night waking - 22 month old

[Mak]

My 22 month old easily fell into the Gina Ford 7 -7 routine and has slept through the night from 20 weeks old. She has now suddenly started waking in the night and refuses to go back to sleep ( a common problem). Some nights I have been up with her for 5/6 hours. Whilst I am with her she is exteremly contented. Controlled crying hasn't worked because she is like an olympic athlete jumping out of her cot. We've now put her back in a sleeping bag, which she is more than happy with, but she can still climb out of her cot. I don't really want to put her into a big bed because I don't think it will help the situation. Does anybody have any helpful ideas that might work?

Mak all I can really offer is sympathy. My 22 month old is in a sleeping bag (only a recent thing because of waking up cold and crying) and can only just manage to drag himself upright in his cot and certainly only does this in the morning. We've had a few disturbed nights with him recently which we've put down to constipation induced tummy ache but at least he is still laid there.

How long has this being going on? Has her routine been disturbed by the Christmas break? Extra people in the house? Is she teething? Any other changes? Although why its happening isn't really the point I suppose - stopping it would be more useful. Hope someone can help.

It started just before Christmas. My mum came to stay with us, she lives away so we don't see her often.Then dd was ill and my mum looked after her - so that was all strange. everything else has been the same but I also wondered whether it was Christmas fever? Touching lots of wood, things seem to have improved, she has gone down on her own this evening, but 'm not sure what time she'll wake. this a.m. it was 4 O'clock through 'til 6.
I think the biggest difference is I've accepted her waking and decided to sit with her, in the meantime I've decided that I may as well relax rather than getting stressed. So now I get the bean bag and chill out. Seems to have made a some difference -lets hope it lasts.

Funnily enough my ds (15months) who normally sleeps extremely well started waking at night around Xmas and staying awake. Realised it was due partly to changes in routine and diet around Xmas, but mostly due to an uncomfortable tummy due to constipation (allowing him too much rubbish to eat, so our fault). Regular healthy meals plus a fig puree added to his breakfast yoghurt helped enormously, and once all that got sorted he has gone back to sleeping through as normal.

Thanks Bozza and Aloha. Things seem to have consisitently improved. Funny thing though- I bought some illuminous stars for dd's bedroom wall to try and make it a little more attractive. whilst we were sitting watching TV the other night we heard a bang - but then nothing else. when I went in to check on her later there was a bright illuminous haze all around dd's head. She had obviously woken and peeled all of the stars off and gone back to sleep. I was so excited she had put herself back to sleep that I couldn't sleep - typical. Anyway shouldn't speak too soon.

I had exactly the same problem with ds about 4 months ago and reisted the temptation to transfer him to a bed despite three separate occasins of him falling out of his cot in a temper tantrum. Often had to resort to sleeping on his bedroom floor to make him settle again. It coincided with a room change at nursery but I cant say what it was. We lowered the cot to the cot bed setting but left the side on and thankfully after a few weepy nights he did settle back into the magic 7-7 and has settled ever since. There is no real answer but I think you are right not to be paniced into a bed move. Stick with it is my advice and I wish you a more restful new yera.

it does seem forever while they are not sleeping though and you think things will never go back to normal - I hope you are lucky soon.

My experience so far with dd (16 months) is that her sleep patterns continuously change. She has never been a great sleeper but isn't bad either, normally 7 till 6.30 but sometimes recently waking at 6 and went through a horrible spell of waking at 5.30. She has almost always, 5 nights out of 7 cried out briefly in the night since she was born. She settles again very quickly and normally without assistance but because we are right next door we hear and wake at everything.
I find that there is no real pattern. Teeth are a lot to do with her waking I think because she seems in pain and has very hot flushed cheeks. This will last for any period of time and then she'll go back to being very settled again and then in no time, just as we are getting used to her sleeping really well she will revert !

tillysmummy, sounds exactly like my ds (13 months)! In our house I refuse to accept that the day starts before 6.30...doesn't always work, of course.
I do find that early waking is usually worse when he is overtired (after nursery for example). And recently he has cried out much much less in the middle of the night (hope that's not tempting fate!) But the molars are starting to make an appearance now....