Help! Toddler Sleep Issues
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Until about 5 days ago, Natalie (19mths) slept 11 hrs. at night and 2-3 during the day, and well. For 4-5 nights now (I'm so tired I can't rmemeber!) She goes quickly to sleep at the regular time (8pm) but is up and ready to go at 2:30am, 3:45, 4:30, and this morning 2:45am!!! ONE night she slept until 5:30am. She'll whine and work up to a cry, I go in to check on her and realize she's wide awake and ready to go. I sit with her for a minute and somehow get her to play in her bed for another hour or so until she gets fed up with that, too.
She's so tired then during the day...just looks totally drained. One of the days she fell asleep two different times (about 20min.each, in the car), plus took her regular nap. I'm waking her up at 3 hrs. from her nap, and she's still so tired. A couple of the days I only let her sleep 2 hrs. It's like she has her days and nights mixed up!! Help!!
I don't know how this happened or how to correct it. This morning she's been awake since 2:45am. We're going to put her down for a nap around 12:30 (her normal nap is 1:30) and only let her sleep 2 hrs. This morning at 3am I just started bawling, I'm so tired. I can't catch up because it keeps happening. Today DH and I had plans that we're canceling because we're both just too tired.
Help/ideas on why this is happening or what I can do to get her back on track? I have no idea why this is going on.
TIA
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Good luck!
Amy
I wish I could help, but Faith is almost 18 months and has never consistantly slept all night. We get maybe 3 days a week, in a good week. Now shes got a bad cold and the stuffy nose is waking her up. Last night she went to bed at 9pm and woke at 3:40am and then again at 5am.
Many people will tell you just to let her cry or let her be. I believe you have to do whats right for you and your child. Im not a fan of crying it out.
Try changing her bed time to 7:30. I know it sounds weird because she's waking up in the middle of the night, but try it for a few nights and see what happens.
You can also try putting her back to two naps a day for a week and see if that helps improve the situation. Two shorter naps rather than one long one.
Check her teeth, is she getting her molars? This could be waking her up as well.
I hear you on the no sleep thing.
Sometimes we get so stuck on a routine we are afraid to change it because we think it's working. Try to step back from the situation and look at it objectively you might be missing something. I find with Matthew I have to change his routine up every once in awhile and things improve.
I hope you get some sleep soon.
Teething and possible ear infection first came to mind. Both my kids have had ear infections as toddlers without a fever. The only indicator to me was disrupted sleep. If teething and illness are ruled out - When she wakes during the night I wouldn't allow her to play. Keep the lights off, whisper and stress the fact that it's time to sleep until the sun rises. Try rubbing her back and/or playing soothing music. Gosh, I can't remember what they were called, but both my kids had things attached to their cribs that lit up and played lullabies. DD's was a fish aquarium thing that was helpful during night wakings. I used to go in, rub her back a little and then start it up. Didn't always work but I was thankful when it did! Good luck! I remember those nights all too well. {{{HUGS}}}
Aside from medical issues, ditto the two short naps per day (1 and a half hours each) - and as hard as it is - you may have to let her cry a little so that she learns to put herself back to sleep. Helen's been doing the same thing now for almost a month. She'd been doing great on a very structured routine - then we missed ONE afternoon nap. I have not gotten a full night's sleep for a week now - her clock is so messed up from the one missed nap.
Does she have a light in her room? I think at one point Helen was waking in the dark and became afraid. We have the fixture on a dimmer and the light low and soft when she goes to bed.
So many things can disrupt their sleep cycle.
It is a long involved process to get them back to a good sleep routine. Whatever you do, it will take time and patience and will not work overnight.
Good luck and hope you can get some sleep!
Ame
Thanks for the advice everyone! She's actually very good at self-soothing and putting herself to sleep. We've always done CIO when necessary, she's simply awake and is ready to get up.
Trina- I don't let her leave her crib unless it's to my arms, but once it hits 5am, I do get up with her for the day. She just won't stay any longer since she's already been awake for 3 hours in their and is dying for more activity.
She's not screaming and crying, just a light cry that slowly builds because she's getting frustrated. I'll do as you suggested Trina, and that will tide her over for another hour to hour 1/2, then she gets tired of the crib again and starts over. There appears to be nothing wrong other than she's just wired and ready to get up for the day. She's never had an ear infection, so that's new territory for me. Shouldn't she be up and crying with an ear infection, or not?
She has top molars coming through, but she's not chewing on anything or drooling, and has no problems during the day that appear to be teeth-related. Today she took one, early 2hr nap so we will see how it goes tonight. Maybe tomorrow we will try 2 shorter naps like you all suggested.
I appreciate the advice! DH said we would *pay* at some point because Natalie has always been one of those "miracle" kids that sleeps well, puts herself to sleep, and sleeps long. This just happened overnight, and even though I know there's a cause somewhere, we can't figure it out!!
If all else fails, I guess I will just let her CIO again for longer periods of time. I'm okay with CIO and like I said we've done it before and it worked for us, but that was so long ago! I haven't applied it to her now because she rarely has any unexplained sleep problems.
Thank you!!!!
Ditto Trina's post,
When Tay was getting up alot at night because of teething I give her Motrin before bed because it will last 6 hours for pain. That seemed to help.
Taylor takes one nap a day. It ranges from 11/2 - 21/2 hours. She goes down around 1:00, after I drop Dylan off at school. Her bed time is anywhere between 7-8 at night depending on how tired she is.
Good luck...this too shall pass.
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