Author Topic: Wide awake in the middle of the night!?  (Read 1237 times)

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Offline abaskovic

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Wide awake in the middle of the night!?
« on: November 15, 2005, 15:40:56 pm »
DD is getting better with naps and bedtime now that we are using PD, but she's still waking in the middle of the night crying and is unable to fall back asleep without help.

DH and I have tried PD for the last few nights (two hours of unsuccessful PD last night), and maybe we just need to keep doing that, but the issue isn't so much getting her back in bed and laying down, it's leaving her once she's there. She wants to hold our hand until she's asleep, which for some reason in the middle of the night is hours away!?

I assume we are guilty of adding to this problem as we do hold her hand for a couple of minutes as she nods off for naps and bedtime, but it seems kind of harsh to consider a couple minutes (it literally is only a couple minutes each time) of hand-holding bad to a baby. I am wondering if we are sabotaging her ability to soothe herself with this, but she isn't 100% asleep when we let go, although maybe she is far enough that she doesn't notice us when we do.

I am open to comments here and I am guessing we are going to have to stop holding her hand at all, but I was hoping there was another way without breaking her of something that SEEMS harmless.

Thanks!
Aimee
Isabella 10/15/04 "I'm somewhat of a textbook, but mainly a touchy baby!"

Offline elfin

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Wide awake in the middle of the night!?
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2005, 18:08:38 pm »
Hi Aimee,

It could be that she doesn't realize when you go when she falls asleep, and therefore wakes in the night wondering where you are.  You could try holding her hand for shorter periods of time, and then gradually moving yourself away from her crib, and then out of the room at the start of the night.  That way she gets used to falling asleep on her own.

Just a thought!
Carrie

Myles 12/06/03

elfin@thebabywhisperer.com

Offline abaskovic

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I think you're right...
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2005, 20:28:36 pm »
and this last naptime took 1 1/2 hours as a result. BTW, I forgot to mention that we're re-introducing EASY from months of taking her into our bed as a result of nasty reflux that is finally over, so the hand-holding came from that mess.

I tried helping her choose a lovey as she has never gravitated towards anything (presumably because she had me or DH to hang onto) and she wasn't too thrilled, but I realized after I wrote my last post that in order to get her to settle herself late at night, she would defintely need something other than me. I would love to just hold her hand each night and nap for a few minutes and be done, but in the middle of the night, I really don't and that's what I think I've set myself up for. So, we're all paying for it now.

Anyway, she finally went to sleep with one of her stuffed dolls and I only held her hand for a few seconds as she finally difted off, but I told her I would stay in the room until she fell asleep and then she would have her "buddy bear" to take care of her, so assuming she understood that at 13 months, maybe she'll adopt the bear as a lovey. If not, I thought maybe I'd take her to the store and see if she wanted to pick something out that she'd like as she kept throwing the other animals out of the crib when I asked her about them :-)

Sorry for the long reply, but I thought I'd post our progress.

If you see anything else I'm missing here, please let me know. It's been a long time since we've done EASY and I know it's time to get back on track.

Thanks!
Aimee
Isabella 10/15/04 "I'm somewhat of a textbook, but mainly a touchy baby!"