I need help please! I just do not know what to do or what direction to take at this point. My son, David, is seemingly sleeping less and less. We have recently moved to a new state (we have been here 3 weeks) and I know there are to be disruptions, but he has never slept through the night and now it is getting worse! I discovered Tracy’s books and method of PU/PD a couple of months ago and began with David as quickly as I could. I did feel almost immediately that we had made progress with PU/PD, but David still woke usually 3 or more times. Now that we have moved, it has increased significantly and I am having a hard time functioning with such a lack of sleep. Last night David woke 14 times before 4am, at which time he wouldn’t go back to sleep. After trying for an hour and a half, I finally pulled him in the bed with me out of exhaustion. He used to at least go 45 minutes before waking and now is maybe lasting 20. I feel there are 2 main issues here (maybe more.) The first one being that David wakes so much at night. The second that somewhere in the PU/PD David started holding onto my hands to fall asleep and now that is a constant for him to fall asleep. I am not sure how to change any of this. Please, please give me at least some direction to go in to hopefully improve my situation.
How old is your child? David is 14 months old.
What’s his/her daily routine? David’s routine includes breakfast, activity/play, downtime/reading/maybe nap, 10ish small snack, usually an errand, home for lunch, afternoon nap at 1, up around 3ish, snack, play and walk, dinner around 5:45, pj’s, play and wind down. Then bedtime routine starts around 7pm
What’s nap routine? We are slowly going to 1 nap, some days he still has 2.
How long are naps? Naps vary, anywhere from 45mins to 2 hours.
What's bedtime routine? Time? David’s bedtime routine is a 7 starts with a clean diaper, then brushing teeth, saying good night to the animals and Daddy, talking about his day, reading a book, breastfeed, singing one song, and then put into bed awake. After he is put into bed, he usually rolls around and plays to get his last bit of energy out and then he lays down where he wants to hold my hands until he falls asleep.
Do you bottle or breastfed?? Breastfeed
How much? or how long? David has recently cut down to 3 feedings a day, when he wakes in the morning, after his afternoon nap, and before bed.
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed) He feeds on both sides.
How many wakes per night? Lately more than 9, last night 14 times.
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up? David usually wakes up, I or my husband go in, put his pacifier in his hand, cover him up and he holds our hand until asleep again, usually taking less than 4 minutes, but sometimes he wakes up completely and is up for more than an hour.
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry? I would say that his crying is usually more fuss and a mantra cry.
What have you tried to settle?? PU/PD is what we have been using.
What do you do for A time and how long is it? Activity varies, we play with toys, read, go for walks, run errands.
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones? David seems to be constantly teething, although I do not believe he is getting any right now. We have recently moved (within the last 3 weeks), not the first time in his short lifetime (my husband is a student.)
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months) NA
Do they have a prop? If so what is it? David’s prop is his pacifier and my hands
Do they have a lovie? I have tried introducing several things as a lovie to him, but nothing has caught on as of yet.
I do not know what to do. I am open to all suggestions, I just want help, please!
