8.5 month old, has never slept through the night!

[Mckenna&Barrett's Mom]

Hi,

This is my first post.  I am slowly losing my mind!  My dd has not slept through the night since birth, with the exception of two nights last week.  And I mean not more than 4 hours at a time.

I have lots to say, so I'll try to make it easy to read.

Implemented 4 hour EASY last Friday (Jan. 27). 

Before EASY:
Going to sleep between 10 pm to 11:30 pm.
Naps were erratic (and not until 4 or 5 months). 
Then we couldn't get past 45 min. naps.
A few weeks ago (before EASY) started naps 2 hrs, twice a day.
Has never fallen asleep in her crib, always nursing or being held.
Had pretty much eliminated night feeds, but not night waking.

After EASY:
Days 1-3 1.5hrs, then 1 hr, then 40 mins to go down
Waking few times at night, but not taking too long to go back down
Naps taking 10-20 mins to get to sleep in crib
Waking 2-3 timed during both naps.  Can't get more than 45 mins in am.

The times that she slept through were 10-7:30, then 10-6, then 8-4.  Then it just keeps getting worse, 8-3, and 8-12 was last night.  It's again taking an hour of pu/pd to get her down at bedtime.  She also started needing an hour plus of pu/pd at 2 and 3, and if it's after 6 forget it.

I know she started sleeping better when I eliminated the boob, and just held her to fall asleep.  Now if I try a night feed she refuses to give up the boob, but won't take her paci and isn't eating or sucking.

On top of all this, she got her first tooth on Monday, another one is coming through right now, she had a respiratory bug and was on a puffer and Dimetapp.  The only explanation I can see for sleeping through is the Dimetapp!  If so I wish I could give it to her nightly! 

Please help!  Should I just wait?  She's pretty much over the illness, but I'm afraid that she'll be teeting forever since she's so late!  We are moving in a week and a half too, should I just wait?  I don't want to re-establish all her bad habits!

[Katet]

On top of all this, she got her first tooth on Monday, another one is coming through right now, she had a respiratory bug and was on a puffer and Dimetapp.  The only explanation I can see for sleeping through is the Dimetapp!  If so I wish I could give it to her nightly! 

Please help!  Should I just wait?  She's pretty much over the illness, but I'm afraid that she'll be teeting forever since she's so late!  We are moving in a week and a half too, should I just wait?  I don't want to re-establish all her bad habits!

You  have just listed your reasons & if you are about to move, I'm afraid is may only get worse.

Until things settle down (teething excepted, as you say that is ongoing) make sure that you are following EASY in the day, try to get rid of bf before sleep & set up a good nap & bedtime routine. then when you are settled into your new home, ( about 2 weeks) then start as you mean to go & follow through, don't change anything & if it takes 2-3 hours, for a few days, it will get better, but with change going on with a move, I honestly think get sleep the best way you can as you will need it & you won't really get a chance to change things properly as it takes 2-3 weeks for things to get "firmly entrenched" at this age

Not that it makes it easier, but my 8.5mo who has been in a good routine has been messed up by illness, but as I know being 2nd time around it does get better, I am coping with no sleep

[kim&savannah]

I second that--she's got a lot going on--and it may take awhile to get her on a good routine that works.  We had similar issues--teething ran into cold after cold and then the traveling messed things up when they might have been ok--the first 18 months were pretty rough for us (not to discourage you, but just to let you know you aren't alone--some kids are just really sensitive to all the changes and things happening to them.)

Do your best to stick to a routine despite all the changes--although when dd is sick, we don't refuse to pick her up at night if that's all that will calm her down.  You do what you have to do and just try to get as much sleep for yourself as possible--I still go to bed around 9 or 9:30 many nights because I never know if I'm going to be woken up 3 or 4 times or if it'll be a good night (we've had about 10 sleep throughs in the last 2 months!!!  ANd several other very good nights with just one short waking!!!  And this is with a long lasting cough, and two eye teeth breaking through-- It's finally falling into place!!!!)

~Kim

[Mckenna&Barrett's Mom]

So I assume I would be better off to hold her until she sleeps than to nurse her to sleep?
Should I still dp pu/pd for naps?

Thanks

[Katet]

Definitely I'd hold rather than nurse, as it is far easier to break that "habit".
I think if you can get away with pu/pd at the start of a nap & night time & do something different for night wakings, I often held my ds#1 until he went to sleep for a night waking, even though he went to sleep in a different manner at the start of the night.

[Mckenna&Barrett's Mom]

I just read my "quote" and realized I should have said MY bad habits, lol!

Thanks for the help, she slept in today until 8 but was up for an hour and a half during the night.  Her ideal bedtime is 8 pm, but she was so overtired and whiny-crying that by the time I manage to change her poopy dipe and get her into her pjs, she went down pretty quickly for her.  She was asleep by 8, in less than 15 mins, and it has taken us 20-90 mins of pu/pd so far.  I hope being overtired won't affect her sleep too much, but so far so good, it's been an hour and 20 mins.  Hopefully it's a sign.

Thanks again.