16mo Sleep Trouble - EW, OT, NW you name it...

[Lolly]

Finger crossed!

I didn't manage to get on earlier - but I totally agree with Smurfette!

Laura

[Smurfette]

I will stay the course and keep DH at bay with beer and chips... 

LMAO!!!
I totally understand where he's coming from though. I even get into that thinking sometimes and I'm obsessed with children's sleep. It's hard for most ppl who don't know the research out there to understand why and how early bedtimes work. Go easy on him.

Good luck for tonight, but remember if it's a bust, it doesn't mean it's not working!!!

[Mattsmummy]

So asleep at 625 - nw at 830...944 and I am still waiting for him to drop off. this could totally be discomfort as I forgot his pain meds before bed. He woke up crying ptetty hard and has had a terrible te settling...
hopefully he dozes off soon...poor mite

[Mattsmummy]

Tough night...up again at 1130 and then 420. Spent better part of night coughing. finally up at 545 b/c he just couldn't stop coughing. Really stuffy and grumpy. Will try for 815/830 nap this morning...mummy needs a nap too!

[Mattsmummy]

Okay so after that horrible night the other night, I decided to try and wean DS from needing to be rocked back to sleep as it was taking on average 1.5hr/2 hrs each time he woke up.

On Saturday night, his first NW was at 9:10 pm.  I went in, reassured him from the side of his crib, and sat down on the floor beside the crib.  I stayed there and just repeated our sleepy phrase and patted the mattress. He was SO angry...but OK.  I stayed sitting on the floor (my poor bum) for almost 2 hours while he let me know how angry he was that I wasn't picking him up and sitting in the rocker with him.  He eventually settled down, laid down and fell asleep.

I left his room about 11:30ish.

Second NW was about 2:30.  I went in and he immediately laid back down in his crib.  I sat on the floor and he fell asleep.

He woke at 5:45 am Sunday.

Last night, we had my sister and her daughter over so BT was tough. I managed to get him into his crib at 6:20pm.  He immediately popped back up and started crying. This went on for about 10 minutes. I had to leave the room to say good bye to my sister - DS want mantra crying.  After about 2 minutes, the room went quiet. He had falled asleep!

NW about 11.  This was a tough one. He didn't want to lay down but was half asleep standing in the crib.  I sat beside the crib, patted the mattress and said our phrase. He wouldn't lay down - so I laid down on the floor with my back to him and he immediately laid down and went to sleep.  I left the room about 30 minutes later once I was sure he was alseep.

NW at 4:20 - I thought we were up for the day - I went in and gave him some pain meds - put him back in his crib, and laid down on the floor beside the crib with my back to him.  He whined for a few minutes, a bit of mantra crying, then laid down and fell back to sleep.  He woke at 6:25am.

So, I'm not sure if I did that right, or if I'm just creating another problem.  I know I need to move from the floor of his room in the next day or two so that I don't become a prop again right?  I'm waiting for my Sleep Lady book but had to order it online so not sure when it will be here...

Any thoughts?  Is it okay to sit like that and pat the mattress?  so unsure...

[Smurfette]

You did FANTASTIC!!!!!!You can move every 3 nights further away. 1st 3 nights at his crib, then next 3 nights halfway across the room, then by the door, then in the doorway,etc. If u think he handle u moving faster, then you can do only 2 nights at each spot then you can do that instead too.
Keep your talking/interaction to a minimum the more the days pass.

[Mattsmummy]

Phew! So glad to hear that!!! Thank you!
I will do another night beside the crib and then start on the move...
Watch this space!

[Mattsmummy]

okay so minor setback last night...
My SIL went into labour so I had my 3 yo niece with me and DH was on night shift so it was just me with two!

M's bedtime was rushed. He didn't settle very well and I ended up doing wi/wo with him for about 15 minutes, trying to get him to sleep and bath my niece who demanded a bath right at M's bedtime.

He settled himself down and fell asleep without me in the room.

NW at 11:30, lots of coughing and crying. I laid down on the floor but he wouldn't settle and I panicked afraid he would wake up my niece which he did. Both of them crying at midnight so I was back and forth trying to settle them both down.

Ended up having to pick M up and settle him (didn't sit tho) and then rub his back for about 2 minutes to settle him down. He went back to sleep and then I had to get my niece back to sleep.

NW at 4:30am. Gave meds for teeth, walked with him a bit to help settle cough, back in crib and I laid on the floor, he fell asleep and I had to wake him at 6:45am.

So, minor setback I hope. I would have really liked to have not had to pick him up but I panicked and it is what it is I guess.

So, I suppose I just crack on with the same game plan? Should I stay beside the crib another night to make sure he's comfortable with me not rocking him and do my best to not pick him up?

I hope this doesn't put me right back at the beginning....

Only plus I suppose is he's getting about 12 hours now through the night, albeit broken up but much better than the 9/10 he was getting. His mood has improved significanty in the morning too - DH even noticed 

[Mattsmummy]

Just found out I've got my niece again tonight. So I guess just do what I can and hopefully not confuse M too much...

[Smurfette]

Ah, such is life, eh? Yea just do what you have to do to get through this. I would stay at his bed-how many nights have you been there now?

[Mattsmummy]

Well, 2 full successful nights. Last night would have been three but with my niece it didn't work out that way. I did settle him at about 430 and laid down on the floor by his crib last night and snuck out when he was asleep.
It's that early NW - around 11/12 that he didn't want to settle. could be teeth I guess or just still working it out that he's not getting rocked to sleep.

So, I'll just avoid the rocking chair at all costs. Is it okay to pick him up to settle if he's very upset or is this just causing another prop I'll have to get rid of?

Grr...I thought we were getting somewhere and life gets in the way...

[Smurfette]

I would only pick him up for one last night and only if you absolutely have to. Later, as you move away from his crib you want to just use your voice to soothe him.
Does he also have a lovey of some sort? If so, then always hand him that first.
So use your other tools- voice, lovey, touch and then picking up as a last resort.

[Mattsmummy]

Okay, sounds good. Thank you so much for your input - it helps tremendously.
Yes, he does have a lovey. It's usually in his hands as soon as I get into his room. He's standing with it...

I will usually give him a kiss, say our phrase and lie down on the floor. He will stand at the side of the crib, with his soother and his lovey and mantra cry. His eyes are closed so I know he's super tired and wants to sleep just wants me to know he's ticked off...

If I put him down and rub his back he will settle but I want to avoid that right? I want him to lay down by himself and settle?

My inital tactics are starting to fail me...The tapping of the mattress which worked the first night and then laying down with my back to him - but I suppose it's all in consistency right? If I'm quiet and still, he will eventually work it out...

Ahh..so tough...

[Smurfette]

Only have a few seconds here, but there are always, always, ALWAYS regressions. It's not your tactics that are failing, it's just he's testing them. Google the term 'extinction burst'.
Stay consistent and expect this to change in 2 weeks not 2 nights.

And yes you want to avoid lying him down-yes he needs to learn how to resettle himself.

[Mattsmummy]

Will do and Thank You!