Does anyone have any ideas for NW in 18 month old?

[Bryony]

Hi there!

I can't believe that I haven't been able to sort this out - but we have been getting horrible NW (and sometimes EW) for most of the last 4 months and I am wondering if anyone can see something I have missed.

Katie is not one of the greatest sleepers (she had reflux as a baby, and is very sensitive to OT, UT, change in routine etc) but from 6 - 14 months old she did great, STTN most nights 7:30pm - 7am.

She went to one nap at around 13 months old and seemed fine for a month or two after that... and then started NW and EW most nights ever since.

Our current day looks like this:

wake up anywhere from 5-7am - usually around 6am
nap start at 11:30 - 12ish - depends what time she woke up
naps for usually 1.5hrs, sometimes 2hrs and sometimes less than 1.5hrs
bedtime 5-5.25 hrs after she woke from her nap - so usually 6:30pm

At night she then wakes at random times, usually once, and sometimes twice a night. The NW seem to be of two types:  1) a kind of muffled sob, which if ignored escalates into crying and lots of tears,  but can usually resettle her quickly if I go in there straight away, and (2) a loud wailing / screaming which usually means she will be awake for hours and will scream if I leave the room.  On nights with (2) we usually get a EW as well, so I am guessing these are due to OT - although she seems fine and happy during the day and shows no signs of being tired in general.

During the last 4 months we have had occasional periods where she's gone back to a really nice 7pm - 7am night with no NW and a 2hr nap, but most of the time it looks like the routine above.

I haven't a clue what this is all about!

She is a very good independent sleeper - for naps and bedtime I just lie her down and put her lullaby on, and she will talk to herself for a few minutes and then go to sleep.  No props.

She has been teething - but I can't believe this accounts for every night for the last 4 months. 

I posted about this a few months ago, and the general consensus seemed to be that 14 months can be a tricky age and to just hang in there - but 4 months later I am too tired to hang in there much longer!

any ideas anyone?

xx

[skatty]

That muffled sob does sound like what my DD does when teething, she is half asleep and if we don't give medicine then it can turn into a wail and she is then very hard to settle but I agree if it every night for 4 months it probably isn't teething so it probably is an issue of OT, have you tried and earlier bedtime? I must add Leorah's molars started moving at the end of May and we are now in August with nothing through but have little respite in symptoms that whole time, not just NWs she has had bad naps, EWs, loose nappies and food strikes too though not always all at once, have you had any of these? Anyway even if it is teething that has started this it now sounds like she is OT so my advice would be to put her to bed 30 mins earlier and see if that helps 

[Bryony]

Thanks Skatty!

Yes probably a combination of molars and OT. She has one molar now, and the next one will not be long away I think.  Problem is that I can't get her into bed any earlier than 6:15 as I don't get in from work in time to get her down any earlier than that - and even 6:15 is a real rush for us both. I'd like her bedtime to be 7:30pm really but we keep moving it earlier and earlier to get on top of various batches of OT and now it can't go any earlier!  I guess at weekends we can go for an earlier one.

I must add Leorah's molars started moving at the end of May and we are now in August with nothing through but have little respite in symptoms that whole time, not just NWs she has had bad naps, EWs, loose nappies and food strikes too though not always all at once, have you had any of these?

Naps OK - a few bad ones but generally OK, we do have EWs, no loose nappies, and some food strikes - so I guess that all supports teething as one factor which hopefully will be over soon.

Anyway will go for earlier bedtimes at the weekend and see if that helps at all!

Sigh!

xxx

[skatty]

These teeth are hard going aren't they? If you DD is anything like Leorah once the first is through the rest of the set follow quickly and then at least it makes it easier to get back on track then. I hope the early bed at the weekend will help you 

[bethanys mummy]

Hi rhere

sorry to see you here..........................

one thought re tackling the OT (because it can be hard to get her to bed early sometimes) would be to slip in the occasional 2 naps - ie cat nap + longer nap. Will she still sleep in the pushchair? We went back to 2 naps most days on our hols as B went back to 10 hours at night as she was waaaaay overexcited and heading for OT! Kept her on track ish (and gave us a much needed rest too!)

E x

[Peek-a-boo]

I'm thinking, but will throw in some {{hugs}} to mark my spot. 

[Sima]

Bryony:'
My lo is 19 months and since she was 15 months she has had one molar after another and now eye teeth.  This has disrupted mainly naps and sometimes loss of appetite.  She is finally getting her last eye tooth.  When she cries for the teeth...i can tell she is in pain and give her motrin.  But this teething thing has gone for months on and off.   Frustrating!!!

[Peek-a-boo]

I'm grasping at straws here, but you mention a lullabye.   Is that on continuous loop so it's constantly playing throughout the night?  Or is it only on while she's falling asleep?  Does it end before she falls asleep or after--are does it just depend on the sleep?

Have you ruled out food intolerance issues?  My DS is intolerant of dairy--if he has dairy, he wakes with tummy pains and behaves much like you describe in your #2.  He screams, cries, arches, acts like he wants to settle, but can't get comfy (he sleeps on his tummy and that position seems to hurt, so he tosses and turns, etc).

[Bryony]

Thanks everyone!!   xxxx

No I can't get her to have two naps, no matter what I do - I have tried taking her for walks mid morning and late afternoon to see if she would have a 15 min doze - she used to sleep in the buggy if she was even remotely tired but now she is too busy spotting buses and bikes and woof-woofs. The world is so exciting!

Bethany good thought re the diary intolerance. I  have wondered if there is a link to having too much fruit near bedtime so have said no fruit after 2pm - it's too soon to say but I think it may be helping marginally. I will also keep an eye out for a link with days when she's had more diary - she does have lots of cows milk mid afternoon and has been since she was a year old...  hmm, all good stuff to think about!

She STTN last night though - woo hooo!!!

XX

[Aly Mac]

HI Bryony!  Love I have found since L has all her teeth (bar the 2nd molars of course) she sleeps so much better.  I think once you are over the teeth things will be better.

wish I could help more, but really this is my experience anyway.

xxx