Author Topic: 19 Months EW before 5am  (Read 2488 times)

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Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2015, 11:26:14 am »
I will stick with it and  see if there is any improvement in the next week or so. Otherwise I will try moving his bedtime up or the wake to sleep method.

I do have to admit I have a crappy NW routine in that I often just stick him in the bed with me. I don't always do it, but I know it definitely doesn't work for EW. I will try what you said about keeping him in the crib at least till 5:30.

Thanks a bunch


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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2015, 20:10:28 pm »
Here with you :)

I totally understand the not being great at NWs, I to am often so tired I do whatever is needed to get myself more sleep. I know with DD there just comes a point where I need to be slightly more strict (while being supportive to her needs) in order to get myself more sleep in the long run.

Good luck x
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Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2015, 22:55:56 pm »
This morning he was up at 4am. I went into his room and told him it wasn't time to get up yet and patted his back (this helps him resettle and some nights he asks me to do it). He almost fell asleep a few times and I could see he was really trying to go back to sleep, but finally after about 30 minutes or so he got really frustrated and started crying and moving around in his crib. I tried to calm him without picking him up, but that didn't work so I ended up picking him up. I then bounced/rocked him in my arms a few times. One time I thought he was asleep, but he woke back up crying and another time he just sat up and started asking for the dvd. I eventually got him to sleep by rocking him but he wasn't happy about it and kind of fought me for a while. He was clearly exhausted and slept from 5:15 to 6:45. I actually had to wake him up since today was one of the days he goes to his Grandma's house.  So obviously he needs to sleep later that 4am. I just need to be a little tougher on him to help him sleep because he obviously needs it and not give in just so I can get a little more sleep


Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #18 on: March 08, 2015, 22:29:56 pm »
This is how the past few days have gone.  Saturday he slept till 5:30, had 1:30 nap and went down easier at bed time.

I thought things were getting better.. Sunday morning he was up before 5am. I told him it was not time to get up yet and keep sleeping. Tried to resettle him in his crib, but he wanted none of that. Picked him up and he started screaming and asking for milk. I could see by his screaming that he wasn't going to calm down easily, so I got him his milk. Drank his milk and went back to sleep till 6:45. Woke up in a good mood. It was hard to get him to go down for his nap at 1. He played around in his crib, but finally was asleep by 1:30. Same at night it was harder for him to fall asleep. Past few nights he has been falling asleep by 7:45, but last night he didn't fall asleep til 8:15.

This morning (Monday) he woke up at 4:30. I could hear through the baby monitor that he was trying to resettle himself, so I just let him be but then he started getting frustrated. I went in to help him. I patted his back for 20 minutes and he was really trying to go back to sleep, but couldn't then I picked him up and bounced him and again trying to go back to sleep but can't. We did back pats in the crib and bouncing on and off for almost an hour, but then he got mad he couldn't fall back asleep and started asking for milk and screaming. We went and had his and tried to get him to sleep a little in my bed. He tried for 20 minutes. Then he asked to get down. He walked around my room for a bit then had a dirty diaper. Changed his diaper and he asked to get in my bed again. We tried for a little while longer, but by then it was after 6 and the sun was out. So today he was up at 4:30

So, what do I do now? Do you think this is just the 18 month regression and I just need to ride it out? OR does he just have ridiculously low sleep needs? Other than getting a little cranky in the evenings and and in the morning when he can't get back to sleep...he doesn't seem to be too bad during the day.

MY husband is away at school for the next 3 months, so I don't have any back up. My son has never been a great sleeper but at least before my husband and I could take turns. 4:30am wake ups and working full time = zombie mom.


Offline Buttonbobs

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #19 on: March 09, 2015, 21:38:38 pm »
I have a few ideas and i think for clarity it is best that I lost them, pleSe do say if you want any more info about each one:

1. If he wakes, don't go to him unless he cries an "I need you cry". I think from above you might be going when he is fussing but not truely awake. I know this worked for my DD when she was a baby, but as she got older my presence became more stimulating than anything else, so I started to reassure her more from outside of the room (if she needed it) or even just leaving her to it until she actually cried. This made quite a big difference to her waking after a few nights;

2. Do you have blackouts in the room? If not, maybe consider trying blacking out the windows. If you don't want to go to the expense of blinds or curtains you could try taping tin foil over the windows to see if it makes a difference for a couple of weeks, and if it works then buy some curtains;

3. Have you read the advice re sleep training methods for a toddler either here or in the BW toddler book? I found by this stage that the best thing was to try and encourage E to stay in her cot, not to pick her up unless she was really working herself up. Shh pay may not work either. Have you read this link on WIWO/GW and the reasons why you might choose one method over another?

Walk In/Walk Out vs. The Gradual Withdrawal Method (HOW TO CHOOSE)

4. 18 month sleep regression. It is possible that this is playing a part in your troubles, in which case you do need to ride it out and remind yourself that "this too will pass". We did have a difficult one with the sleep regression but found that consistency with routine and our behaviour at NWs made a real difference;

5. Choosing a "morning" time that you can live with and treating anything prior to that as a NW. So, if you think for now you'd be happy with 6am as a morning, then use your sleep training method for all wakings before that time. I know that ideally you might want an even later WU, but it's best to start with something achievable and work from that, then move it later if need be once the wakings have settled down;

6. Looking at the routine times you've posted above, it might well be that when you got that later WU he was a bit UT at nap time and BT but perhaps in taking longer to settle he then go OT and woke early again. Perhaps keep an eye and shift nap and BT later if you do get a later morning WU.

I hope some of this is helpful, let me know if you have any thoughts ((hugs))
~ Naomi ~




Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #20 on: March 10, 2015, 22:27:35 pm »
Hi,

thanks again. I started to try some of things. For example he woke at 2:30am and I let him resettle himself...although in the end I had to go in because he cound't find his pacifier. I could hear him asking where it was. I actually couldn't find it, so that was a legitimate issue. Once I found it he went right back to sleep no problem.

He woke up a little before 5am and I waited to see if he would settle himself. But it ended again in his crying/screaming. Went in and he asked for milk. Said no it's time to sleep we have milk later. I tried this for a while but he just got madder and madder. I finally gave him the milk. He drank it and went back to sleep til 6:45. I'm also working on seeing if I can get more food into him during the day. Maybe he is really waking up because he is hungry.

thanks

Offline Buttonbobs

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #21 on: March 11, 2015, 07:09:47 am »
Great stuff. It would be unusually for a toddler to wake because of hunger, have you tried leaving a drink of water in a spill free cup so he can reach it. I know for my DD this helped prevent NWs for a while.

Good luck, keep us posted x
~ Naomi ~




Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2015, 03:49:12 am »
Well things are going better. He is still waking up but going back to sleep after a little water. Unfortunately he still needs my help going back to sleep but he just started with a running nose and bad cough, so that isn't helping. I can't bare to cap his nap while he is sick, so I'm going to let him sleep,and pay the price tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the great advice. This morning he slept til 6:45. I never thought I'd consider that sleeping late, but it was awesome.

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2015, 08:47:02 am »
Aw it's tricky when they're poorly. I'd follow your instinct and let him sleep a bit and see how you go. I hope he gets well soon. Xx
~ Naomi ~




Offline LizPNI

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #24 on: March 24, 2015, 00:06:50 am »
We are starting to get better. We had cough, runny nose, ear infection and two new teeth on the bottom. So his sleep got really bad.  Right now he is having one NW per night, but at different times so I think it's him still recovering from feeling bad. He is waking up at 5:30 now and crying. He used to wake up happy. I've been telling him at 5:30 that it's still dark out and we can't wake up until we see the sun. He seems to get it and this morning he got in bed with me and slept til 6:30. It was amazing and he was so happy when he woke up instead of how cranky he is at 5:30. Hopefully once his health gets a little better he can sleep all the way to 6:30 in his own bed. I think I need to get him out of the habit of wanting to get in my bed...that's going to be a tough one to break.  Now that he is feeling better and sleeping longer in the morning he is less angry when I wake him up from his nap, but I bet he would sleep for 3 hours if I let him.

thanks for all the advice

Liz

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Re: 19 Months EW before 5am
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2015, 07:29:02 am »
I'm glad he's feeling better :) poor mite xx

That sounds like a plan, let us know if you need any help x
~ Naomi ~