Breath Holding Spells and Sleep Training - Help!

[parmar1]

Hi all
Ok, so I'm back to sleep training. My LO who is now 22 months is getting up 1/2 a night, I dont know why. She gets up crying and I have been going in giving her a cuddle and tucking her back in again. Sometimmes if she is up more than 3 times which does happen, I take her to my bed - I know I know, really bad of me, but by this time I am exhausted.
Anyway, she has had 2 spells of breath holding following intense crying (tantrum) and has become unconscious. BHS is not serious, but soooo frightening.
I am thinking of addressing her sleep problems  by using gradual withdrawal and not picking her up at all during her NW. She settles independently at the start of the night.
Has anyone else been through this or done sleep training with a child that has BHS
Please help, I am scared of doing this at the mo (although I am planning on doing this tonight)
She maybe teething her canines, but then again, I have been thinking that for months!

Thank you

[momtonb&ab]

just giving this a bump

[Julianne1984]

Hi, my son (26months) holds his breath sometimes too. Scary isn't it!! We don't pick him up at all at night, unless he is unwell. I don't have any experience with GW so can't really help sorry. Just didn't want to read and run! Xx

[firsttimemummy]

Could you sit on her bed with her until she is asleep, then next time sit until she is almost asleep, etc? Tiring, I know, but worth it long term.

In terms of the breath holding I have seen it in the past and it is scary - the family were advised to blow strongly in the LOs face as that means they have to breathe in the air, so stop holding their breath. Not sure if it worked but worth trying.

Good luck

[firsttimemummy]

just wondering how things are?

[parmar1]

Hiya.
Its so nice of you to ask how things are going.
Well...
It seems we didnt need to do any serious sleep training, I should have given my LO some credit huh. All I have done since my post is talk to my LO about staying in her cot all night and reminding her that if she does get up, she can cuddle her blankie and that I will not be bringing you in mummy's bed...so initially when she got up, I'd remind her where her blankie is, give her a quick cuddle and off she went, back to sleep. These NW's decreased and now she is back to sleeping through most nights, which is great, no tears and def no breath holding...
So thank you, I have taken your advice on board about blowing on her face when I think she might hold her breath and it works, honestly it does, we have had one episode where she held her breath (involuntarily of course) and I blew on her face and all was fine, thankfully.
Thank you
x

[firsttimemummy]

Great news - really happy for you