14 month old won't sleep!

My son has been sick a couple of times in the last 6 weeks. First, he had the flu with just the aches and pains, then, after a few weeks, he had the stomach flu and was vomiting for three straight nights. Well, when he doesn't feel good, we usually sleep together on the futon in the living room. It's comfortable and I can be there if he needs me.

He was finally sleeping on his own again after the first flu when he got the second. Now, it's been over a week and he won't sleep on his own! He'll go down for a nap in his own crib, go to bed in his own crib, but he will wake up around 2 or so just screaming. I'll usually go in and comfort him and he'll go back to sleep for an hour or so, but then it starts all over again! So, to get some sleep, my husband has taken to just bringing him into bed at the first sign of crying. This will not work for me! My husband just doesn't seem to understand that we can just wait it out. It might take a couple weeks, but he'll get there. When he's out of town, it works like a charm (somewhat), but when he's here, I feel I can't wait it out! UGH!!!

Well, thanks for letting me rant!!!

posted November 17, 2007 - 5:17pm

Comments

cinbase wrote 1 year 2 weeks ago

Stay strong! By giving in, you enforce your baby's behaviour. I can totally understand just how exhausing it is-going through a similar issue-and boy these little guys are persistent. As hard as it is-don't take him into bed or you'll have to deal with it for many years. My friend just got her 6 year old daughter to stop coming in to bed! Hang in there.

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pattireis00 wrote 1 year 2 weeks ago

I know it's super hard when your husband is helping perpetuate the problem. Sad face I've gone through that too. You might have to force yourself to be the one to go in the room when he wakes up for a couple of weeks instead of your husband, so you can just sit with him until he goes back to sleep. The more consistent you are, the quicker he will get back on track. My husband drives me crazy because he'll be consistent for awhile, and then all of a sudden he'll either stop waking up when she wakes up, or he won't bother to look at the clock before he brings her into our room (I don't like her coming in before 5 a.m.) and we get off our routine just like *that*. Just do your best and have a talk with your husband in the daytime when you're both wide awake and paying attention, and then reiterate whatever plan you agreed on just before bed. Hopefully that way he will remember when he wakes up all groggy. Smiley

Good luck!

Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sl...

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ibneaters wrote 1 year 1 week ago

I did talk to him and last night was awful!!! My husband went to sleep on the couch (which is fine, I'd rather he did that then go and get Robbie) Anyway, Robbie woke up at 1:30 and the fun started. I went in his room like every 10 minutes for the next hour and a half until I finally went and got him. I know I shouldn't have caved in, but I'm the one who has to work this morning! It's going to be a long couple of days!!! But thankfully, I only have to work today and tomorrow. No other obligations until next Wednesday!!!

Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com

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pattireis00 wrote 1 year 1 week ago

Ugh, sorry you had such a rough night. Sometimes you have no choice but to give in, especially when you've already been trying for hours and you need you sleep! Just keep trying, and it WILL get better. It sounds like this is a good time to do this. You'll be tired at work the next couple of days, but at least you get a break afterwards. One other thing I do sometimes is go in to my daughter's room and sleep with her there. I'm still sleeping with her, but in my mind at least I'm helping reinforce the concept of her being in her own bed. It does seem to help.

Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sl...

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ibneaters wrote 1 year 1 week ago

Unfortunately, that won't work (sleeping in his room) I've thought about it because I think if I stayed in his room, he would stay in bed, but there's not even a place to sit down! I need to get a comfortable chair in there, but there's no room! Until then, I'm drinking lots of energy drinks! I'm at work right now and the kids are just so excited to have a break off of school (I teach Spanish 2x a week at an elementary school) that they're not even paying attention to the lessons anyway! For most of them, I'm just reading a book about giving thanks and then giving them a color sheet!!! For the older kids, though, I actually have to think! Anyway, yes, it's going to be a rough couple of days, but it's going to be worth it if I can break him of having to sleep with us! Thanks for your encouragement!

Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com

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pattireis00 wrote 1 year 4 days ago

Anita, just wanted to check in and see how it's going for you?

As for me, we had a weird night last night. Emma slept straight from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., but at 3 she would not go back to sleep! It was sort of similar to the night you described above, where she'd wake up every few minutes. I, too, ended up caving. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law's house is very poorly insulated and the room she is sleeping in gets COLD at night (yes, even though we're in Southern California). We can't run the heat all night because the room wouldn't stay that warm anyway, so she's got two pairs of pajamas on and three blankets! She stays warm as long as she doesn't get out of bed, but as soon as she leaves it, her warm little nest gets cold. Brrr. Guess I have to throw one more blanket on her.

Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sl...

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ibneaters wrote 1 year 4 days ago

It's been a little better. He goes down at about 9 and wakes up at 10-then stays up until 12 or 1-then stays asleep until 10! (although I've been trying to wake him up by at least 9, but that would mean I would have to get up by then!!!) He has been sleeping in his own bed at least 3 nights out of the week, but we're still getting used to that. Anyway, it is now 10 and I just put him down. I have to work tomorrow and I'm praying that he stays that way until at least 7 tomorrow morning!!! Thanks for asking and sorry about Emma. I've been to so many 3 am parties lately I know how you feel!

Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com

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pattireis00 wrote 1 year 2 days ago

Hope it worked out the other night! Emma's been up at 3 for the past several nights, and the irony is she really wants to go back to her own bed, but the cold wakes her up and she ends up with us. Sad face

I don't know if cold rooms are an issue for anyone else, but I just got an idea for how to warm it up that I'm going to try asap: a vaporizer. I am hoping the warm steam will help keep the room warmer and also re-hydrate her skin and everything and hopefully ward off winter colds. I will post whether it works or not (I got the idea from a Dr. Sears newsletter, and even though I'm mad at Dr. Sears for this whole co-sleeping thing since it was his books that convinced me to try it, I think this seems like a good idea and harmless if it doesn't work out).

Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sl...

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ibneaters wrote 1 year 2 days ago

I'll have to try the vaporizer since his furnace doesn't work. It does stay pretty warm, but maybe it's a little chilly for him. He has been sleeping until about 3 as well, but then we give up and bring him into bed with us. I don't think it's going to ruin them for life, but it sure is making our life a little more difficult. We have a queen and it seems that Robbie needs every bit of the bed to toss and turn! Who knew someone so little would take up so much room!!!

Anita Burnham
www.anitaburnham.com

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pattireis00 wrote 1 year 1 day ago

I hear you. We actually ended up buying a king-sized bed when she was almost a year old for the same reason! And I agree, it's not going to ruin them for life, but it does create challenges for us. Oh well, lesson learned for the next one.

Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sl...

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