Author Topic: Advice for tackling 1 YO NW?  (Read 999 times)

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Offline eogan0622

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Advice for tackling 1 YO NW?
« on: April 25, 2016, 19:51:06 pm »
Hi All,

My 1 year old DD is still waking once/night.  She used to eat and go right back to sleep (BF). However, now it's a battle to get her back down after feeding.  She is super sleepy, and dozes off in my arms toward the end of her feeding, but as soon as I move to put her down into crib, she's up and screaming crying.  It's literally a battle.  I feel terrible about it because it's so disruptive and upsetting in the middle of the night.  It usually takes between 30-60 minutes to get her back down, and a number of attempts at getting her back in the crib.  I've tried:
1) letting her fall asleep after eating in my arms, waiting 5-10 mins until she's really asleep, and then putting her down
2) putting her down RIGHT after eating while she's still settling/drowsy
3) picking her up from the crib when she screams (she cries hysterically, stands up in the crib, and wails), waiting till she calms, and putting back down
4) not picking her up from the crib, rather when she stands and reaches I'll hug her and rub her back but never pick her up until she eventually collapses and falls asleep- this method in theory sounds best to me, as she is technically putting herself back to sleep, but it can go on FOREVER, and sometimes results in her collapsing down from standing and bumping her head on the crib and crying in pain and frustration- and then I feel compelled to pick her up. 

I guess I'm asking- what is the best approach?  What should I try?  If anyone has had good luck with any tactics, please let me know! I'm desperate for some sleep, since now when she gets up at night, I'm up for at least an hour, and at that point am awake from hearing her cry so much, and can't go back to sleep myself. 

FYI- I know we're starting the 2-1 transition- she is still taking 2 naps/day.  I cap her first nap at 1 hr and let her sleep for her second nap.  For naps, she goes down TOTALLY WIDE AWAKE, sits up, watches me walk out the door, and puts herself right to sleep, no problem.  Why is this so different than her nights?!

Help, please?!


Offline lily_layne

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Re: Advice for tackling 1 YO NW?
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2016, 02:07:11 am »
(((hugs))) That sounds exhausting. It does sound like it could be habit and she wants the pleasure of your warm snuggles at night! I'm not sure of the best way to tackle this but I'm going to pop your post over onto toddler sleep so that it gets more eyes.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2016, 02:13:53 am by lily_layne »
DD - August 2012
DS - November 2014

Offline Elisanah

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Re: Advice for tackling 1 YO NW?
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2016, 21:48:26 pm »
This sounds really similar to something I've been going through with my lo. She wakes a couple of times a night still and had started to take 60 minutes to go back to sleep /settle for at least one of those wakings...She would just scream if I unlatched her before she was ready (even if she seemed sound asleep!).

My HV said it was most likely due to her increased awareness and wanting to assert some control over the feeds. I don't know whether you follow wonder weeks but apparently there is one at around 53/54 weeks...which tied in almost exactly to when my lo's sleep deteriorated.

I found deciding a max length of time for breastfeeding helped. I would feed for 20minutes then say 'time to sleep' (if she protested) and pop her down in the cot. I then sat in her room until she settled, just shushing if needed or a quick cuddle if she was really upset. But I wouldn't breastfeed. That was really effective and now I've just cut it down to 15 minutes and can normally leave the room straight away and she settles within a couple of minutes. That said, it's not as frequent that she protests now...whether that's due to the 'sleep training' or her growing out of the wonder week phase,I don't know! I think the main thing is to try to be consistent in what you do.

HTH?