Need eyes on our new sleep problem.

[Bex09]

Hi, My DD has recently dropped to one nap and was doing great with STTN for 12 hrs most nights at first. Some nights she would wake once or twice but they were for minutes if that. Now sleep has just fallen apart! Naps are still mostly good, at least 2 hrs and then every now and then we will have a 12h STTN without a peep. But most nights we are having BT refusal for hours or NW that again last hours, this has been going on for over a week now. Usually long NW and BT refusal mean UT but with a 5 hr A time to bed and only one nap it can't be that can it? So I did think teething but even when we medicate she will still be unsettled. She has never successfully been sleep trained to fall asleep on her own (we were working on GW when all this started) but it has never seemed to stop her from resettling herself once asleep. The main issue is that now as soon as I put her down awake or asleep she jumps straight up and starts playing in her cot, dancing, jumping, you name it. I have no idea what to do and I know I am making things worse by caving and sometimes bringing her into our bed.  But I just have to get some sleep and can't hang out in her room for 3 hrs each night while she plays in her bed. Yesterday she refused BT until 10pm after one 40 min nap in daycare at lunchtime! What is going on?

[~inbalance~]

Can you post her routine so we can see the whole day?  I don't think it is an UT issue.  Has she learned any new skills lately?  We'll try to get to the bottom of it with you. 

[Bex09]

Thanks Martina! I really think there is something else going on with her as her nights are so hit and miss. Last night she was exhausted and I would say OT from the previous night and only a 1h 40 nap all day, but she slept from 7.00pm until 7.30am!!!! No doubt tonight will be awful again. Her routine is always the same but varies on times depending on her wu time. But generally it goes...

WU and 7oz milk - 7.00 am
Breakfast - 8.30
lunch - 11.30
Sleep - 12.00 - 2.00 (sometimes 2.30)
Snack - 2.30
Dinner - 5.00
7oz milk - 6.30
Sleep - 7.00 pm

So really I think her EASY is ok, what do you think? We did give pain meds before bed last night in case of teeth so I wonder if it was that. Just hate giving them when I can't see anything on her gums. I am thinking because her sleep in daycare twice a week is so bad (usually 40 mins) that it gets her OT which then messes up the rest of our week. Grrrrrr just wish I knew what was up so I could sort it out for her.

[~inbalance~]

Her routine does look good to me.  She is getting a lot of sleep, it might be time to start cutting if she is still doing that much but I know lately she has been missing out on some.  I wonder if you keep getting stuck in UT/OT loops, kwim?  Let us know how today went after such a good night and maybe we'll have a better idea. 

[Bex09]

Thanks Martina I think you could be right about the OT/UT loop. We have had a great day today so far Her routine has been...

WU - 7.30
A - 4h 45
S - 12.15 - 2.10
A - 5h 10
S - 7.20

So will see how tonight goes and keep you posted. C fell asleep for her nap and at BT really quickly (no refusal) so will just wait and see if we get the NW now.

[Bex09]

OK so we got the NW last night as I predicted! She slept without a peep from 7.20 pm until 3.30 am when she woke crying. We waited to see if she self settled but her cry got worse and then she got hysterical really quickly and had a huge coughing fit. She was then so worked up I had to PU and she instantly fell asleep again, but cried when I PD. Managed to settle her in the cot but for over an hour then she would fall asleep for a couple of mins and then wake crying and she was tossing and turning as if she was uncomfortable. In the end I took her into our bed and she slept there but was still restless and kept waking, she slept in until 8am though! So am wondering if this is a bit of SA or because she isn't properly sleep trained. Was thinking that she kept waking and panicing that we wouldn't be there. What do you think?

[~inbalance~]

That kinda sounded like discomfort to me.    Did you medicate last night?

[Bex09]

I gave ibuprofen with her dinner as she was dribbling so much and eating her hands and anything else she could chew on! Her gums are white but they have been for ages. I guess the meds would have worn off by 3.30am though anyway. We are in the middle of a reflux meds wean ATM but she is just not having her lansoprozole twice a week and it doesn't seem to have any other effects. She didn't have it on Sunday or Wednesday and Wed was a fantastic STTN so I don't know if it is that. Can't wait until she can talk and tell me what is up.

[~inbalance~]

I figured if you gave ibuprofen before bed then around when she woke up would have been when it had worn off, so I think that's a pretty good indication that her teeth are causing some issues.

It's so hard when there's so much going on, isn't there?  It takes awhile before they can tell you what's up, that's for sure! 

[Bex09]

Thanks so much Martina. Will see how we go on then, she can't be teething for ever right?! Maybe I should just wait to see if she wakes before giving pain meds then. Or maybe try teething gel instead of stronger meds. Guess we just have to ride it out and hope her nights get better soon.

[~inbalance~]

You could try a dream meds where you give her them in her sleep. I've never tried but I know lots of moms do it.

[Bex09]

Hi again! Just to update that last night she STTN without meds from 7.40 until 6.45, she then dozed in her cot until 7.15 before being up for the day. So I 'think' it was pain related and we are over the worst, fingers crossed! Thanks so much again for your help.

[~inbalance~]

Yay!  Definitely fingers crossed the worst is over.