you settle her in the evening - bf?
I suppose you have gone through all the
usual methods?

Original poster
ruth2007 · 28/06/2007 19:01

Yes bf right before she is put down - you may remember I did cc to break that habit! now she drops off on me or in the cot - depends on how tired she is. The problem now is in the middle of the night, she takes her milk and drops off then pings awake and thinks it's morning!!! (even when it is dark outside)

OP posts:
DaddyJ · 29/06/2007 08:59

Well, if cc worked for you at bed time
it might very well work during the night.
Although it feels almost twice as hard!

I speak from experience.
It was definitely worth it, though,
for her and for us.

cruisemum1 · 29/06/2007 14:48

echo daddyj

Original poster
ruth2007 · 29/06/2007 18:45

Hi Cruise!

Though you would all say that - not looking forward to it! I might see if she settles down of her own accord. Maybe give her a week or so and if not then back to being firm Mummy!

OP posts:
Jojay · 29/06/2007 18:50

I would look at tweaking her daytime sleep if she's wide awake in the night - is she sleeping too much in the day and then is genuinely not that tired at night????

Original poster
ruth2007 · 29/06/2007 21:40

Thanks jojay but unfortunately I have one of those los that sleep v little in the day! She now has just one nap late morning of 45 mins to 1.5 hours. Have tried to get her to sleep in the afternoon but she won't have it. I must say though that she does sleep late in the morning - about 7 - 8ish so I should count my blessings really!

OP posts:
kathryn77 · 29/06/2007 21:45

My ds is 11 months and had similar waking problems... we tried everything but in end tried to darken the room, the light morning/nights were getting him up ... its a little better now we have black outs\1

nozmum · 29/06/2007 21:49

My DD is doing this - 6m next week. she settles fine at 7.30pm, dream feeds at ten-11 then used to wake at around 4-5am, bf and drop back off until 6.45 ish (yes, i know - not brilliant!) But now even worse is the pinging awake at 4.30, playing for 1-2 hours then back to sleep until 8 ish.. help!
she has also just started solids - wonder if it could be this
I am hoping its just a phase but could do with some tips..

moodlesoup · 10/07/2007 20:52

mine is the same. 10months old, and has never slept later than 6am. shes just started going to nursery and we thought that she might sleep later, but now its earlier! 4.30am every morning and she wants to play. we've been doing controlled crying for about 30mins, but its not working so we get her up around 5am for milk and a play. she's only sleeping for 25mins in the day so i don't understand it! i'm hoping that once she turns 1 it might all suddenly click into place.... i too have no solutions! good luck.

callmeovercautious · 10/07/2007 21:01

Good Grief! 4.30am - middle of the bloody night
I assume you have black out blinds etc?

If it helps my DD seems to have got over this for now. I think it was a tooth coming through.

for the early mornings tho.

ratfly · 16/08/2007 09:21

Just saw this thread, and wondered how you were all getting on, as this is what my 7 month ds has started to do.

I was meant to visit dad today, but am not fit to drive. DS is however, very perky.

He hasn't ever really gone through the night for any lenght of time, but has done it quite a few times, just not regularly. Last night all was well, 5 mins to go down in the evening (7), df at 11. Then woke to feed at 4. I left him a while to see if he would go back down, but he didnt so I fed him. Then screaming for a good 30 minutes while I tried to suss out what was up with him. When I unswaddled and sat him next to me in bed (desparation), he shut up and played! At 4.45 in the morning!!!

Have your lo's stopped doing it?

B99 · 16/08/2007 14:36

My baby is a ealry riser at 5am and would always want to play. I stumbled across this article in www.babyfy.com/index.php/features/3037/Andrea-Grace/The-gentle-and-natural-way-to-help-your-n ew-baby-become-a-contended-little-sleeper-/ and it really helped me.

I found by following the same evening routine my baby was much happier and easier to put to sleep.

CoteDAzur · 16/08/2007 21:59

at playing with baby for two hours in the middle of the night!

Without meaning to sound patronising, it is not too early to teach your DCs that nighttime is for sleeping and for sleeping only. No feeds and certainly no play. When they wake up, you go in to comfort them but lights stay down, no eye contact, just a hug, and shhh, a pat, whatever, and back in the cot. They cry more, go back in, shh, pat, kiss, hug, whatever but no feed and no play.

Very soon they get the idea and sleep through the night. This is not cruel, it is just teaching them the habit of sleeping through the night.

Good luck, and don't forget: You are the parent, and they are the babies. You are in control and can teach them the good habits

Bewilderbeast · 16/08/2007 22:01

Mine does this he's 9 and a half months but if he wakes up wanting to play in the middle of the night I pretend to be asleep and ignore him and eventually he drops back off.

walbert · 16/08/2007 22:06

dd is 9m and past few nights woken up to have a poo!!! Not the same as wanting to play for two hours, but she is wide awake when we change her (with one night light on: it's a bit challenging!) and is smiling and full of beans, so we just pop her back in cot after changing her, stick her mobile on and leave her to it: too knackered to do anything else!

Jojay · 16/08/2007 22:18

My problem is a bit different as my ds is still sleeping through ( touch wood....) but is becoming much harder to settle in the evenings, and also if i try to settle him at someone else's house.

He's 8.5 mths and started crawling about 3 wks ago, and now when I put him down, if he's not ready to go to sleep that minute, he gets up and crawls around the cot, playing with toys etc. Then he normally gets stuck or uncomfortable, and yells to be rescued. So I lie him down, and he gets up again.This performance can go on for quite some time.

When he was younger, he couldn't really move, so used to stare into space for a bit then go to sleep.

Now he can move, he's all over the place, adn the whole settling to sleep process is taking much longer than before. And you can forget it somewhere unfamiliar!!!

I'm just going with it for now, as there's very little I can do about it. I'm putting it down to his age, and his excitement of being able to move. He's in a sleeping bag, but it doesn't seem to hinder him much!

I know he's capable of settling himself to sleep, he's just choosing not to right now.

All of this is no help whatsoever in getting your LO's to sleep through, I know, but they do seem to be a similar age, and I wonder if the excitement of being mobile is just too much for them at the moment.

Still hoping it's just a phase and it'll pass soon!!!!

callmeovercautious · 16/08/2007 22:19

DD sorted herself out, I think it was just a learning curve/testing me thing! She has never been a great sleeper but it is wierd when they wake up and want to play rather than feed! She got the message by me just offering boob and then back in the cot that I was not going to interact. I think she got bored tbh! It lasted about a week/10 days. Still does it every now and then but I am firm and she goes back off - no crying.

callmeovercautious · 16/08/2007 22:20

Oh I am the OP with a new name btw

ratfly · 17/08/2007 08:28

Thanks for your new messages! I realise I am hi-jacking a thread.

Glad to hear they DO grow out of it...

Cote - what can you suggest I do when he is actually SCREAMING in the night? I was basically desperate that night - and the only thing that stopped him screaming (that includes being held / fed / shh-pat etc) was sitting him up next to me in bed. If I put him down (in his cot / in my bed) he screamed regardless of what I did to comfort him, and for bloody ages too). I didnt play with him, I dozed next to him.
Last night, I gave him some calpol, just incase it is teeth, and he was awake for an hour, but at least not screaming, but lying in my arms as I shhed him.
I do realise that he has to learn night time is for sleeping, and so far we had got that lesson learnt, but what can I do if he WILL NOT settle in the middle of the night?!
Help, I am desperate!

CoteDAzur · 17/08/2007 11:15

ratfly - I know how hard it is. We have gone through such episodes as well.

DD is now 2 years old, and what I learned in this time re sleep is (1) make sure she is not ill (by 2nd sleepless night any symptoms would be obvious), and if she is not (2) never deviate from your usual bedtime/middle of the night routine.

That is, she wakes up and cries, I go in, hold her, shh her, then tell her it is now time to sleep and she is going down to her cot. Sometimes she is OK with that and settles down, sometimes she screams some more. I go back in, hold her, kiss her, put her back down. This repeats as many times as necessary (worst case ~ 5 times) until she realizes there is no point in calling me back in.

From your post, it sounds like your DS does not sleep through the night regularly. If you don't mind me saying, you need to sort this out as quickly as possible, because it gets harder and harder to change their habits as they get older. And it is much easier to let a baby cry for a bit when he is not jumping around the cot, threatening to throw himself out

ratfly · 17/08/2007 12:00

Thanks cote - lol at threatening to jump out of the cot! I can just imagine it!

Just been talking to hv (a nice one this time!), and she says he shouldnt need his night feeds - they are all surplus to how much he SHOULD be taking, what with 3 meals a day

So we are going to start cc tonight (as we have found out pu/pd and shh-pat dont work in the middle of the night). No night feeds, just trying to settle him and get him used to the idea... Wish us luck...

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