I've never posted a message before so please bare with me. Since just before New Year my 16 month old daughter has been waking anything from 2 am and screaming the house down for as much as 3 hrs at a time. I started by using controlled crying but this didn't work. The only way I can get her to sleep now is by standing by her cot so that she knows I'm there. This is a habit I didn't want to get into. After this she might go to sleep for up to 1hr but then it starts again. I used to be able to go into her when she cried and give her the dummy and she would settle, but now she seems as though she doesn't want anything near her mouth. She isn't showing any signs of teething so I don't think it's that and if it were would it be for as long as 3wks ? She didn't seem to suffer as badly or for as long with her previous teething.
During this time we have changed her nap time from 10-10.30 am to just after lunch (12.30-1pm) to see if this helps - but nothing. Her daily routine now looks like this:
Wake: 7 (if we're lucky enough that it's not earlier)
Milk: 7.30
Breakfast: 7.45
Snack: 10-10.30
Lunch: 12
Nap: 12.30-1 (from 1 1/2 - 2 hrs)
Snack: 3 ish
Dinner: 4.30 - 5.30
Bath, Milk, Story: from 7.15 usually asleep for 8
She has no trouble going to sleep, its during the night that the fun begins! When she wakes it's almost as if she's in pain, frightened or having a tantrum but I don't know which. She has been to the doctor and is not ill, is she too young for having night terrors- I don't know anything about dealing with these.
The doctor prescribed Vallergan Syrup which we are thinking of giving her as of tomorrow evening with the hope that it might break the waking cycle and we can begin again with controlled crying, but I feel anxious that we'll fall back into how we are now- NIGHTMARE!!!
Can someone please help before we go stir crazy x
Louise, Libby's frantic mum!
