I'm litteraly going nuts with my 1 year-old boy! He was sleeping through the night up until end of May. Since then, we've had one week of teething... then one good week... then a week of stomach flu... then a few good days as he started part-time daycare... then had a small fever and since then, he's never had a good night (10 nights now). He litterally will wake up every 2 hours screaming. I walk in his room to find him standing in his crib histerical. I put him back down and rub his back - which helps him calm down. He then falls back to sleep. I always try to leave the room before he is completely asleep as I do not want him to develop a need to be rubbed to sleep. Last night, he went down at 7:45, woke at 9PM, 10PM, 12:30, 2:30 (fussed on and off until 3:30 where I didn't go in his room because he was calming himself down), 4:30, 5:30 when he decided to get up.
He seems very cranky and hyper.
He has started crusing a few weeks ago and is now walking all over the place (holding on to things), so I know this probably doesn't help him. He's also started part-time daycare but has shown no signs of separation anxiety when I leave him. He's doing great! We decide to try "controlled crying" the other day at bedtime but he vomitted all over his bed. I find it cruel! He has a history of GERD and we are in the process of reducing his medication... so I'm not very into letting him cry as he does have a weak stomach to begin with.
I'm desparate!
I don't know what to do anymore.
I can't go to him every 2 hours every night for much longer!
Need all the help and suggestions I can get.
My son had similar situations. I was at my wit's end so I decided to bring him to a cranio-sacral therapist a few times. The effect was amazing-- he became so grounded. I still go back when I feel he needs grounding again...
Kristin
Parenting doesn't stop at night, doesn't stop because we are tired, busy, have to go to work in the morning or sick. He is going thru a tremendous amount right now from everything you've told us! Hitting milestones will cause disruptions in normal routine. Hitting that year mark also is a time when great sleepers will wake because they realize the world is out there and they don't want to miss out.
But look at everything he's got going on right now-teething, tummy bug, new daycare situation, hitting milestones, GERD! He is telling you what he needs right now. Not what he wants-what he needs! He needs to be comforted and made to feel secure while he gets through all this. Give him what he needs and this too shall pass mom.
Make sure he is getting his naps, eating/nursing/whatever he does like he should be, try to keep his routine as normal as possible, make sure you catch a nap when he does so you can recharge your batteries. It will pass I promise! Every baby has blips in their routines. It's perfectly normal. You are just getting blasted with a lot of blips at once.
Your son's young...very young as far as I'm concerned and still needs mommy and soothing time at night.
I don't know how you feel about co-sleeping, but it's something that has totally worked for us, as my now 4 year old was NEVER a good sleeper. He would wake constantly from birth until now..and there's still times he wakes at night.
I don't agree at all with any type of "crying it out" method so I wouldn't suggesting doing that.
If you're not into trying co-sleeping, then perhaps lying down with your boy until he falls asleep and then transferring him back to his crib may help.
He could also be hungry, thirsty, have a stomach ache, is constipated, want a pacifier (if he uses one, you didn't mention it)...or all of the above. He could have had a nightmare...anything of the sort will wake a child.
Like another said...mothering doesn't stop at bedtime..no matter how much we'd like it to. And the notion of young children/infants sleeping soundly through the night is ludicrous to me.
Your one year old is crying because he needs you and I absolutely think you should tend to him...tend to whatever the problem is.
It may be some time before he sleeps a decent amount at night or he may fall back into his old habits sooner...it's up to your child to figure that out...it's your job as his mother to be there for him, no matter what it is he needs, whether you think he needs it or not. The days of "you" and "what you want" are over, and you must accept that.
Know that every one of us mothers has gone through these "difficult" times with our own children, and they all pass. My son had reflux problems, he was colicky, he never ate well, didn't sleep well, etc....everything passes...even though it may seem like it won't...you'll look back someday and be a help to another mother on here asking the same type of question.
Good luck...and keep us updated.
Have you had him checked for ear infections? Whenever my kids would wake at night like that - it was usually an ear infection.
And you might want to talk to the doc too about the reduction of the GERD meds. Perhaps he still needs them - its when they lay down that GERD is at its worse.
And my daughter had GERD and we weaned her off the meds around one year and that is when she started to get ear infection after ear infection - later learned GERD can cause them.
Anyway, good luck. I'd really suggest getting his ears checked. I hope you can figure it out soon.
It is possible that his teething has caused an earache? For my kids the two ALWAYS went hand in hand and they would wake up all night long.
One, he has a lot going on in his life right now so be patient with him as he figures it all out. If he can't get down once he stands up that will definitely make him cry out for you. And whether he shows signs of separation anxiety at the time of the separation or not doesn't mean he isn't processing that separation later - like at night time.
We used the "Sleeping thru the night" book by Jodi Mindell to help us get our daughter to sleep thru when she was having some issues. But just remember they do go thru changes in their sleep when they are adjusting to new situations and new growth developments.
Good luck
For a temporary fix and a good night sleep for mommy and son I always give a little tylenol or I heard motrin is very good too. I don't do it often but my son has his nights where he needs it and it knocks him right out.
It is all part of having a baby. out of bed back to bed, out of bed, back to bed. I freaked out when at a few months old, he barked one night with croup. I have never got out of bed so fast in my life and it is lucky I have a good heart! Then at 3am I drove him to the children's hospital. Lucky it was a weekend. Back to your boy - You did not mention using the baby's Tylenol. It does work and it will help him sleep. It is also the best thing for fever. However, do not overuse Tylenol as overuse of Acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Overuse of Ibuprofin can cause kidney/liver damage, but it is good for teething because it also reduces inflamation. Did you get any gel teething rings? You should get more than one and find out which one becomes the favorite. You can put them in the freezer for extra relief that the cold brings to the teething.
