Son Stopped Sleeping

Hi S., Try puting a garment with him that smells like you. Also, stay with him until he is in a deep sleep. Also, if you leave him with someone while you work, he may have a problem with them, and not want to stay with them. Also leave his bedroon door wide open. I hope this helps. M. H.

Hey S. a couple of things I have a son that is now 15 however he was a non sleeper at that age to . He was not ill nor had any other issues that we knew of. He was a good child too when he was up not cranky however just wanted to be up w my husband and I . I worked full time and was running low on energy the next day as my husband was too. We ended up trying to do several different things to see what would work. A couple were as follows.... we had a bedtime for him so about and hour and half before that time we gave a nice warm bath and no tv nor did we have a lot of play time .. we had story time after bath and or just relaxed together . We eliminated anything that would be a stimuli. Also,a little water before brushing your teeth introducing floss etc. during that time madeit go by time . Then about 30 minutes before the actual time we'd lilke for him to be asleep within that hour and half we placed him in his crib as we ended up mind u at 13 months he was climbing out of the crib we did a toddler bed but we said prayers and laid him down and laid with him and rubbed his back . it worked but we had to stay in that routine and it relaxed him and we had alot of good quality time together. sounds like a lot but its and hour and half of your nite doing stuff with him that needs to be done anyways for a good nights sleep. it's worth it. Also, to this day i rub his back and say prayers every night and its our down time where we talk and he loves it and so do we.

Good Luck

Kim

Hi S.,
They just go through these phases, where they test again... as they did when younger. My little girl did it too. He may be too young for big boy bed yet... but he may be cutting 2 year molars, which could be causing part of the problem. A small dose of Tylenol 30 mins before bedtime may make him more comfortable. also, he may have developed some new fears... so I would definitely ask him and help him "name" his feelings, etc. and help him find ways (his lovey, etc.) to feel comforted in the night. I found that a nightlight was actually more harm than good for my little one... it caused her to sleep less soundly b/c it stimulated her anytime she stirred. We also use a sound machine to block other noises. But repetition, crying it out, as long as he's not in pain is really what it takes. And as hard as it is, you have to let him get himself to sleep... that's what makes the difference. If he knows you will go back in, even after 90 minutes... then he knows to keep going. I know it's hard... I did it. But turn the sound down on the monitor if you use one and try to use tv or radio and your husband to stay strong. As long as you know he's healthy and not in pain, it's the fastest way. Use your judgment... obviously we all have to try different things and do what works best for us and our child... this just worked for me. Once they are in a big kid bed... it all changes anyway, so good luck!

K.

I don't know if this will help, but anything is worth a try. My son ALWAYS had trouble sleeping on his own - literally fron day one. He was 17 months old before we had his eyes checked and his vision was -8.75. Turned out the problem was that when we put him down, he thought he was alone and he was scared. After we realized what the problem was, I was always grateful that I gave him what he seemed to need - human contact - when he needed it.

Have you ever had your son's eyes checked by a pediatric opthamologist? Pediatricians won't tell you, but I found out because of my son's poor vision that parents are supposed to have their baby's eyes checked by an opthamologist by the time they are six months old. I had NEVER heard that.

It's just a suggestion and may be the wrong one, but I know that when you are at your wit's end, you are willing to try anything. Been there!

One more thing. Invest in a box fan. Put it near the bed, but facing away and turn it on high when you put him to bed. The white noise scrambles some brain waves or something and actually seems to encourage sleep! It also drowns out little noises like the television in another room or the house creaking. Try it - it's worth the $10. In fact, buy two box fans because you and your husband will want one in your room too!

Hi S.,
Nightmares could also be a possibility. We have gone through it with 3 of our 4 children.(the 4th is still too young), and what we do is talk about it, (if he can), and before they went to bed, we would read a happy loving story and sing some loving songs, then, we would pray that God protect them and keep them safe and to sleep well. We also got them a night light and kept their door open with the living room light on while we were awake so that they knew we were in the next room. Occasionally my husband or I would sleep with them in their bed, until they fell asleep. The phase usually didn't last too long when we did this. Also we had to really monitor what they watch on t.v. We completely took away all cable/satellite and aloud them to only watch good moral/non violent videos(which they really didn't watch that much anyway). I hope this may give you some good ideas. May God bless you and help you. Take care!
V.

Hi S.,

Did you buy your son a new bed? I noticed that you recently asked which type of bed would be better... New mattresses have synthetic fibers that out-gas certain chemicals that are neurological stimulants. If you did, try covering it with an old mattress cover that has been washed a few times. If you didn't get the new bed, did you change anything else like a laundry detergent or a fabric softener? This is usually something that is not thought of right away...

God bless!

M.

Hi, my 3 yr old daughter has done the same thing. I lay with her until she is asleep but as soon as she realizes I am gone - she starts crying and I have tried the letting her cry method but I cant stand it and she will make herself throw up so then I have to change the sheets and usually bathe her again. If I let her sleep on the couch she will go right to sleep. I even tried a little dvd player with a movie and she will fall asleep to Dora but as soon as the player stops she wakes right up. Yesterday I found out that my 6 yr old and his friend told her that a monster lives in her closet so I am assuming that this is the reason but I havent figured out how to get rid of the monster. I just wanted you to know that I think its just a phase they are going thru. Let me know if you figure out a solution. S.

He may be getting some new teeth. Maybe his two year old molars.

My two year old has also been an excellent sleeper until the last month or so. He cut one two year molar 2 weeks ago and starting cutting another one yesterday. Guess that explains his grouchiness!! Just try to be patient and matter of fact. Try just leaving his bedroom light on and letting him play or read a book. Or put him in his room and tell him he doesn't have to go to sleep but he does have to stay in his bed (or in his room). My first son fell asleep on the floor like this for about a week before he finally decided the bed was more comfy :) Whatever you do, don't freak out or let him see you panicking or even look like you may doubt what you are doing. Also, I would wait until this phase is over before moving him to a big boy bed. Another thought is that some toddlers have difficulty sleeping when they are going through developmental stages such as talking. My second son (the two year old) started putting together 5-7 word sentences recently so that may have been something your baby is going through also.
Best of luck to you!!
Jen
Mom of 3 boys 4.5 yrs, 2 yrs, and 7 months!!