Sleep after illness

[Liv316]

My 11 month olds sleep had finally started to improve, I’m talking waking up 1-2 times a night which was amazing for us after 10 months of awful sleep. But last week he got hand, foot and mouth and since then sleep has been horrific. So far tonight he’s woken up at 9:15, 9:35, 10:30, 11.

When will it go back to normal after being ill? I’m really struggling as it took so so long for us to get somewhere with his sleep, I can’t do months of this again.

Hand foot and mouth is uncomfortable and if he's in pain or congested that will wake him up. Paracetamol alternating with ibuprofen through night should help. Is he crying? Obviously follow instructions on packet. My daughter settled back to normal sleeping always after illness.

@thingymaboob he’s had calpol and nurofen, much to his annoyance as he absolutely hates having it but it doesn’t make any difference. He wakes up crying yes. I am fine comforting him as he is unwell but I was just wondering if we’re going to be starting from scratch again with sleep as it took so long to get somewhere with it.

@Liv316 my daughter often gets ear infections after viral illnesses and we would find lots of crying / distress at night as lying down would exacerbate the ear ache. I'd get the ears checked if he keeps waking up distressed.

@thingymaboob we did go to the doctors and they checked his ears and said they were fine. He’s been up about 8 times so far, I just want to cry.

The hand foot and mouth does seem to be better apart from the last few spots to go so I don’t get why he still won’t sleep.

So far tonight he’s woken up at 9:15, 9:35, 10:30....

Thats him not getting into a deep sleep, so staying in the light sleep phase.

So rather than him going to sleep and then waking up, he's actually not properly going to sleep.

Try giving him more comfort (whatever settling method you use - hand on chest, patting, tickling etc) for longer after he first goes to sleep. You want to see him through from eyes dropping, to light sleep, until deep sleep when misled go slack (You might see jaw slacken and mouth open, or if you lift arm it will just drop like a dead weight)

Misled = muscles (autocorrect failure)