15 mo screaming at 2:00am every morning

[meredithandnolan]

My 15 mo has been sleeping just fine since he was about 6-7 mo.  Here is his normal schedule;

7:00 am wake
8:00 breakfast
11:00 lunch
11:30: nap until 1:30
2:30: snack
5 or 6: dinnder
7:30-8:00: sleep for night

This has always worked well for us, and even on nights that his bedtime was pushed a little later he has done just fine and slept all night.  All of a sudden he has started waking at about 2:00 am and NOT wanting to go back to sleep.  This has been going on for the last 4 nights, and after fighting with him for 2 hours each night, I end up having to put him in bed with me.  But even then he is very restless.  Can anyone offer any advise, I'm 10 weeks pregnant and desperate for some sleep!!

Thanks,
Meredith

[LeesMom]

Hi Meredith,

I'm thinking maybe the stretch between wakeup from nap and bedtime is a little long for him at 15 mos. Not sure why he was okay with a later bedtime before, but I know with my DD we hit some sleep problems around 15 mos. too. I would probably try for a 7:00 bedtime at the latest, keeping his A time between nap and bedtime not more than 5.5 hours. DD is 22 mos. and her A time before bed is still only 5 to 5.5 hours. HTH 

[meredithandnolan]

I'll try anything, and I had planned on putting him down a little earlier tongiht, but it still doesn't make sense why all this time he has been fine with it.  His schedule has been a little out of wack, and I'm afraid it has more to due with seperation anxiety.  My husband and I were both out of town for business for about 4 days, and he stayed with MIL, who doesn't care anything about a routine.  I'm sure he was up until 9-10 everynight.  He was fine the first 2 nights we were home though.  I don't know, if it is SA, what do I do???  I've always been against him sleeping with us.  I do it when he's sick or teething sometimes, but I don't want to make a habit of it. 

[Layla]

Meredith, the stretch before bedtime does seem long but if he has been ok with it for a long time... then I think its more to do with what has happenned in the last few weeks. You said he was at MIL's and she's not too keen on schedules... have you asked her what he was sleeping like when with her? Assuming that she did let him stay awake till 9-10pm, I would do an earlier bedtime until the night wakings go away.

So try
7am - wake
11.30-1.30 - nap
7pm - bed

Good luck & let me know how it goes
Layla

[meredithandnolan]

I'm trying to get him down right now, and he is having nothing to do with it.  He screams as soon as I put him in the crib.  How do I get him down earlier if he won't go?

[Layla]

Sorry I got this msg too late. What time did he end up going down? You might have better luck bumping up bedtime in say 30min increments rather than 1hr earlier.... is he still taking a nap from 11.30-1.30?

[meredithandnolan]

He finally fell asleep about 8:00.  We did WIWO for about an hour, so thats not too bad.  And he slept all night, except for about 2 minutes at about 1:00 when he just screamed out, but them put himself back down.  I think I figured it out though.  MIL and my mom won't just put him down in his crib to sleep.  They want to rock him.  MIL says its her "special time" with him.  It drives me crazy that she doesn't listen to me, but I need her help a lot, so I don't have much leverage with her.  She's good for the most part, so I can't complain too bad.  But he was just used to being rocked to sleep, and had been spoiled a little.  Once he learned last night that he CAN put himself to sleep, he did it.  I feel like I've solved the worlds problems. Well, at least mine!!!!  Thanks for all your help, I think I'm going to stick with the earlier bedtime too, it gives me a chance to get stuff done around the house and still go to bed at a decent time!

[Layla]

Thats sucks about MIL rocking him.... I would be very angry because it now causes you to have to sleep train again . I understand she means well & who wouldn't want to rock a baby to sleep (I wish I could here & there) ... but maybe have a talk to her (if possible) & tell her that the rocking then gets in the way he falls asleep at home & you don't want to be up all night rocking him back to sleep....surely she can do other things to "bond" with him & make it "special time" .... read a book or sing him a song at bedtime.

Anyways, good luck Meredith!

Let us know if you need any more help