Sleep training - is this a normal relapse or something else???

[beckygatt]

I am 2 weeks into sleep training my 13 month old with GW. It has been going quite well. I still stay in the room till she sleeps but she falls asleep on her own without too much fuss. At night she had a couple of long NWs but the last few days has been either STTN or waking very briefly needing paci and sleeping again. Last night though she cried more than usual before sleeping and then spent between 12 and 2am awake and crying quite a lot before finally sleeping again. I know relapse is common around 5 days into sleep training but could it happen 2 weeks in? I always worry there may be something else bothering her when she does this  She was doing so well! There always seems to be something or other. Its like I'm playing one big guessing game!!

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

[*Becky*]

Being awake for 2 hours and crying would suggest pain and/or OT to me. Could it be that?
What did yesterday look like?

[beckygatt]

She may have been OT as Sunday was a long day and she hadn't quite caught up yesterday. Today she's had 2 good hour and 10min long naps. She woke from last one at 3 so maybe I'll ensure she's in bed by 7pm latest. As for pain teething is always an option I guess. She has been a bit cranky today; not sure if she's just tired or teething. I can't wait till she can talk! All this guessing is so exhausting!

Thanks for your reply! x

[*Becky*]

ok well if you suspect teeth then medicate before bed and see how you get on. If it helps then you have your answer....for now!

[beckygatt]

I did medicate last night and she slept well till 4.30, at which point she was awake for about 30mins. If she is fine during the day surely that makes it less likely to be teeth? And if it is teeth what can I do to prevent our 2 weeks of sleep training going down the drain?! And to prevent bad habits forming again :-/

BTW she has been fine at nap times...

Thanks!

[*Becky*]

well yes tbh I cannot say whether she is teething or not but 2 hours awake and crying could well be. Last night sounds much better though. Did she go back to sleep by herself at 4.30am?

[beckygatt]

I stayed near her and laid her down a couple of times and then she slept alone. I also gave her a bit of water as she is sometimes thirsty at night. She cried quite heartily for a bit but only for a few mins max and then she was ok. She tossed and turned a bit and went back to sleep. oh I forgot she also woke again briefly at 6am and again slept within about 5-10 mins.

She's been very happy today and went down easily for her first nap.

[*Becky*]

ok well it seems much better. You say you are sleep training. Are you doing GW?

[beckygatt]

Yes I put her to bed and sit there till she sleeps. I don't pick her up but occasionally lay her down if she's really upset. I'm gradually noving the chair towards the door. Have made it just over half way so far! She goes to sleep quite well by herself, especially for naps, but when she wakes at night she still needs me to give her paci and sometimes lay her down again.

[Shiv52]

Hey hun

Just a few suggestions.  We did GW to get back on track and I did feel like I might never get out that door but it does work!

My LO uses a paci and I would suggest once she is asleep (not before or you may end up with a great game of swapping dummies for ages...can you tell we had this?!!) to leave several dummies around her in the crib.  If she wakes hopefully she can find one.  If not don't give it to her.  Help move her hand toward a paci so she replugs herself.  That way her thinking will change from 'I need mummy to give me my paci' to 'I'm awake and want to go back to sleep, I'll get my paci' and the chance of her resettling herself will increase IYSWIM?  Once my LO got that any NWs she had she pretty much just got her paci herself and went back to sleep.

The other thing when doing GW is to fade yourself as a physical presence as much as possible and not be physically involved in the settling IYKWIM?  So rather than lie her down, I'd just pat the mattress so she starts lying down by herself.  I did that rather than just leaving her until she decided to do it herself (as she may have stood for hours on end) but it was less intrusive and easier to fade than physically lying her down. 

Sounds like she is doing really well going to sleep which is fab.  Great work on your part!!  Hopefully giving her some tools to resettle herself will help with the NWs! 

HTH xx

[beckygatt]

Thanks! I do try  to put a few pacis in. Maybe I go to her rescue too quickly though. I think I'm scared of her 'waking up too much'! Did it take long for you to get to the stage when you could leave the room while yours was still awake?

[Shiv52]

I was always afraid of 'waking up too much' too!  Just don't hand her the paci, move her hand to find one so she realises she can do it herself!

It took about 4 weeks to be able to just put her down awake, we did it very gradually and there were some nights I'd have had to go in and sit for a bit..OT mostly as she found it harder to settle on her own.   

HTH xx 

[beckygatt]

Another bad night again last night :-( She didn't actually cry a lot but she was very restless. A few times she made some noises or cried a few secs and put herself back to sleep, but at 1am I had to go in and help her find paci and stay with her. I tried to sneak out a couple of times but after 5 mins she'd cry again so in the end I just sat in there till I was sure she'd slept. She was awake about 45mins in all, on and off. As I said she wasn't crying much just restless. Then she woke at 6am, slept for another 10-15mins and was up for the day. I don't think it was her teeth last night as she wasn't crying much but she was very restless from early on in the night. She had had two 1hr naps with A times of 3hrs, 3hrs and then 3hrs 45mins...

Any ideas? I really thought we were getting somewhere with sleep but its all going downhill again :-( I'm starting to think she's not going to sleep well till she's 4 or 5!

[LucySol]

im wondering if she is getting OT,i wonder if she needs her A times stretched a little so she naps a little longer? is 3 hrs her normal A time? might be easier for people to help you if you could post her daily routine as best as you can and then we can go from there? it may just need a little tweak!

Hang in there!

[Shiv52]

Was going to ask the same.  2 hours of day time sleep doesn't seem enough for 13 months and a 12 hour day.   Do you think she could handle more A time?  3 hr 45 mins A time after a 1 hour nap could be making her OT which would explain the NWs.

We were on one nap at 13 months but I know a lot would be still be on 2 naps (1 of 1 hour and 1 of 2 hours).