Oh please help us get back on track!

[MDHmommy]

Hi ladies,
As some of you might know, we just got back from vacation in CO which is a 2 hr time difference from us. And we've got problems like you wouldn't beleive!

It all started out last Saturday (daylight savings day) when DS came down with a cold. He woke in the night coughing several times, and needed me to settle him B2S. Then the night before our flight, he woke up starting at 9:30 every 30 minutes, and I ended up taking a pillow and blanket to his room because we had to get up at 3:30 am to get to our flight.

He did remarkably well on the flight and took 2 good naps on the planes, then took another long nap once we got there. Went to bed without a fuss in the pack and play, but was def. coughing.

We were all in one room, and he woke in the middle of the night, several times, crying, hard...since we were staying at someone's house, and they have small kids of their own, we ended up brining him to the bed to settle him down so as not to wake the whole house - not to mention we were EXHAUSTED from the night before...and the cross-country trip.

The next few nights of our trip played out pretty much the same, but maybe a bit worse, with the AP spiraling out of control...bottles, rocking, co-sleeping, you name it, we did it out of desparation. We even gave him benadryl one night just to get some decent sleep. Through all of this though, he took great 2 hour naps and went to bed wihtout a fuss.

So yesterday, we flew home and he took a beautiful 2.5 hour nap on the plane...but then the last leg of our flight was LATE...took off at 9:45 local time which was 7:45 according to his clock...and he would not settle to sleep. So he was up...and crying the whole flight. Long story short, by the time we were in the car, and he was able to fall asleep, it was after midnight. I put him in bed (asleep) at about 1am and he slept like a log till 6am (4am) when he woke and was FREAKING out. I did PD for about 30 minutes before I gave up and gave him a bottle and brought him to bed, where he went B2S immediately and slept until 8 (6)

I had to work today (useless as I am...) and need some thoughts on where to start with undoing the mess we;ve made.

DS is not a good sleeper and never was really, but just before this happened, he had been doing GREAT - sleeping 11 hours a night for about 2 weeks straight, the longest he's gone wihtout trouble in months and months....

Sorry if I'm rambling, but I'm freaking beat!!!

Any help would be much appreciated!

Kate

[mari]

Hope that you managed to have anice time despite being tired.

Firstly, is he over his cough and cold?

Secondly, could you post his routine when he was sleeping throught he night, also, how did he fall asleep for naps and bedtime?
Have you ever done any sleep training and if so, what method?
Thanks
Mari

[MDHmommy]

Hi Mari,

He's pretty much over the cough - have not heard him coughing at night for about 3 days. He still has a bit of a runny nose, but that's kind of the norm, he goes to daycare.

Routine when things were good:

Wake for day at 6/6:15
Cup of milk - 4 oz or so
Breakfast 7:15
AM snack btwn 9:30/10:30
Lunch 12
Nap 12:30-2:30
Bath & wind down + bottle, 6:30
Asleep by 7/7:15

Falls asleep on his own for nap - I read a story, put him in crib, rub his back a bit and then leave. It's unusual for him to cry - but sometimes he does play in crib for a long time.

Same for bed, I put him in the crib awake with the lights on, then I turn out the lights, rub his belly and sing the same 3 songs, and leave. Usually, he'll roll over and go to sleep when I leave. Sometimes he'll need 2-3 Wi/Wos and other times, he'll play in there for a while and then go to sleep.

He has not eaten during the night in about 5 months. And, I have not been doing any prop stuff for about 4 mos.

I should mention that he was in our laps on the plane so was sleeping in our arms a lot. And, I think I already mentioned that in CO he ended up in bed with us...

As far as ST goes, we did CC when he was about 6 mos (he's 16 now). Then PD at 10 mos, and Wi/Wo at 13 mos. Wi/Wo worked the best.

Also - today at daycare, he took a 2 hr nap at the "normal" time. And, I put him to bed at the normal time, but it took an hour. Wi/Wo was making him too upset - much more upset than it normally does. So I did PD, but was turning my back after PD and inching away from crib bit by bit. He eventually fell asleep at about 8:15. And....just woke up, it's 8:45. I lay him down and handed him paci. He settled back to sleep without me. And I just put a nightlight in his room, the monitor broke and used to have a little light on it, so it was pretty dark in there just now.

What do you think? 

[mari]

The routine looks ok tbh, but you say that it was like that when thing were ok, have you changed this since you holiday?  If so I would try to get him back into this routine and use the sleep training methods that you have been using.  WIWO works best for me but with the AP (which is usual when we go on holiday or they are sick) he may need a little extra TLC until he gets back into sleeping independently again.  If you feel that pd and edging out of the room is working then do that until it gets to a stage that you feel WIWO is more acceptable.  As he has been sick and a little out of sorts with travelling, you will need to take it slowly.
Good luck.

[MDHmommy]

Well, routine pretty much went out the window on vacation - with the time change, and trying to kind of blend with this other family we were staying with - his naps got late (1:00-3:00) and meals were not...well, not what I would normally feed him, lots of teddy grahms...he came down with a nasty case of constipation and then diareha...and then a diaper rash you wouldn't beleive!!

Anyway, all told, I think last night was pretty good. He woke at 11:30, 12:30, 3 and 5. All wakes except the 5 were very quick, just a PD, pat and paci. The 5 was longer, he had a poo and needed to be changed, and it took about 30-45 mins to get him B2S...then he slept until 7:15...and I woke him up because I want him to start to get back on scheudle with the time change.

I'll keep at it tonight. I think I'll put him to bed tonight (DH and I usually take turns) and for the next couple of nights until he's a bit more himself.

Thanks Mari! Sometimes it helps to get a second opinion!!

Kate

[mari]

Keep us posted.  Help and advice is always here for you if you need it, you seem to be doing great though.

[MDHmommy]

Quick update!

20 mins to get down last night, and only 2 wakes (well, technically one long one) slept from 715-1:20 up from 1:20-1:40 then slept 1:40 till 6:45.

We're getting there.

He was still really resistant to Wi/Wo at bed time, was freaking when I left. So I ended up rocking him until he got a bit more drowsy (I think he's having trouble with it being light outside at bedtime) and he went down more easily. I still had to inch away from the crib though. Is that going to become a prop? The inching, I mean?

[mari]

Have you tried just turning away from the cot?  It sometimes works for others I am told.  You could even just stand by the door and say 'it's ok, time to sleep' or something.  I don't think it will be a problem if you gradually do get to the door when he his awake.  Perhaps go further away from the cot every night until you eventually work yourself out of it.

Glad the nightwakings have eased, half the battle!