14 month old wont sleep!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jacks Mummy]

Hi


Im new to the boards and dont really know where to start.

My DD Caitlin has just turned 14 months old and will not fall asleep on her own.
She used to sleep from 7am to 7pm from the day she was born up until the age of about 6 months (thought we had it sussed!)


However, from the age of 6 mths she hated being put down awake so got into really bad habit of rocking her back to sleep  and also gave her a dummy. I would transfer her to her cot and she'd stay asleep until 7am next morning.

But more recently she has started waking in the night. The other day i got her to sleep by 7.30pm but she woke up at about 10pm and refused to go back to sleep until 5.45am ( i kid you not).

I know its my fault as got her into bad habits, so have been trying WI WO. Been at it a few weeks now and she still WONT settle herself to sleep and gets herself soooooo worked up.

I really dont know what to do next, any suggestions would be appreciated as really need to sleep!!!!!


Thanks Helen x

[Sunshine's Mommy]

Hi Helen,

Part of my problem was similar to yours.  My DD wouldn't go to sleep on her own (and still doesn't, but we're working on it.  I'm sure you'll get great advice here, but you can also see my thread "How to get 14-month-old to fall asleep on her own" and some advice I received.  Maybe you could try some of the techniques that I was adviced to do.  So far we are making progress, so I'm very happy with the advice I got here.

Good luck!

Sunshine's Mommy

[mari]

Helen, coud you post her routine please.

The exact same thing happened to us and it took until Alex was 18 months old before I finally committed to WIWO and actually stuck with it for more than 2 weeks.  I think that I aged 10 years in that year due to sheer exhaustion and insanity!  Help is at hand here.

Sunshine's Mommy, so glad to see the progress that you are making, I just read your thread.  Well done to you and your little Sunshine. 

[Jacks Mummy]

hi

her routine is as follows

7.00am wake up
7.30am 6 oz milk
9.00am breakfast
10.30am snack
12.00 lunch
1.00pm nap (usually 40 mins) but needs to be rocked
3.00pm milk
5.00pm dinner
7.00pm bath, milk and bed (well rocking anyway)

She hasnt had 2 naps since a very early age and always goes for her afternoon nap without a fuss as long as i rock her.

She is so happy during the day and doesnt show any signs of being overtired at all.
She used to sleep all night long once we had got her to sleep but then started teething and all hells broken loose! She wakes up at least twice, sometimes can rock her back off, other times she's up for hours.

I thought problems would stop once she cut her last two teeth, but chance would be a fine thing!

Any advice would be greatly receieved 

[Jacks Mummy]

also, forgot to say we are currently having her tested for allergies. She has been on reflux powders most of her life and came off them a month or two ago!
But when she has milk it doesnt stay down so using soya milk now....................

[mari]

Here it is.  Have a look and see if you think any of these methods might work.  Let us know and we will be right with you to help you through it.

I will get a reflux mod to take a look here too as I have no expeerience of reflux

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63896.0

[Jacks Mummy]

Think im gonna try staying in her room with her as she screams her head off as soon as i leave..........................thanks mari

Just read your thread sunshines mum.......some great tips on there

Will let u know how i get on!!!!! THANKS

[Layla]

Just wanted to comment on the naps.... I think you should actually try for the nap earlier than 1pm. You could also try 2 naps but limit the morning nap to about 30/45mins to get a longer afternoon nap. So aim for something like this:

7am - wake
10ish - nap 1 (wake at 45mins)
2ish - nap 2 (longer 1.5hr nap)
7ish - bedtime

If on 1 nap, should be something like this:
7am - wake
12ish - nap (approx 1.5-2hrs)
7ish - bedtime

She might look alright during the day but 1-40min nap is really not enough for her. She's definitely overtired and should either be on 2 naps (1 short and 1 long) or 1 long nap....

Good luck
We're all here for you
Layla

[mari]

So will you try Gradual Withdrawal?
That's how I started with Alex.  I put a bed in her room and stayed there for a while whilst she got used to sleeping in her cot, I jsut put her there and held her had to start with.  She did cry but I stayed with her and she went to sleep, she woke and I did the same.
I stayed there for a week or so then I moved the bed away from her and stopped holding her hand and just spoke to her when she woke, I did this for a bit longer then I took the bed away and stood by her cot until she fell asleep, gradually I moved further from the cot until Iwas out of the room, then I started WIWO.
You can't rush things, it will take time about 3 weeks -1 month before you might even think about wiwo, but be patient, be consistent and you will get there
I hope this helps