12 month regression?? I can’t cope anymore!!

[Crumbles443]

Please help I am exhausted

baby is 13 months old. Always been low sleep needs. Past month we’ve been on 1 nap schedule which was working well. Occasionally slept through or with one wake up compared to a few when on 2 naps.

past 3 nights he has woken every hour no joke screaming. It’s almost as if he can’t get into a deep sleep which has never been a problem before. Even when we pick him up we normally hold 2 mins and put down a bit awake but now even when holding him he cannot get into a deep sleep and screams. I think he’s crying because he’s tired. During the day he is fine!

i don’t think teeth as fine during day, not too hot/cold. He does have a very slight runny nose but I don’t think this is the issue as he’s been much worse many times before and never did this.

could this be the 12 month regression? I thought we went through it at 11 months. How long does it last??

im back at work and partner works away and i am sooo tired

Hey, I have no answers for you but I’m just replying as I’m going through the same thing currently.
My 12 month old just cannot get into a deep sleep. She’s never been a great sleeper but I could get 2-3 hours sleep from her. Now I’m lucky if I get an hour, it’s often less - 10/20 minutes!! Getting her to sleep takes 1-2 hours now too.
Where is your LO up to with development? My DD is definitely getting more physically active and close to walking independently. I think that’s bothering her - her legs twitch all the time at night.
Shes also teething but pain killers make no difference at all to her sleep.
I can’t imagine how you’re coping with this alone. My DP will take her for a couple of hours in the night so u can rest but I’m still absolutely exhausted!!
Let me know how you’re getting on and if anything improves!! Take care x

My 12 month old is exactly how you have described except bed time doesn’t take too long. I finally got him down to 2 wakes and 1 feed at 11 months (must have only been for about a week) and then all of a sudden like a switch was flicked he was waking every hour, sometimes more! Approaching 4 weeks now. Have things improved for you??

Hey, sorry to hear you’re struggling! I would say things have improved but not by a lot really! My DD had an ear infection and chest infection not long after this post and that took weeks and two courses of antibiotics to clear up. She needed to be held all the time or wouldn’t sleep at all!
I’d say since then though her sleep is sometimes fine (waking briefly for some milk ever 2-3 hours is good for me and to be honest I’m happy with that) but other times she really struggles, needs a lot of intervention to get to sleep and wakes more frequently! She seems to be catching constant colds and more teething which doesn’t help!
Shes finally mastered independent walking so hoping the more she tires herself out the better!
I have found trying to accept it for what it is, supporting as best you can, getting help when you can and resting when you can is the best way. Lynsey Hookway and little happy sleeper on instagram keeps me sane!!
Anything help your LO at all? I cosleep, breastfeed to sleep and put her in a sling still. I just want my girl to rest!!

It’s tough when they have back to back illnesses/teething! Yeah he has a floor bed to make breastfeeding easier and generally I end up co sleeping from any time between 10 and 1 depending on how bad he is. I go through phases of being like this is fine I can cope and then after a particularly bad night I despair a bit!! But will just have to ride it out. It’s all timed in with him starting nursery and being looked after by grandparents. He has to be fed back to sleep (previously a cuddle would do the job) which I’ve read can be them trying to reconnect during a big change like nursery. He’s feeding/comfort feeding more during the day too. It does settle him instantly so at least I’m not awake for long it’s just very disturbed sleep. He’s definitely feeling tired in the day as he falls asleep in the car at nursery drop off which is way before his usual nap time!

please keep me updated if anything changes for you! I’d like to hear that there is an end in sight!! Hopefully things improve soon for you

Hey! Just to let you know that there has been some recent changes here. Nothing is vastly improved but my DD has started to nap better on her own during the day. I used to have to go in every 40 minutes and resettle her. Now she sometimes will sleep through for 2 hours in her own.
Also in the night, she does wake up still (or at least stir a lot) but she often just has a cuddle and a sush and then goes back to sleep instead of needing the boob. Small positives that I think will add up and hopefully make for easier nights!
She has got another viral infection though so it’s hard to know what she will be like when well!

That’s great to hear I’m pleased things are improving slightly! Naps are very hit and miss for us. Sometimes 30 mins and needing resettled. Sometimes one hour, sometimes 2 and settling himself back to sleep! At 11 months my LO was accepting of cuddles instead of a feed at night and it meant there was 2-3 wakes with only one feed. It was great so hope you get to a similar point if not better! He’s stopped waking every hour and now 2-3 hourly but still relying on the boob most of the time. I guess sleep is never linear for babies but having a bad sleeper most of the time means these bad spells are just terrible!! How is your LO with your partner in terms of settling? It used to be possible but that was another thing that just all of a sudden stopped at 12 months!