The definition of insanity...

[littlerascalsmum]

doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results!

I desperately need some advice on NW for my 21 month old. He has never been a great sleeper but from the age of 11 months would sleep through when there was no teething etc. Now for the past 7 months or so he has been a nightmare! Sometimes he will be up for around 4 hours!!! Other nights he will cry out around 5 times and won't self settle unless we walk in, pat him, say it's ok go back to sleep and walk out.

I have been doing the same approach for months and with no change in behaviour I guess it's time to do something else!

He has his first set of molars and canines (they caused double night wakings!) and recently he has had a spate of ear infections and illness. He is in top health now but wakes in the dead of night absolutely screaming at the top of his lungs then crying. I have tried standing outside the door and saying shhh for a week or so but it just took him extra long to settle and he still carried on doing it! I feel like he isn't fully awake when he is initially crying out - if I go in straight away and hand him his blankie and say go back to sleep he will usually drop back straight away. He has his eyes shut at this stage. If I leave him and stand by the door to reassure he will fully wake up and stays up for around 4 hours. Crying, then roaring, miaowing and laughing then back to scream/cry again!

I don't know what to do!!! I have looked up sleep specialists on the internet and am thinking of taking him to one. My husband and I are so exhausted as is James - he definitely isn't getting enough sleep.

He loves going to bed and goes down well for naps and bed independently and happily. Usually up around 6ish, nap from 12 - 2, bed 7.30, asleep by 8

Sorry this is a novel, any help appreciated!

[hatshetsut]

Do you think it is a night terror? Does it happen at the same time every night or is it random? What happens if he only takes a 1 hour nap in the afternoon rather than 2?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just throwing out some ideas. It sounds somewhat like night terrors/mares to me.

[aidenmc]

Just wondering if you've tried an earlier bedtime. I wonder if he is just a tad OT and needs a bit of a longer night? Night terrors, nightmares, etc. are more common when a lo is OT.

[missyb]

Nightmares were my first thought aswell, only becasue we have just been through the same thing with DS 22mths.

He would wake randomly through the night screaming blue murder and the only thing that would calm him was cuddles, and then when you put him down he would start up again

They often occur at times of stress and change in a LO's life, and when I actually thoguht about it, in the space of 2-3mths, DS had had chicken pox, an eear infection that took 4 lots of antibiotics to clear, 4 canines cut through, I was sick and in hospital, he graduated from the nursery to the toddler room at daycare and then DH has been workign flat stick and had about 3 weeks where he wasn't home much.  That is a lot for a little guy to deal with, so tackled the 2 things I could change in that list.  Daycare-I made sure i stayed with him for a good 15min before leaving in the morning until he was settled, and DH has made a realy effort to get home earlier and spend time with him.  It has been almost 2 weeks now and we have had 3 nights where he has woken and those times he has settled himself back to sleep.

Sorry for the novel, but it sounds like your LO has been through a fair bit too.  Add that to being a bit OT from all the NWíngs anyway.

Good luck

[missyb]

Just another random thought and a bit of a long shot but-Could he be rolling over in his sleep and banging the side of his cot and waking himself up???

[littlerascalsmum]

Hi everyone, thanks for your quick responses! The night terror thing may well be it. My husband has horrific night terrors even now as an adult and used to sleep walk/have nightmares as a young boy and apparently was a horror at sleeping when he was little (I am putting all the blame on his genes  

I haven't tried cutting his map on purpose but on the odd occasion where he has had a short one in the car etc it doesn't seem to make a difference.

I have tried putting him down earlier but at the moment it is horrible humid and hot and he just larks around in bed until his normal time then falls asleep! Yesterday and today he woke at 5.30am after numerous night wakings so I am dealing with a very grumpy boy. I probably should have added that he is very spirited - walking by 10 months, running by 10 1/2!

It is possible he is banging himself on the cot as I don't have bumper pads - maybe I should get some?

Thinking back all of this started after our trip to the UK - over there he was fine, sleeping right through but after coming back he has never really got back into good sleep habits.

So if it is night terrors what can I do? THere is nothing really obvious that is going on at the mo that could be stressing him?

[aidenmc]

All you can do is make sure he is as well rested as possible (I know, not under your control  ) and reduce stressors. With night terrors you shouldn't try to wake them. Just make sure he is safe and be there with him as you are and soothe him. He isn't aware he is having one but if he wakes will be very unhappy because it is in deep sleep so you are right to not wake him and if it were me I would go and be with him rather than letting him sort it out then dealing with long nw.