15 month old starting night wakings!

[LisaM]

Hi

Last week my dd had a slight cold which I think is what woke her up the first couple of nights, she was really sleepy when I went to her and so it only took about 30 mins for her to go back to sleep.  However, since then she has woken up most nights and is crying for us to go in to her.  She stops crying once you are in the room, mostly I don't even need to pick her up she is just happy someone is there but then it can take anywhere from 1.5 - 3hrs for her to go back to sleep!!  If I try to leave the room before she has gone off properly she screams blue murder.  I can't do pu/pd as she is not crying just lying there, often tossing and turning, trying to get off, and also dozing but just not going in to a deep sleep for ages.  Its very frustrating just sitting there being quiet and waiting for her to sleep.  She is also waking early in the mornings 5.30-6ish so no lie in after a bad night!!  Has anyone else had this happen, did it stop?  I don't know if there is any other way to handle it, it does seem to have stemmed from the cold but could be something else?

Could it be that she is having too much daytime sleep?  Recently she has started taking longer naps on regular basis so some days having 2 naps of 1.5 hrs each - she would sometimes sleep longer but I normally wake her after that amount of time.  I haven't gone to one nap yet as she still goes down for both naps happily and seems to need them both, should I be trying for just one?

If anyone can help or just empathise that would be great, only had 4 hours sleep (not all in one go) last night and really dreading tonight again already.

PS we don't rush in right away if she wakes as normally we hear her and she settles herself back off again - seems to have lost the knack!

[AshtonsMom]

My son does the very same thing!! I feel like a horrible mom because i get so ed off right away. I always wonder why i can't have a normal child that goes to sleep on his own!!  He did at one point and now he sleeps if we put him to sleep then put him in his bed but he wakes up and screams like someone is trying to kill him!  If we let him cry it out he cries till he chokes or throws up but if we stand by his crib its fine but he wont go to sleep.  I am going nuts!!

[Maddy's Mum]

HI there,

I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the day sleep - I think she may be getting a little too much sleep during the day - hence the fitful sleep at night. Can you post her routine so we can see when she sleeps during the day?

Thanks
Dee
x

[LisaM]

Hi there

This is pretty much how it goes at the moment:

Wake 6am
Breakfast 7am
Nap 9-10.30 (at the moment wake her after 1.5 hours if still sleeping)
Lunch 12-12.30ish
Nap 2.15-3.15/3.30 (normally wake after an hour at this nap)
Dinner 5ish
Bath, bottle and bed 7/7.15pm

The last 2 nights she has slept through again thank goodness so am hoping it will last.  I think i find it really hard to wake her from naps as I think if she is sleeping she needs it - also as she was a baby that only napped for 35 mins in the early days it goes against the grain!!  However if it will stop night time waking and even early mornings as sometimes she is awake before 6 I will do it.

I know at her age she should be going to one nap soon but she only seems to be able to manage 3 hours up after morning wake so I really don't know how we will manage that.  Do you think while she is taking both naps with no problems I shouldn't worry about one nap?

Thanks for your help
Lisa