Just started having waking problems with our 17 month old. From 5.5 months she has settled herself to sleep and happily woken and played in her cot. We have a good wind down routine followed religously even when on holiday. Always adapted well to change. After the odd illness, change in routine or teething it has usually taken 2-3 days to get her back on track, with PU, PD and then transistion to leaving the room returning only when crying peaks (never longer than 2-3 mins)
She was poorly for about 10 days with cold, fever etc and the only way she would settle was to go to sleep upright on us as every time she laid down (even with blankets under cot and cot tilted) she would have a big coughing fit. never let her sleep on me since training her at 5.5 months, but as she was so ill we did what we had to at the time. Also granny was a bit keen on the rocking so had to train her too
Since she was showing signs of getting better I have been gradually retreating from contact with her when she is settling down. I stayed with her for a couple of nights, then moved slowly away. I can now get her to sleep with usual wind down routine place her in cot with special bunny say good night, time to sleep, time for bed and retreat out the door, on seeing me leave she starts to cry. I keep saying time to sleep, time for bed and within a minute or two she settles. I keep repeating time to sleep, time for bed softly for 5 to 10 mins. And then stand there saying nothing for about 5 more mins and she will have gone to sleep. Not so bad.
However as soon as she wakes, she launches into the most histerical screaming. A different cry than I have ever heard, sounds cross, works her self up really quickly. I don't rush in I wait a 2-3 mins (feels like forever) and then go in lie her down, tell her time to sleep, time for bed. She normally calms instantly. I leave, she crys, i stand outside the door saying time to sleep time for bed, if she doesn't settle after a minute or two I go back in, repeat it until she settles. Sometimes she does settle imediately, sometimes I am in and out for 30 mins.
I have been doing this now for 5nights, she can wake at any point in the night, over the last three nights it tends to be either once in the night or she sleeps through to 6am and then wakes in histerics. I use the same method at this time in the morning and use the rule we set at 5.5 months that she doesn't get out of the cot until 6.30am at the earliest and only when she is calm will l take her out.
Normal routine
7am wake and bottle (used to sometimes wake at 6.30 but would play till 7am now she just crys)
8.30am breakfast
10.30am snack
12noon lunch
12.30 nap normally 2 hours (have reduced this from 2.5hours in the last couple of weeks, whilst she was ill she would sleep for as much as 3 hours) nearly aways have to wake her up. used to wake up happy, now if she wakes on her own she crys
3pm milk and snack
5.30pm tea
6.30pm bath, milk, story, lights low, good night kisses bed at 7pm
I know she has had a lot of change, illness, teething, changes in my work patterns how can I help her to feel ok when she wakes. Do I just keep up the standing outside the door, sometimes I don't even need to go in just hearing my voice from outside will settle her. Will another week make the difference or am I doing something wrong?
