18 month sleep regression support thread - Part 2

[Skadiver13]

We had this problem with BT finally had begun to work itself out.

[Lindsay27]

Same...I think we are coming around the bend on the regression.  His NWs were something out of newborn status, all self settling went completely out the window.  We also had all 4 molars coming through during our SR so that was just impeccable timing lol.  And SA was bad too, but now back to normal drops offs at daycare with no screaming!  It.does.end!

[cnaz]

Well, my DD is 17.5 months old and I think this may be what has started over this past week. Didn't think it could get much worse seeing as she has only once slept through the night ONCE ever and that was about 2 weeks ago So very tired of getting up three times a night at the minimum. We had her only getting up once for a couple weeks (was during the time she STTN the one time) and since then she has been getting up constantly!! Doesn't help that she just cut threw an eye tooth (three more to go), and she has had a bit of a cold. Don't feel right medicating every single night either. Just seems like so much meds, and the nights that I have given her tylenol or advil I really don't see much difference at all. My husband tries to settle her often but 90% of the time as soon as he leaves the room she cries. So he has started to sleep on her floor until she falls back asleep some nights. I'm sure this is starting to create more problems.

I am also still breastfeeding so this is what she wants from me as soon as I go in the room. She never nurses to sleep, just nurses, and then I put her back in her crib completely awake and then she goes back to sleep. She also goes to bed awake in her crib. The last couple days though she has started to cry when I leave the room, whereas since she was five months old she has always self settled at bedtime. Now she cries? Maybe SA? It only lasts for a couple minutes and isn't a hard cry, just upset I leave the room, but since my DH has been laying on the floor sometimes in the middle of the night, she may be starting to expect this. He doesn't do it every night, just 2-3 times a week.

I am at a loss for how to get her to start sleeping better Her naps have started to also go wonky. Some times she will nap for 1.5 hours, and in the last couple days she is waking after 20 mins!!!!! then the next day she will nap for 1.5 hours?? Her bedtime is consistent and so is her wake up time (within a half hour either way). She has been on one nap since 12 months old. Me and DH both work full time so we are getting pretty desperate for some sleep!

Any advice? I am thinking of weaning her during the last week in December when I have a week of vacation. Not sure if this will help her to stop the NW's, or if I'm ready to stop breastfeeding. Any BTDT experience?

[*Becky*]

I can't help with the Breastfeeding advice but you could post on the BF thread and see what people suggest. What is her routine right now? My lo's naps were very hit and miss when she was teething but if meds don't help then not sure?
I am in the UK and we give calpol or nurofen for pain. Calpol (paracetamol) does nothing for mine for teeth but nurofen (ibuprofen) works. I guess if neither are helping I would not give them x

[Stephlx]

Hi -- I have a 21 mth old boy -- he has always been able to settle himself to sleep and generally never had any problems putting him down at night and have a good bedtime routine. However, he has always woken at least once or twice every night and we have gone in and put dunmmy back in and tucked him back in and gone back to sleep, which although not great but we could live with that.
However in the last 3 months night time has become horrendous -- we are up with him nearly every hour every night. his general routine is :
Wake up 6/630 am
nap 12-130pm -- we restrict to 1.5 hrs
bedtime 7pm

he goes to sleep fine and at around 7ish and stays asleep until about 1030/11pm and then the fun and games start, he crys, and shouts out to us .- we have tried the crying down and that just went on for hours and seemed to get everyone worked up.
We have been attempting gradual retreat but as soon as we get to the bedroom door he wakes up again.
All he wants us to do is sit next to his bed (even bringing him into our bed doesnt work as he just fidgets the whole night and keeps waking up himself up by hitting into us).
This has gone on for too long now -- we changed his cot into a bed a month ago as he was geting very agitated in his cot and kept throwing everything out so we thought maybe he didnt like to be cooped up? but that has made things worse as he now gets out of bed and comes and stands at his door and shouts or crys at the door (he doesnt step out of the door though!)
now we are in dilema of 'do we change it back?' or leave it and persevere on the bed ??
help needed as dont think we can continue the sleep deprivation and continue working normally -- we are also worried about of 6 yr daughter who we have very little time for at the moment due al our energy being taken up with dealing with this and then on weekends we are so tired.! (on a good note my daughter has clearly tuned out to her brothers carying/shouting as she sleeps soundly and always has done! )

Sorry for ramblings X

[Skadiver13]

Hi hun I would post this in your own thread in toddler sleep. Ill respond there because you'll get more eyes if you have your own topic.

[Stephlx]

thanks -- have just created it now.
x

[Johnnyha65]

How long does this darn thing last? Sleep has never been great, but the last month has just been awful, before all the madness he lured us into a false sense of security and started sleeping 12.5/13hrs over night.... unheard of and I suspect it was a growth spurt right on the 18 month mark. But we're now coming up 20 months and sleep is horrendous 
I'm shattered and grumpy!
What's most frustrating is that everyone I know who has kids never went or aren't going through this now, their children all sleep and i'm so jealous, then feel guilty for feeling jealous!
Before all this silliness we were on 1-3 BT at 7 WU 6.30/7, he's always SS for naps and BT. I've brought nap back to see if it was OT no dice... tried capping it 1-2.30pm no dice. Naps range anywere from 45 minutes to 2 hrs and no matter what we get 1-3 NW's 'I need you mummy' shout/cry and then EMW anywhere from 5 am onwards where he wants to get up!

Someone tell me i'm getting near the end please....

[Skadiver13]

Sorry hun. We just ordered the goodnite light to help maybe you could try something like that?

[Johnnyha65]

Hey Siobhan, are you still suffering sleep deprivation too? Worth a try I guess but I thought maybe Reuben is too young? I'll be interested to know how you get on with it.
We'll he slept he slept 1hr 20 today from woke himself at 2.10, was easily upset and frustrated this evening refused tea, but went straight to sleep at 7pm, I don't hold much hope for tonight better to have no expectations! I have ibuprofen incase it's teeth but I can't see anything, but guess that doesn't mean anything, we're still waiting on 2 molars and all of the canines!
I know I shouldn't wish time away but I'll be so glad once all teeth are through, not sure what I'll blame then for his crappy sleep though?!

[Skadiver13]

YEah. he's still acting like he has SA it went away around 19M came roaring back at 20 when I went back to school and work pt. Only fights when I do it. Lucky me. But it's the 5:30 wake ups that kill me. So we're going to try the light and see if it works.

we're still waiting on 2 molars and all of the canines!

^oy that's miserable. I would say it's most likely teeth. Sometime meds just don't kill the pain.

Liam has all his teeth except 2yr molars but those have now started to move. it never ends.

[Johnnyha65]

Is Liam happy during the day? Reuben is super whiney and clingy but bit only seems to be with me, when I'm not there family and DH say he's fine plays nicely, but if I'm there it's as if he needs my attention 100% of the time and if we don't do what he wants then queue more whining, crying and grumpiness.
Ah forgot about the two year molars, so we have at least 10 teeth to go! At least you only have those 4 left hopefully they'll appear soon x

[Skadiver13]

It honestly depends. Some days he plays happily by himself going from room to room. Some days he is attached to my hip and nothing stops it so we just go about our day and I give him activities to do along side me.  It usually correlates with teething, sickness, or OT.

[Johnnyha65]

So a rubbish night, I ended up sleeping with him in the guest room as I got sick of getting up out of bed, he woke for the day at 5.15am after a 7pm BT 😭. We had a major meltdown today at 11 so I just pd hoping that he was tired enough to do a good nap. I had to resettle at 1hr10 which is OT for him and he woke at 2.10! I'm really hoping a 3 hr nap does not backfire on me, did pd tonight at 7 and asleep by 7.15, so it was a 14hr day which is for sure too long but fx the 3 nap balances it put and he's not UT or OT. I've put a blow up bed on his floor tonight just incase he 'needs me'

[Skadiver13]

Sorry hun. We just got through a major sickness so I feel your pain. LOTS OF HUGS FOR A GOOD NIGHT.  I would have done exactly what you did today.