18 month sleep regression support thread

[clairebear79]

Aww little monkey!  Oliver does same thing when I say its sleep time, shakes his head, says 'no, playing', cries if I take him up but he always goes to sleep so I know he needs it.  I didn't realise your LO was cutting teeth?!  Could be part of the reason for your recent issues.  Canines were pretty bad for O, & its not just when the tip cuts but when the widest part at the bottom comes through - that can hurt them pretty badly too.  You'll probably have quite a while before the 2yr molars come.  O got his canines at 13/14 months & he started teething his 2yr molars right after Christmas (16.5 months) & he's almost 21months & still no sign of them cutting.  I've read they can cause them bother for a long time before they cut so I'm expecting several more months of this yet!  Not to horrify you of course!  I believe next sleep regression is around 2yrs old with lots of nap refusals - woohoo!  Only 3 months to go for us - bah!

O settled well at BT thanks but I think he was maybe a touch OT.  I'm at work tomorrow so I have to get him up at 7am.  That will really suck, especially since he only napped 1.5hrs today.  This is what is bothering me about this later BT - I am having to cut his nights shorter to fit with our working routine, and I always have worry he won't nap at usual time if I let him sleep in (actually he probably would nap, but he'd without a doubt be UT at bedtime).  I'd much rather have him go to bed a bit earlier & be able to sleep in until he wakes naturally, since a) we want to encourage a long night and b) he will never feel rested if he is constantly woken from naps AND nights, but doing the earlier nap seemed to just be leading to early wakings.  He really seems to need his 6hr A in the morning in order to settle well at BT & sleep a decent length night now.

[ZacsMumme]

Stardust the is apparently a regression at 24 months but I've heard this is the worst by far! poor wee girl may be sore with her teeth as Claire says

Hugs Claire, it's hard when you can't get their routine to quite match yours. I guess I'm lucky in thatnot working means ican be a bit flexible with WU

[stardust599]

I didn't realise teeth could still hurt after they cut the tip :-(  She has the tip of all 4 canines.  Moving teeth has always been a slow process for LO - her front teeth she got at 5months (I think?!?!?) are only just reaching full length now!  I did give Calpol and Nurofen before bed tonight since she'd had a bit of a mild temp and febrile seizures run in the family (especially triggered by MMR, hence why it's delayed) so I'm really wary with the temperature!

So, BT went okay.  Just a teeny bit of crying.  No wakings until Daddy came home at 10.15 and she heard the front door and started to scream terrified again :-(  I stayed with her, she doesn't want anything, just wants me to stand in the room!  But she can't get to sleep with me there - keeps wiggling, turning over, looking at me etc.  Had Daddy take over for 5mins while I made some milk so didn't have to leave her.  Gave her a bottle of milk, cuddles and tucked her back in then I went to the door.  She cried as I went to the door so I shushed her and said "it's okay" then every few mins I shut the door a little until I was standing outside the door with it just a crack open (still having to reassure her everytime I made a movement) then waited another few mins and was able to shut the door without her crying.  Does this sound like a good way to deal with things?  I don't care if the milk becomes a prop as it's comforting her for now with the terrified screaming and I can wean it in a few weeks when she is more settled.

Edit - she has woken TWICE since screaming again and has just woken a third time.  Oh I need sleep.  Hope this passes soon.
She is having a bit of seperation anxiety from Daddy in the daytimes.  Today was unsettling for her, she got upset when he left for work then when he got home at 5pm he was only back 30mins and went straight out which is different as usually we're both here at BT.  Then he'd been gone a minute and came back in as he'd forgotten something so this upset her even more - could this be why she woke when she heard the front door again as it's always Daddy when the door opens :-S  Daddy has a bad habit of making a fuss when he is leaving and really doing lots of cuddles, putting her down then changing his mind etc. and always gets LO so wound up!

[cath~]

Stardust - when L's canines were coming through (15-17 months) she got SA which improved a lot when we gave nurofen, so we know it was at least in part due to teeth. Do you think there could be an element of teething-related SA with your LO? Just a thought.

Hope tonight is better for you.

[stardust599]

She's really poorly today :-(

Temp been at 39.5 all day, been at Doctor who was a bit clueless and just said to keep giving Calpol and Nurofen and lots of water and will hopefully pass in 2 or 3 days.  I thought it was maybe her ears but the doctor said she couldn't be 100% sure but her ears looked okay although very blocked with wax?!?! Last night was strange... up screaming on/off until midnight - just wanted cuddles and to stare into space and then she passed out at midnight and didn't make a peep until 7am when she woke with the fever!  She napped 4hours today and I had to wake her but she was so unsettled, mumbling, crying out etc. anyway.  She went back to bed at 7pm and has been the same - mumbling, crying out in her sleep.  It's horrible and heartbreaking.  I think I may admit defeat tonight and bring her into bed for a night/day or two until she feels better.  OH says absolutely no way but I can't just leave her crying out on her own all the time and I don't have a mattress or anything to sleep in her room and there's no way I can manage on the floor at 30weeks pregnant!  Poor lamb.

On the plus side, at least I know now that something is actually bothering her and she isn't just waking screaming for no reason.  So I know that this will pass.

[clairebear79]

Oh bless her.  She sounds really poorly, poor love.  I always have fear of creating props too but u know what - when DS is poorly I have absolutely no qualms about cuddling him to sleep & giving him the comfort he needs.  I remember back to when I was a child - if I was poorly I wanted to lay cuddling my mummy.  So I figure he probably does too.  And he ALWAYS goes to sleep fine in his bed once he is better.  So I think if she is that distressed then I would def get her in bed with you.

Hope she's feeling better tomorrow.

Nothing to report here.  O was up 7.15am (11h 15 sleep) & napped 1.15-3pm, bed at 7.50 (he was a little more tired than I expected today)

[stardust599]

Yup :-(  I am going in at 10pm to check her temp and give more Calpol/Nurofen if needed and I doubt I'll get her back to sleep again so will probably just bring her to my bed.  When she had a sickness bug I brought her into my bed for 2/3 nights as she wasn't crying to wake me when sick and just laying in it and she did go back to her own bed no problem.  At worst I'll have to do some gradual withdrawal or WI/WO or something for a couple of weeks I think - at least baby is still 10 weeks away!  I am actually a little relieved that there's now a reason for the really poor sleep.

Great day for O!  If you start to see OT creep in give him a 2hour nap just to catch up even for the 1 day (but then maybe he'd refuse BT and end up more OT eeek!).  Hopefully another great night for you!

[ZacsMumme]

Aww poor wee girl. Hope she comes right soon. Could be a virus or even those mean teeth causing chaos!
Great to hear Claire

We had STTN yay, but Z woke early. I medicated before BT so I think it's def teeth waking him at 10
Our day was WU 6.45
Nap 12.15-2.15
BT 7.15
WU this morning 6.10 eeek .....but I'll take it. He is pretty happy this morning.

[cath~]

Aw, hugs Stardust. I hope your LO feels better soon. ITA with claire about giving cuddles/co-sleeping when sick. To deprive an LO of that when they're ill would be completely wrong IMO. You can get her back on track when she's better.

L is being sleepier than usual at the moment - we even had a 40 min lie-in this morning! I think it might be after-effects of the mmr she had 2 weeks ago. Can't think of anything else..

[stardust599]

Cath our LO had the MMR 2weeks ago yesterday and it's what triggered all this off.  Still have bad fever today :-(

It feels like she will never sleep again!  I have tried bringing her into bed but she just cries and kicks, rolls away or lays there staring.  Tried feeding or rocking her to sleep in my arms, walks in the pram.  Nothing can get her to sleep :-(  The best I have been managing is holding her in my arms until really sleepy then transferring to cot with a bit of crying and standing outside the door reassuring.  I feel like a failure as should be able to cuddle or comfort her to sleep in my arms when ill but she just can't fall asleep.

We've been up since 5am and she finally went to sleep about 11.50 and is still sleeping.  She did cry out in her sleep every 5mins until 1.30pm though so don't think she got much deep sleep.  Fever is reducing slightly so FX'd on the road to recovery.

I am exhausted but can't sleep because of noisy neighbours :-(

ETA - She's up and still crying, refusing food and hot so just heading to out of hours/A & E as I'm not happy with the doctors guess that she doesn't have an ear infection!  Hopefully back on to update later.

[stardust599]

Can you believe my luck!?!?!

Got a bag packed for us and LO as she woke up still really poorly and we went off to the nearest hospital 45mins away accident and emergency.  There's also an Out of Hours GP Service there but you have to get an appointment through NHS Direct and I didn't fancy waiting around for a call back and then being given a stupid appointment like 10pm as usual.

So went to A&E, LO perked up in the car on the way and was happy and running around the waiting room playing with the toys, temp had come right back down to normal.  We were seen quickly, a nurse came out and checked her pulse and temperature and looked at me and OH like we were crazy and told us we shouldn't be in A&E and it was something we should see the GP about!  We basically begged to have a doctor check her over so he came out and had a quick look at her, said she looked well!  Then had a look in her throat and said it looked infected/swollen and pointed out the wax in her ears too :-S  But said it would more than likely be viral and just to take her to our GP on Monday.  Gave us a numbing throat spray to help with eating but all the chemists are shut until Monday.

So we came away with nothing and and a wasted 3 hours!

Anyway after all that off-topic chat... LO now seems suddenly recovered and happy, has had some dinner and been playing and dancing all night and is now completely UT from her 4+ hour sleep today.  So looks like an 8pm bedtime if I can even get her down by then as she is very happy to be feeling better!  Will medicate for another night anyway as she is still a teeny bit warm but I'm hoping there will be no NWs and coming into Mummy and Daddys bed to moan tonight aha ;-)  At least she is better and after the next few days or week I can begin to see whether we are actually in a regression or if it was just illness!  Wish us luck!

xx

[cath~]

Hugs stardust - sounds like a really rough day. That's great she seems to be feeling better now though. Hope you get a good night tonight.

If it's any comfort, I have never been able to comfort L to sleep in my arms, not even as a NB

[clairebear79]

Oh (((hugs))) how frustrating.  Well I suppose at least she is feeling better.  FX'd she goes down ok tonight.  IIWM I would push BT as late as you can - last time we had a day like that with 4hrs sleep DS went to bed at 8.30pm & was up at 6am due to UT.

L is being sleepier than usual at the moment - we even had a 40 min lie-in this morning! I think it might be after-effects of the mmr she had 2 weeks ago. Can't think of anything else.

Do you know I am wondering if this regression & the developmental leap that goes with it lead to them needing an increase in daytime sleep again.  Its like during the 2 months they don't barely need to nap at all & then suddenly they do again. 

We also had a lie in this morning!  Put O to bed slightly early last night at 7.50pm (he was up at 7.15 & had napped 1.15-3) and he slept in til 7.30am this morning!  I'd intended to wake him at 7.15am latest, but I fell back to sleep & woke up with a start when Oliver started chatting!  Needless to say, we had to do a later & shorter nap today so 1.30-3pm & BT was 8.  He's taken 20mins to settle so I'm not sure if he may have been a wee bit OT or if he wasn't quite tired enough, after having such a long night last night.

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs stardust. The can be so up and down when poorly. Zac had an ear infection and was fine 80% of the time, but the other 20 was awful! hope she comes right soon. Lots of pamol and cuddles x

Yay for lie ins Claire. We had a 7pm BT 9.30 screaming for 5 mins with teeth then 6.30 WU. Not too bad I guess.

[stardust599]

Phew, still seems to be feeling better today :-)  Mood is still a bit rubbish with me but she is being a real angel for Daddy!!!

BT 7.45pm (wish I'd been here to listen and made it later Claire) and she woke around 5am so 9hour15night eek!  Must have been UT as didn't start getting tired until near 11am.  Daddy PD at 12.15 for nap and she went to sleep, no crying and is still asleep now 2hours45mins later.  I am going to wake at 3hours as that's plenty of sleep even if she is getting over being poorly!  And I will pay for it tonight. Tomorrow I think I am going to have to cap at 2hour15 and see how that goes.  I hate capping :-( but don't see what other choice I have if she's only doing 9hours at night and then making up for it during the day.  Hopefully it will only be for a week or two until she fixes things herself.

What should I be aiming for now?  I would love a 6.30WU and 6.30/7BT.  I am thinking that her 2hour15nap is going to be too much now but 1hour30 definitely isn't enough.  Will see how this goes for a few days -

WU 6.30 (well EW but in cot until this time??)
Nap 12.30-2.45
BT 7 - 7.30

If it doesn't work after 3 days should I cut 15mins off the end of the nap?  I am absolutely dreading this nap capping :-(

Daddy's turn to do BT tonight meaning she probably won't cry (has awful SA from Daddy just now and won't let me do anything for her while he's here) and I can start afresh tomorrow.