Odd NWings and his lovey - 19 mths

[*Liz*]

We are going through a really really bad patch with J again - routine wise he has manged to get himself Ot after doing the time change and we are *trying* to reverse that with little joy.

But last few weeks or so we have had random NWings where he will wake up, fuss about and then cry out. Doesn't settle himself and escalates if I don't do in.

But ALL I do is give him his lovey back and tell him to lie down and go back to sleep. And he does. That is it - 30 secs in room only. But sometimes it is happening every hour or so ALL night long.

Sometimes the lovey is the opposite end of the cot or under his sleeping bag - but not exactly lost. He has a night light for the exact reason that he needs it to find the stupid bear if he wakes. But recently he doesn't seem to be doing it - just crying for us instead.

Last night was one of those dreadful nights when he woke every hour and often he still actually had the bear in his hand - but STILL lay down and went back to sleep as soon as I told him too. But won't do the same if I just call from elsewhere.

What is going on? Is the lovey becomming a prop? But he obviously CAN control it himself really. Can I possibly be becomming a prop with a 30 sec contact in the middle of the night?

It is making him OT as well  .

Totally lost on what is going on here  but it is making me VERY tired.

[~Emma~]

 Liz we are having very similar wakings here. (They have now escalated but the culprit is teeth over here.) Its very frustrating getting up in the night several times over for just 30 seconds, I totally understand your frustrations. DS also seems to know that the first thing I do is switch the night light on and look for his lovey if he cries.

 Bedtime can be a nightmare too, he chucks it over the edge and cries knowing full well I'll go up and give it back to him. Its not every night though which is something I suppose.

 No real advice I'm afraid though. DH always tells me we should be grateful that its all he needs to get back to sleep when he wakes but I find it annoying that he's not always done it iyswim.

[babybarr]

If he's waking every hour and needing you, that's discomfort in our house.  What's going on teeth wise?

[Colin Macs Mom]

It's pretty common to have sleep disruptions before a new LO comes  

Aside from that phenomenon, could he have sort of forgotten that he can control the lovey? What does he do if you ask him to pick it up and lay back down? As opposed to when he's already got it.

[Mashi]

Liz we went through this a month or so ago...he just stopped looking for it himself and sometimes would cry out for me to find Bunny for him even though it was only 2 inches away from the end of his finger tips.  It was annoying and frustrating but I never really stopped to think about the "why" part...it lasted a couple of weeks and then just stopped.  Yes, it was sometimes 5-6 times in a night and it often seemed as if he was not even awake but only reassured if I went to him and put my hand on his back for a second, handed him his bunny (that was often in his hand already) and told him to go back to sleep.

Possibly a stage of SA? SA does seem to coincide with teething for us and his canines were cutting the upper gum at the time, so I guess I just brush it off as that when we go through bouts of these types of wakings and don't think much more of what else could be causing it.

[~Emma~]

It's pretty common to have sleep disruptions before a new LO comes  

 Sorry to hijack but really? How do they know? We also have boxes etc packed everywhere, do you think that could be bothering Brodie? DH thinks I'm being daft by thinking that it'll be unsettling him but I'm not too sure.

[*Liz*]

If he's waking every hour and needing you, that's discomfort in our house.  What's going on teeth wise?

No teeth to blame this one on - he finished his canines about 4 weeks ago and they are all descended. No real signs of reflux or anything else either  .

It's pretty common to have sleep disruptions before a new LO comes  

Aside from that phenomenon, could he have sort of forgotten that he can control the lovey? What does he do if you ask him to pick it up and lay back down? As opposed to when he's already got it.

Might be the new LO coming but TBH we don't really talk about it very much at all with him - we felt he was too young to really understand. Although he will see me getting fat I guess?

I will try asking him to find bear bear next time he wakes and see if he can do it. I can see that he might have forgotten he CAN find it so doesn't bother even though it is in his hand.

Glad to hear others have had this though - there might be a SA element as well as last night he was flopping back down as soon as he saw me but wouldn't settle until I actually appeared.

Driving me bonkers though!!

[Colin Macs Mom]

Sorry to hijack but really? How do they know? We also have boxes etc packed everywhere, do you think that could be bothering Brodie? DH thinks I'm being daft by thinking that it'll be unsettling him but I'm not too sure.

I don't think it's so much that there's a baby coming as the general upheaval and stress that comes along with that. Even when they're older, LOs are SO sensitive to us and our vibes so to speak. But really, if you hang out on the Two Under Two board, people post all the dang time about their older LO having bizarre sleep disruptions near the end of their pregnancy.

[*Liz*]

Jess I think you might be right. I'm sure he can tell Mummy is exasperated and tired and that will lead to reassurance based NWings.

We moved some furniture upstairs about 6 weeks ago now and he is STILL telling me Dada moved the wardrobe out of the spare room and into our room (making him a new BB room - which I guess we REALLY need to finish since he is obviously noticing things and remembering them as well  ).

I did try asking him to find bear bear last night and he could find it himself - rest of the times it was in his hand. So I just said lie down and again he did.

[shresmummy]

Liz, I wonder if it's something about this age where they start doing weird things. we have been having the identical NWs for the past 2 weeks.. it's is SO frustrating. At least your LO will go back to sleep if you just hand it over to him. My LO has been rolling all over the cot in her sleep and bunny is not too far away from her usually, she can just reach it, but wants me to get it for her instead. She used to find it herself before, but now just chooses to have me come in instead and give it to her. But she will also want a cuddle! She keeps shouting out "Mummy's here, bunny's here" and if I dont' go in it escalates too.

Whatever it is, I hope this stages passes for all of us! I can't imagine having so many NWs and being pregnant!

[Colin Macs Mom]

We moved some furniture upstairs about 6 weeks ago now and he is STILL telling me Dada moved the wardrobe out of the spare room and into our room (making him a new BB room - which I guess we REALLY need to finish since he is obviously noticing things and remembering them as well  ).

LOL, this is how Colin is too. Some LOs are more sensitive to change than others!