Author Topic: best sleeper changed to not even laying down for me (18 months) HELP!  (Read 751 times)

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Offline mom2kaya

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My dd has been the best angel baby until recently.  She always fell asleep awake in her crib and unless she was sick or teething slept all night until the last month.  Now, she will not even lay down in her crib for me!  She will sometimes let her daddy put her to bed in which she is sort-of like her own self (although he needs to stay in the room).  I have tried letting her cry as I walk out, giving her a few seconds, and then walking back in, but I can't seem to soothe her so that she'll lay down.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong?  I don't have the heart to listen to her scream which is probably part of the problem.  So, I will lay down with her on a quilt in front of her crib until she falls asleep.  I tried laying down next to the crib, but she still won't lay down.  Now, she is has been waking up for the past 2 weeks between 2:30 and 4:30 just screaming.  I know it's seperation anxiety b/c I returned to work about a month ago after being home for the summer (teacher).  I'm the one who drops her off and since the first week, she has done well...not crying when I leave, going down and sleeping for her caregiver, etc. Any advice would be greatly appereciated since I don't want to make this situation any worse than it already is.  : )

Offline imsmum

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Re: best sleeper changed to not even laying down for me (18 months) HELP!
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2006, 14:50:26 pm »
You are probably right on the separation anxiety but you should maybe try to rule out other contributors as well--teething, old/ear infection, has her schedule changed at all with going to the caregiver?

Offline mom2kaya

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Re: best sleeper changed to not even laying down for me (18 months) HELP!
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2006, 15:23:26 pm »
Thanks for the response!  No changes in her schedule.  She has all of her teeth except for her 2 year old molars which I don't think she is getting (or I can't see anything anyway!) and she is healthy!! 

Offline imsmum

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Re: best sleeper changed to not even laying down for me (18 months) HELP!
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2006, 15:58:44 pm »
18 months seems to be a bit of a difficult age too--almost like some of those toddler like traits start appearing then.  I'd keep doing what you are doing but trying to move a bit closer to the door each night until you get out the door again.

Offline Florencia

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Re: best sleeper changed to not even laying down for me (18 months) HELP!
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2006, 18:58:32 pm »
Some lo's just don't respond well to walk in/walk out and seem to be better with a more "mommy involving" sleep trainging technique, which is what you're doing and is called Gradual Withdrawal. A sep, anxiety spurt is usually held back within 2 weeks or so if you handle it right (which is what you're doing). You've ruled out teething, illness, but what about lights in the room (is it too dark, too light?), temperature or comfort (she might be umconfortable in her pj's... that happened to me once, ds grew a lot in aweek and i couldn't figure out why he would refuse to go down... switches pj's and that was it!)..

If everything is ok, then keep at the gradual withdrawal working your way out of the room moving your quilt a bit far away from her crib every 3rd day. As long as you reassure her you're there for her (which is what you're doing) she'll be fine soon.

As for the night wakings, do the same, whenever she wakes, stay in the room to help her soothe and then walk away. If she's too distressed go back to your quilt and eventually you'll be able to walk away.
HTH!
Mom to Manolo, spirited monkey and Jose Miguel, an angel cupcake