Stumped by 11 month old

[MDHmommy]

Oh my goodness...we're SO close to sleeping through the night with regularity...but can't....quite....get there!

Trouble started months ago with teeth, turned into AP, and mistake after mistake led to LO waking every 45 minutes and Mom at her wit's end. Things have been so much better, thanks to the advice and support of the lovely ladies on the PU/PD board, as well as our Doctor. And we're sleeping from 7:30 pm till 5:30 am about twice a week, but the rest of the nights, DS wakes about 2-3 times a night.

I have an air mattress that I keep in his room so that on the nights he wakes up - I can go in there and sleep (Dr suggested this) I've found that if I do that, his wakings are just long enough for me to lay him back down and he goes right back to sleep. If I don't, he's awake for long time and needs to be rocked etc.

What on earth could be causing this??

How old is your child? 11 months
What’s his/her daily routine?

What’s nap routine?
How long are naps?
What's bedtime routine? Time?
Do you bottle or breastfed??
How much? or how long?
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed)
How many wakes per night?
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?
What have you tried to settle??
What do you do for A time and how long is it?
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)
Do they have a prop? If so what is it?
Do they have a lovie?

[MDHmommy]

Sorry - don't know what happened - it posted before I was ready!

How old is your child? 11 months
What’s his/her daily routine?
    Up 5:30 am
    8 oz. bottle, formula
    Breakfast 8:00 or 8:15 usually a good carb and protien with some fruit
    Nap at 9:30 till 10:30 or 10:45
    7 oz. bottle
    Lunch noon depends, usually good carb and veggie plus water or diluted juice
    Nap at 2:30 till 3:30 or 4
    7 oz. bottle plus snack, usually whole wheat crackers or teething biscut
    Dinner at 5:30
    Play with daddy till 6:30 then calm down...
    Bath at 7
    Books
    Bottle with lights on, no sleeping allowed during bottle!
    Bed, lights out
What’s nap routine?
    See above for timing - we wind down similarly to bed time, read books, sing.
How long are naps?
    Not more than 1 hour 30 mins.
What's bedtime routine? Time?
    Bath, PJs, Books, 8 oz bottle with lights on, sing and rock with lights on, then into crib with lights on, flip lights, pat on back a bit and leave...generally he'll go to sleep without much protest. Other times, I'll have to PD a couple of times, or at the worst, sit in rocker for a few minutes (maybe 10 tops) until he sings himself to sleep.
Do you bottle or breastfed??
    Bottle since 8 mos.
How much? or how long?
   4 bottles/day 7-8 ounces of formula, plus a sippy of cow's milk after dinner around 6:30 - he usually drinks about an ounce.
If breastfed.. one side or both?? (at each feed)
How many wakes per night?
  between none and 3.
What’s your LO like when waking at night? How long is he/she up?
   If I'm in the room, 2 seconds, if I'm not - he can stay up as long as 20 minutes to an hour.
When you go to him/her is she fussing or crying? Or is it a mantra cry?
   Fussing or crying. depends. Not a mantra cry, I don't go in for that.
What have you tried to settle??
  I lay him back down (he's always sitting up) hand him his nuck.
What do you do for A time and how long is it?
   we play inside or outside, run errands, go for walks, the playground, many things. He's pretty big.
Are there developmental issues such as teething or milestones?
   Starting to walk, but the wakings have been going on since about 7-8 months old.
Have you introduced cereal? Why, how much, and how many times a day? (for LO’s under 6 months)
Do they have a prop? If so what is it?
   Not anymore, unless me sleeping in room could be prop?
Do they have a lovie?
   Tried it, he's not into it.

[binxyboo]

Sorry, I don't have any bw techniques to share with you, I am sure one of the mods will be on soon to share their expertise. But I would like to recommend a book that helped me, "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth. He is the person who founded the original sleep disorder clinic here in the US and has done lots of studies on sleep, so he knows his stuff. It's a great book for understanding the development of healthy sleep.HTH

[Colin Macs Mom]

I suspect that it's separation anxiety. Does he show any signs during the day as well, like being extra clingy, protesting when you leave the room or out of his sight?

[andibig]

i agree that it sounds like sep anx. DD had the same routine at that age but slept ok. shes a very "huggy" toddler so shes always getting cuddles which maybe why she was alright at night.
HTH

[MDHmommy]

Yup. Super clingy, and follows me everywhere I go. Crawls around after me if I go to the toilet! Poor child. I do give lots of hugs. We actually spend a good 30 mins in the eve rolling around on the floor playing...and same in the morning in the bed. He's very huggy.

It's ok to keep sleeping in there like I have been? Please tell me I won't have to move into his dorm with him when he goes to college 

[Colin Macs Mom]

hehe, no you won't need to do that forever. Some folks have had success with gradually moving closer and closer towards the door until they're out so you might consider something like that.

[MDHmommy]

You're right - I just laugh at how silly the whole situation has become. Sleeping in the hall? How insane. I think I'll give it another week and then move to the hall (we live in tiny house with tiny rooms - so as it is now I can't move further away - I'm jammed between the crib and the door! LOL)
*sigh*
Maybe someday I'll get to sleep with DH again! Ha!

[Colin Macs Mom]

If it makes you feel any better me and my DH didn't sleep in the same bed for a year after DS was born! LOL!

[MDHmommy]

I swear, some days I wonder if there will ever be another child, without some kind of miracle! LOL!

[Colin Macs Mom]

I used to say that too