Hi!
I have just spent 1 hour doing wi/wo on a NW. I don't think this works. I'm totaly frustrated.
Here is a little background: In the past I would put DD (18 mos. old) in her crib, pat her and brush her hair back from her eyes (with my fingers) as part of her bedtime routine. Then, since I slept in the same room as her, I would walk over to my bed and lay down. I'd wait until I hear her deep breathing before leaving the room. I know, I was a prop through AP. I kept planning to wean DD off of this routine, but never have the energy to do it. I usually fell asleep in my bed around the same time as DD. She would have occasional NWs where she would settle herself.
Then in mid-Jan. to 3rd week of February, DD started having weird NWs. She would wake up every hour from midnight to 5:00am. From 5:00am to 7:00am (when we get up for the day), she woke up every 10-15 minutes. I could settle her from my bed (I didn't need to stand next to the crib) by just telling DD that it was sleep time, and she would fall back asleep. This went on for over 1 month. I was exhausted!! About 2 weeks ago, I tried to get DD to sleep without me in the bedroom. I would open and shut the door as if I have left the room but not actually leave. When she started crying, I would reassure her that I'm still in the bedroom, and lay down in my bed.
About a week and a half ago, after my bedtime routine, she would cry every time I took a step away from the crib. This reaction was the same at naptime, bedtime and at NWs; would not let me step away from the crib. However, she fell asleep faster at naptime than at bedtime. Now she has stopped the hourly wake up, but she still wakes up 3-4 times a night. Then yesterday morning, she woke up at 4:06am and would not sleep or settle down. She would fuss and cry. I tried to reassure her; that didn't work. I even stood by her crib, but she refused to lay down. So, I went back to bed and told her that I am in the same room as her. She fussed and cried from 4-7am. The same thing happened this mornnig. I don't believe she was crying hard, but it is weird that she stood in the crib for 3 hours. She also could not settle herself for yesterday's nap. I did controlled crying, and she fussed and cried from 1-3:30pm (her normal naptime) and eventually did not nap.
I have read some of the e-mails on this post and thought wi/wo might work for me. Last night was my first attempt, but I messed up and did controlled crying for the first 2 hours and wi/wo for the next 1.5 hours (took DD 3.5 hours before falling asleep). I put her down to sleep earlier at 7:00pm (her normal bedtime is 8pm) since she did not nap. She only had 1 NW and that was at 4:00am. Tonight I only did wi/wo. It took almost 2 hours of going in every 5 seconds. DD cried a lot, so I probably went in a couple of hundreds of times. Why are other people's experiences a lot less wi? I read an e-mail where mom went in 6 times over a 20 minute period. Am I going in too often?
Then, DD woke up at midnight and I pat and sh'd her back to sleep (I didn't leave the room). She woke up again at 1:27am, and I tried wi/wo. I did it for an 1 hour and eventually gave up and I put my hand on DD's back and stayed in the room until DD fell back to sleep. Are we suppose to do wi/wo during NWs? Now, she is up again at 3:45am.
Sorry for the long e-mail. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! I'm at the end of my rope. I can barely think due to the lack of sleep. PLEASE HELP!!
Thanks!
Elle
