11 month old with NWs....separation anxiety???

[FroggyMom]

Hey ladies!  Well, DD will be 11 months old this week, and she has had NWs the past two nights.  We have been working on the 2-1 nap transition for about a month now, and she has always been a great, independent sleeper.  Even when we have trouble with naps during the day, she has always slept well at night. 

However, the past 2 nights have been a different story.  Two nights ago, she was up off and on for about 1.5 hours.  Then, last night she was up for 2 hours!     She has also just cut two teeth...so the first night I thought it was from teething.  However, from what I noticed last night, I believe it may be due to separation anxiety.  She quiets down when I come in room and pat her back a minute.  However, as soon as I go to leave, she cries again.  I sat by her crib a long time while she lay quietly, but every time I tried to go she cried again.  DH tried as well, and she did a bit better with him leaving...but it still took him awhile as well.  I also noticed this to a lesser degree at nap time yesterday and today.  I have always just laid her in her crib, given paci, pat back and said a sleepy phrase and walked out....and she has always gone to sleep in 10 minutes or less independently.  She has also made me come back a few times at nap as well....although the NWs are much worse.

Is 11 months a common time for separation anxiety to appear?  Would it be only at nap/bedtime?  How do I approach these NWs without starting any new bad habits because I want her to continue to be an independent sleeper?  Thanks so much!

[Kellyjs]

Has anything changed recently hun? These bubbas do like to keep us on our toes. I recently had a spate of NW's too. Same with BT shenanigans. Is there anything developmental going on?

I would continue as you mean to go on. Tracy said it too. There's no point in starting bad habits that you'll just have to break later. I would use your words as much as possible. Use your sleepy phrase over and over, but don't interact more than that unless you feel she's getting really upset.

I would also check for teeth. Up every 1.5hrs is indicative of discomfort here. Perhaps medicate at BT  with ibuprofen and see if that helps? X

[FroggyMom]

Thanks so much for the quick reply!

Has anything changed recently hun? These bubbas do like to keep us on our toes. I recently had a spate of NW's too. Same with BT shenanigans. Is there anything developmental going on?

Yes, she has been pulling up on things a lot more recently.  Do you think this could be disrupting BT and causing NWs?

I would continue as you mean to go on. Tracy said it too. There's no point in starting bad habits that you'll just have to break later. I would use your words as much as possible. Use your sleepy phrase over and over, but don't interact more than that unless you feel she's getting really upset.

Last night, I could use sleepy phrase and pat her a minute, and she would calm down.  However, if I went and stood outside her door where she couldn't see me after that, she did get really upset.  What would you do in this case?  This is why I was thinking maybe separation anxiety?

I would also check for teeth. Up every 1.5hrs is indicative of discomfort here. Perhaps medicate at BT  with ibuprofen and see if that helps? X

Yes, she does have 2 more top teeth that have broken through this week.  I did actually give her Tylenol before BT last night just in case teething was part of the problem; however, we still had a 2 hour NW.    When she has cut her previous 4 teeth, we have had trouble with naps, irritability, etc.; however, they never caused NW.  I'm not sure.

What should my plan be if minimal interaction doesn't work with her tonight?  I was SOOO exhausted after 2 hours of up and down and in and out with her last night.  I just had no idea what to do! 

[Kellyjs]

How's the routine looking atm with the 2-1? Best we check nothing is going on there first.

With wrt the possible SA, I would say to her that you'll sit in the chair (if you have one) for a couple of mins until she settles down. If she starts talking to you, just use your sleepy phrase. Perhaps then work on moving further and further away over the next few nights? Wdyt? I've just had this recently with DD and it did turn out to be developmental coupled with slightly UT at BT but I had to sit outside the door for 20+ mins repeating our phrase over and over. That's just to let you know it does sort itself out eventually and can happen at any time 

So she's still teething incisors is she and not molars? I wouldn't expect they'd cause so much grief as molars, but every bubba is different. I would keep medicating for a day or two and see if it helps though.

Back in a mo with a link for you about gradual withdrawal that I mentioned earlier. Ignore the bit about wi/wo, have a read and let me know what you think? X

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

This one might be helpful too, wrt stuff you can do during the day x
Getting back on track using Walk In/Walk Out (WI/WO)