Getting back on track after broken arm

[betsysmum]

on December 5th my 20 month old daughter tried escaping her cot... and fell breaking both bones in her left arm.  We are all devastated and worried about her.

She's been a fantastic sleeper from very early on (we've done BW since she was born), but this has really thrown her for a loop.  We spent the first two nights in hospital and after a manic first night home she seemed to click back into her normal routine...for 3 days.

Before we got home from the hospital we changed her cot into a junior bed, but she seems to be ok with that.

What we're struggling with is he night wakings.  In the past, roughly 1 night a week we would hear her stir, but then put herself back to sleep (goes down at 7pm, wakes around 6am). but for the last week it's been awful.  We don't know if it's the pain of the broken arm (it's not mending as well as the doctor would like), the discomfort of having a full arm pot, the trauma of what happened or anything else.

Last night she went down perfectly at 7pm, but woke at 1.30am.  I went into her room to comfort her (hand on her belly while she was laid down on her cot), but the minute i would leave she would scream her head off.  By 4.45 I gave up and eventually took her downstairs to watch tv so that I might be able to get a few minutes of shut eye before having to go to work.

On her way to nursery this morning she fell asleep within 1 minute of the car moving and my husband carried her into school fast asleep where they then just put her down for a sleep.

Just pulling my hair out (i'm 7 months pregnant and hubby has the flu).  How do i get her back to being the great sleeper I know she can be.  Is it a lost cause until her arm gets sorted?

[babybarr]

DS had his leg in 2 plasters recently - one half cast and one full cast and he really didn't sleep well so I would put money on the fact it's her arm.  I found that DS got really hot too which I don't think helped.  I know they are not *supposed* to be in pain when in a cast but I did give meds too.

[skatty]

Poor baby  I am not surprised her sleep is disturbed, that must ahve been quite traumatic and she probably is in pain and it must be well annoying trying to sleep with your arm in a  cast, especially when you are so tiny  If it was me I think I would have a matress made up on the floor in case she needed me for comfort just until things settle, I am pretty sure she will go back to being a great sleeper once she isn't in pain/gets used to the cast, are you using any pain relief?

[betsysmum]

Matress on the floor might be a very good idea.

The past 3 nights she has gone down perfectly at 7-7.15, but at 4am we've heard a shuffle shuffle of little feet followed by someone opening our door.  She doesn't seem upset, just think she's figured out that in the junior bed she can just come out and see mummy and daddy.

last night we tried, for an hour and a half, of putting her back in her bed.  For the first 90 minutes she was calm and we were hoping she would just eventually go back to sleep.  but then nearly 2 hours in she started crying and holding her cast arm.  We fell into accidential parenting and took her into our bed, where she fell asleep within 2 minutes.

We're really torn.  Do we try and nip this in the bud and go hard core on her to stay in her room (she has no problems going to sleep) or do we show some sympathy seeing as she's in pain (may need second surgery we find out tomorrow).

[babybarr]

I think until she is free from the cast and any pain I would put the sleep training on hold.  If she sleeps in your bed so be it.  She probably needs the reassurance and comfort atm.

((hugs)) it is hard having a little one in a cast.

[Shdef]

I would think it's the arm, too. When you cannot choose your position 100%, when something is itchy or painful, the sleep just isn't as deep. Now, I wouldnt go back to total AP either, that will make it hard for when she's better, but not actually 'train' just now. Go in, resettle, reassure, scratch, give pain meds, whatever, but then go back out and let her sleep.

hugs for you and your LO.

[skatty]

I would prefer her to stay in her own bedroom and be with her if needed, getting into mummy and daddy's bed will be a  much harder habit to break than gradual withdrawal out of the room if it comes to it. I am sending so many healing vibes 

[babybarr]

I def think the mattress on the floor would be the best option.  So fingers crossed she settles for that.