sudden sleep problems of 16 month old

[bunnyd]

hi all,

our 15 month old daughter has suddenly been taking as long as 1 or 1.5 hours to fall asleep. She has always been a good sleeper, usually taking about 20-25 minutes to settle (includes bath, bedtime book, cuddle and milk in mummy/daddy's lap, and usually would fall asleep as she is finishing the bottle, or within 5 minutes of finishing, depending on how tired she is).

She moved into toddler room at nursery a couple of weeks back, which aslo coincided with the clocks changing. From about day 1 of her going into toddler room, she was taking ages and ages to go to sleep - she talks to herself and sings and keeps moving about in her cot, including standing up, lying down again, standing up, walking about etc) and only cries if I/ her dad leave the room. She is quiet again when we come back, but refuses to go to sleep. we have been doing the touch on the back, wondering if her final 4 teeth are coming (she's got 16 teeth already), or is it just a transition because of the change in the room at nursery, but can't find a reasonable anser, as this changed sleeping pattern also lasts during the weekend, and she has not been to the nursery since thursday this week because of the easter break.

her usual routine is:
7.15 /7.30 wake up
12.15/ 12.30 - 1.45/ 2.00 nap
7.15/ 7.30 sleep time

But today for example, I took her up at 7.30 pm, and she fell off to sleep only at 9 pm! I have not tired the pick up/ put down method yet for this, and have never had to do more than a few nights of any of tracy's suggestions, never used controlle crying, but this is really wearing us out, to the extent that when daddy takes her to sleep, he spends about 40 minutes and then gives up and comes down, then i go up and still it takes her more than an hour and a half to get to bed every night.

Are there any questions I should be asking her nursery workers? they have said she has transitioned from bby room to toddler room fairly easily, sleeps there too as eper her normal routine and is well and happy. But at night she is finding it very hard to settle down. and she is constantly babbling. ANy help/ advice would be greatly appreciated, we are at our wits end trying to understand what happened and what we should do about this! thank you!   

[*Becky*]

sounds like there could be a few issues going on. I would have said she is likely OS from starting in a new room at nursery but if you say it is happening at weekends too then it is more likely to be a routine issue although I have to say her routine looks good. Does she normally nap for 1.5 hours??

Once she is asleep for the night does she STTN? Does she seem to be in pain at all?

It could be a touch of SA. My son went through this at a similar age but it turned out he was also teething so needed us there for extra reassurance.

[bunnyd]

hi becky,

thanks for your reply. i think there is definitely some OS going on, not sure about the SA or if there is that, then how to change anything as she goes to nursery 5 days a week with both of us working. It is defintiely there both during the week and weekends. and yes, she does STTN once she's down, and wakes up happy, apart from the very very occassional night waking. She might be teething but does not seem to be in pain as she does quieten down the minute i walk back into the room. and her teething pain cry is very different to this one.

Do you/ anyone else know what is Walk in/ Walk out method? Aksing coz she does not stnad up, just sits up in bed, les down and is generally very very fidgety and cries when i leave the room but quietens down when i enter the room, and starts babbling.

[*Becky*]

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=80750.0

let me know if you have any specific questions. My son responded very well to WIWO.

[bunnyd]

Thank you! if today was any indication, things might be improving - it took the usual 20 minutes for us to read a story, sing a song and then tuck her in. She rolled over straight away and started to chatter, so i walked out, she cried i walked in, and spoke to her reassuring her that it was only bed time and that i was there for her if she needed me, also put a hand on her back till she calmed down. it took 4 more times for me to walk out and then in again, but she did not stand up or yell. and after the 4th time, she was fast asleep!

But then, she also woke up really early today - 6.30 am, which is an hour earlier than her wake up time; had her 1.5 hrs nap from 11.30 - 1.00 and then was awake since then, so that was a long activity period for her. Also she has stopped eating today, which makes me think a tooth is coming (she has clamped her mouth shut for everything except milk every single time a tooth has appeared; and has gone up to 4-5 days with this only-milk diet but that had never affected her sleep routine)

So my question is - do u touch them when u go back in during the WIWO routine? or just speak to them in a gentle voice? She sits up when I'm gone but when i come back and touch her, she instantly lies down, noticed she did not lie down if i just spoke to her and did not touch her, so a bit confused.

[*Becky*]

if DS was sitting up I would lie him down but otherwise i did not touch him. i just replaced his muslin, said my sleep phrase and left. xx