What has happened to my good sleeper? Please Help!!!

[Zke77]

Hi all!
My 16.5 mo dd has been on EASY since 4 wks old, and we've worked through developmental/illness issues in the past with night wakings and naps. I am having a hard time this time around though because I'm not quite sure what the issue is. She is waking consistently at night now since Sunday. Most nights she is awake from 1.5-2.5 hrs at a stretch, with a series of me doing WI/WO until she FINALLY settles. I posted a thread a few days ago about extending her naps, because at first I thought it was a napping problem since it went to 45 min the same night the wakings began. No matter what I do, she will not extend/take an extra nap from the 45 min mark. I've even gone as far to lay down with her in hopes to help her catch up on sleep, but she will lay and talk to herself/cry off and on for an entire hour. On the second night of wakings, I saw her pulling tons at her ear and at one point she started banging it against the crib, so I thought, AHA, ear infection, and took her to the doctor the next day. Turns out that her lungs, ears, and nose are clear, but she did have a red throat. Tested it for strep, and turned out negative. Doc said it's probably just a virus. Thing is, I haven't noticed any sick symptoms. She plays fine and seems very happy in the day. She's not any more clingy than usual, except she is now starting to scream the minute I lay her back down after doing WI/WO, which she normally doesn't do. To put the icing on the cake, she started the walking process about 2 weeks ago and about last Sat/Sun really "turned up the heat" with it. She's getting pretty good at it. She also has all her teeth but her last four molars in the very back. We went through a really rough time with teething in Dec/Jan because she cut 7 teeth all at once, 1 year molars and eye teeth. I can't remember if her night wakings were this bad though. I have noticed her knawing a little more and grinding her teeth, which she has only done in the past when she was teething. And she has started getting a slight rash around her mouth that usually comes with that process. I really can't get that far back in her mouth to tell if something's coming through. I just can't imagine that she would be cutting again! Can walking cause this much of an issue? Does it sound like SA? I have already posted her schedule under "extending 16 mo old's only nap". I was working full time up until two weeks ago and quit so I could be a stay at home mom (baby #2 due in July). Could this cause issue for her? Please Help!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks
Zke 77

[Zke77]

Last night was awful! We put her to bed @ 6 because she only had 1 45 min nap and I could not squeeze anything else out of her. She woke up @ 7:10, then again @ 8:10, then again @ 2am and stayed awake crying while I did WI/WO until 5am. At one point I could not get back up to her for about 6 or 7 min because I was using the restroom and she actually quit crying and went to sleep. Usually if she has a chance to cry herself to sleep (which has only happened if it's unavoidable) then she'll be out for at least 2 or 3 hours. But after 30 min she was back up screaming. Do you think it's pain? I just brought her down to sleep with me and my husband because we were both so exhausted and she eventually fell asleep until a little after 8 this morning. Help!!!!

[JNate]

I'm so sorry you guys are having such a rough time. I have zero advice, just figured you could use a hug. My little guy has never been consistent, and at 18months is going through 'something' right now that has me stressed to the max as well

Just know that it will pass, and sometimes it has nothing to do with what you are or aren't doing...

Jen

[Jaime]

hmmm... if you've ruled out health issues (sick, teeth, etc.), that screech-y yelling can certainly be an indicator of SA - there can be one last hurrah of that just before 18 months.  in which case you need to just be as consistent as you can, and ride it out.

[becky1969]

Have you taken her in to the ped? She may have an ear infection. It completely sounds like pain to me. We've only had 1 ear infection, and he did just as you describe: would only sleep for 1-2 hours, then would wake up screaming, stay up for 2 hours or more, then would only sleep for a small stretch again. We were on the 2-1 nap transition at the time, so his naps were all over the place, so I can't remember if he short napped or not (we did have several 1 hour nap days, though during the transition time).

I'd take her in and have her examined. If not an ear infection, then teething or something else is bothering her. I would vote for pain.

I also have a LO that seems to get his teeth in all at once, or pretty quickly (we're getting the 4 eye teeth right now). I wouldn't be suprised if those molars are starting to come in!

As for the nap, when my LO is sick or teething, he's often extra tired. Even tho she's on one nap, have you tried giving her a small cat nap earlier in the day? It may be by the time she goes down for her usual nap she's a little OT, and won't sleep very long. Try a little 20 minute nap in the AM, 3.5 hours after waking, and then another longer nap later in the day - say 4 hours after that first catnap. She may not do it, but it might be worth a try.

I know how frustrating this can be, and I can only imagine how hard while pregnant! Hopefully this is a little blip, and she'll be back to normal soon. We're riding our own problem out right now - he just got his 15 month old shots and is having a bunch of NWs because he's feeling poorly. I just remind myself that this too shall pass, and then pull my hair out by the roots. I should be completely bald by the time he reaches 2.