Author Topic: 16 months old and only sleeps three hours  (Read 765 times)

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Offline karij2000

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16 months old and only sleeps three hours
« on: January 03, 2006, 18:05:01 pm »
My 16 month old son is having a lot of trouble waking at night and not getting back to sleep.  I have managed to get him to fall asleep on his own about 60% of the time but, he is usually down for a max of three hours and then he is up and will not go back to speep unless I lay down with him.

Most nights I usually end up speeping with him in the spare bed and even then he is waking three times or more.  I have tried almost everything that worked with my first two but, nothing seems to settle him but having me there.  He naps during the day from 1-3 and he falls asleep on his own then and when he wakes he doesn't seem agitated and usually plays in his bed until I come to get him up. 

At night I have tried letting him cry it out, sitting in the room with him at shushing and patting, going in every 10 sec., rocking him, changing his diaper many times, music, etc.

I could really use some new ideas.  I am getting really worried that he is not getting enough sleep at night and I know that I am not.  I really miss my own bed and my husband too!!

Thanks!
I have three boys ages 4, 3, and 16 months.  My first two are ten months apart.  I have to say that boys are challenging but, fun! They each have their own little personality and I love discovering new things about them every day!

Offline Katet

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16 months old and only sleeps three hours
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2006, 23:18:20 pm »
I think he is having separation anxiety & having had CIO I think he is feeling very insecure, thus his need for you there at night. I know it was around the 15-18month mark I had night problems with ds#1

Do you have a copy of the BW books, one of them (can't remember which & will look it up) talks about actually sleeping in the room with them (staying while they fall asleep as well) & then gradually over time (weeks) moving further out & times he is progressivly more awake.

I do think it is a "security thing" & so he needs you to "help him feel safe" at night, so he can sleep better
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline B1PZNT49

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16 months old and only sleeps three hours
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2006, 00:08:16 am »
I WENT THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THING WITH MY SON AT ABOUT THE EXACT SAME TIME..UNTIL THEN HE WAS A FANTASTIC SLEEPER BUT IT THE SEPARATION ANXIETY AT BEDTIME STARTED OUT OF THE BLUE..HE WAS FINE WHEN I DROPPED HIM OFF AT DAYCARE, JUST BED TIME..
SO WE DID WHAT YOU WERE DOING UNTIL WE COULD DO IT NO MORE..
THEN WE BEGAN SITTING ON A CHAIR IN HIS ROOM AND I WOULD READ A BOOK OF MY OWN, NOT LOOK AT HIM, NOT TALK TO HIM, BUT JUST BE THERE..I EXPLAINED WHAT HE SHOULD EXPECT AND WHAT I WOULD BE DOING AND IF HE DISPUTED IT, THEN HE UNDERSTOOD THE ALTERNATIVE WAS FOR ME NOT TO BE IN THE ROOM..SO HE BEGAN TO FALL ASLEEP WITH ME THERE BUT LIKE I SAID, NO LOOKING AT ONE ANOTHER, I ACTUALLY FACED THE WALL AND ABSOLUTELY NO TALKING..
GRADUALLY, I MOVED THE CHAIR TOWARD THE DOOR, THEN OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR (SAID I HAD TO LISTEN FOR IMPORTANT PHONECALLS, MEANWHILE I WAS NOT EVEN ON THE CHAIR ONCE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM...
MAYBE GIVE THAT A SHOT...