NWs galore when DH is home :(

[becj86]

DS is 6.5months. We have been battling NWs since we went away to visit the inlaws in early October. We have had the 6month growth spurt, 1st tooth, etc. in that time and finally got him to STTN with the odd wake that he resettled himself. DH was away for work for 2 nights and DS slept without a peep for 11.5hrs both nights. DH came home and DS got sooo excited he wouldn't feed, wouldn't go to sleep, got OT and woke several times. After two nights like this, DH is away again this weekend so DS and I get some sleep but DH is now worried that he's stopping DS from sleeping well.

DH is not really doing anything to wind DS up, saying hello with some energy when he gets home, then I bath him as usual and try to feed him. By the time I give up on the feeding, he's OT and OS and a real pain to get to sleep. He hadn't fed since 7pm (and not a decent amount since milk with his solids at 4:30pm) when he got up this morning, tried to feed him at 6:30 and all he would do was watch DH everywhere he went. I think its lovely that he loves his dad so much, but we can't keep going on like this forever.

So, any tips for getting DS to calm down and sleep when DH is home?

[Bex09]

Oh hunnie we have the same problem and my DD is 17 months old!!!  I think this is quite common when they spend so much time with Mummy all day and then Daddy walks in and seems like a much more exciting prospect! lol.

One thing that we try is that DH baths C on the days that he gets back from being away. He tries to keep it as calm as possible (but that doesn't really work with a spirited toddler!) but he literally does everything in getting her ready for bed and then she seems to sleep ok because she has had her fill of Daddy time yk? It works for DH too as he has missed her so wants to spend as much time with her as possible too.

Just a thought that may work? Good luck.

[becj86]

That's exactly what I'm trying to convince DH of... good to know it works for someone else

I'll see if I can get him to give it a go on Monday when he gets home.

[georgeo]

We have the reverse because dh is at home with ds. As soon as I walk in the door all ds wants to do is spend time with me. He just needs his mummy cup filled up. I do everything with him until he goes to bed. I put him to bed a bit less than dh because we find he generally goes to sleep smoother if dh does it, he wants me to stay in the room but dh he's fine with him leaving. I agree with pp that dh doing most things when he gets home will help. It's tiring when you're tired from being at work, but really it's tiring when you've been at home with lo too.

[becj86]

Thanks for sharing your experience, georgeo. I know DH probably just wants to sit down and relax after working all day, but if he actually gets to sleep without 4-5 loud night wakings that last ~10mins before DS settles himself (more like 30mins if I try to help him back to sleep) then I think he won't mind so much

[Bex09]

Worth giving it a go hun. Hope it works for you.