17.5 month old night waking for MUMMMAAA!!

[DavysMom]

Some advice would be greatly appreciated.  My dd is almost 18 months and has had a rough month.  Several bouts of illness, teething (6 teeth), diapers that leak   have caused her to wake at night.  It seems it has become a habit now.  The wake time varies each night, but she wakes calling for "Mumma".  I wait a minute or so as it begins as a "mantra" cry, but it always escalates and she is standing up in her crib calling out.  I go in and lay her back down.  I usually don't say anything.  She tends to jolt herself at 20 minutes and again at 45 minutes.  I'll go in again when she yells out (ie. at the 20 and 45 minute mark)...at these times I'll usually say in a firm tone, "It's time for sleep).  Usually after the 45 minute mark she'll fall asleep (or we'll start all over again) .

My dilemma is that she has always been an independent sleeper, and I don't want to stay in her room as she is falling asleep during these night wakings.  I've thought about setting my alarm to go in and stir her before she wakes, hoping to set her back into a sleep cycle, but she wakes at different times every night.  She has no problem with her afternoon nap which is 1.5 hours.

Oh...also she only sleeps on her back (she has never rolled over in her crib).  I sometimes wonder if she wakes because she is uncomfortable.  She also has never taken a soother or sucked her thumb(with my ds we just had to plug his soother back in and added a spare in his crib in case he lost it) Any strategies or advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!
Janine

[Kori]

I don't have advice... sorry, but I wonder if we are going through the same thing? I was just about to post. We are not doing well over here. But it just started last night. My 17mo. daughter who normally sleeps through the night woke up at 9:30 (went to bed at 7:30) and I finally gave up at 11:30 and brought her to bed with my husband and I. Then she woke up at 6am. Now today is already worse. It is 3:30p here and I still can't get her to go down for a nap. She is sooo exhausted. I just don't know what to do. I just can't stand listening to her yelling Moma. I feel so bad. Please help us!!!!

[abwalk]

When my son was waking a lot at night - the way you described - I ended up sleeping in his room.  I started doing it because I was too tired to go back to my own room so I fell asleep on the extra bed.  I noticed that he stopped waking up as often - or at least didn't cry out because he saw me there and was able to fall back to sleep on his own.  I slept in there for a few more days until he got back into his normal sleep pattern and then went back to my own room.

He has done this a few times, due to teething or adjusting to a new schedule, but sometimes for no obvious reason.  Sleeping in his room for 2-3 days seems to do the trick and I sleep better as well. 

Don't know if this would work for other kids - but I thought I would pass the idea on.