Re: 14 Month sleep help

[Laura_kap]

Hi all - I have a 14 month old that is working her way down to on nap….and has had some terrible night waking this past 2 weeks.

no idea if its nap related/teething or what….She is eating well, but does ask for food when she wakes…which is odd…I just give her room temp water if she is impossible to otherwise settle...to hopefully not start a night-eating habit.  I do give hight advil when she is chewing her fingers or hard sucking her thumb…because when she wakes it is usually screaming and thumb sucking.  Teething? night scares? I'm not sure at all...

Her days right now look like this:

7-7:30 Wake (depending how much she was awake at night!)
Breakfast/play time

9-9:30 Catnap (if needed/or she'll take it)
Play/Lunch

12-2:00 Nap (usually 2 hours..most days - goes down easily, falls asleep herself with no/little fuss and with no props (except her thumb, and we have a white noise machine to drown out my 3 year old from waking her all the time)

Snack/play/dinner/bath/bed routine

7-7:30 falls asleep - BUT this has become a struggle…she is hard to put down at night over the past month or so…crying, wants to be held, back rubs in her crib etc…She has had an ear infection this month, so I indulged her when she was sick, but she should be over it (i have a follow up check with our doctor on Thursday of this week to double check that its not her ear bothering her) 

So after spending 30 mins getting her to sleep - (mostly back rubbing/hand on back in crib) I usually stay in the room for 10-15 mins if possible and then tiptoe out….

Her night waking is usually midnight-ish and 4am ish…but is pretty erratic.  Some nights its every 2 hours…some nights is midnight and 4…and she is asking for food?  Growth Spurt at 14 months?  She has been a late teether - and is a bit late walking (compared to my son) she is just starting to take wobbly 3-4 step spurts…maybe developmental?  I'm not sure how to help her through it, and I'm trying not to cause any habit forming issues…but I want to be sensitive if this is teething/growth/ear-infection overrun…


Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful! Thank you in advance BW mummies and daddies

[Haribo2012]

Hi do you think she could be UT at BT with having a long nap and CN she might benefit from a later BT? She might be caught in an OT/UT loop, have you thought about just not bothering with CN and keeping her on 1 nap?
It's a tricky age as could be any of the things you've listed, teething affects things of course and so does verging on a new skill!

[Laura_kap]

HI - Yes…I'm thinking it's a combo of things as well…today she had no morning cat nap…but then was exhausted by 11am…so I put her down thinking she'd sleep for a good 2 hour nap….but she woke at noon…so she only slept 1 hour….

She did pass out in the car on the way to pickup up big brother from pre-school…but only for 20 mins or so….(so a PM cat nap)

but now its 7 and she is still Playing and not even close to in the mood to go down….

but with her night wakings last night, she only slept about 9 hours, + 1 hour nap + 20 min cat nap = 10hr 20 mins……my son was usually an 11ish hour total sleeper….could this just be her needs?

[Haribo2012]

I'd prob say developmental as often sleep drops then picks up again. Just try and manage the OT.

My DS often had a 20 min CN in the afternoon just to get him to BT.

[Laura_kap]

thanks - its been odd the last few days…but she is seeming to prefer napping 11:30-1:30….

so waking at 6:30 -napping at 11:30 = 5hrs awake time awake time...
and then waking from nap at 1:30 - 7:00-8 bedtime = 5-6 hours awake time...

...so i guess she is a little opposite of the baby whisperer 'general rule' of longer 'A' time in the morning….and shorter "A" time in the afternoon, she is almost even, usually needing more A time before bed, than before her nap….oh well, I guess "A' type personalities like me need to relax on the rules and just remember to watch the babies preferences right??

thanks for your help - It is always nice to have another mum help you see the forest through the trees! xo

[Haribo2012]

It does vary loads, my DS liked a shorter morning long nap then long A to bed! Whatever works hey