Night Wakings

[Raidra]

I posted about Colwyn's night wakings a few weeks (months?) ago, and I followed all the suggestions everyone had, but we're still having trouble. Sometimes Colwyn sleeps from 7am-6am no problem, but it's rare. Usually he wakes up at least once, if not several times. He doesn't get any milk when he wakes up, but occasionally has a bottle of water (if he's crying hard and coughing). Sometimes he wakes up crying, but other times he just wakes up moaning & groaning and stands up in his crib. If he's just mumbling a bit, we pop his binky in (it tends to fall out of his crib, so he can't always do it on his own) and he goes back to sleep. The problem is when he really wakes up and we have to pick him up to rock him for a bit. He can be fully zonked out in my arms, but the second I lean over his crib to put him down, he arches his back and starts hollering. It usually takes me 4-5 tries before I can put him down, and that happens at least once a night, except on the rare nights he sleeps through. It's driving me nuts! I almost prefer when he would wake up twice a night for a bottle of formula and go right back to sleep with no fuss.

He knows how to put himself to sleep.. for naps and bedtime we do a short routine and then he goes into his crib awake. Lately, because of construction at our house, he's been taking his naps in the car.. but his night wakings have been going on since before the construction started.

So, what am I supposed to do? All the books I have just seem to suggest an earlier bedtime. He seems very well rested and is rarely fussy during the day. He's always happy and has a lot of energy. Is there something I can do short of letting him cry?

Thanks!

[nwaddellr]

I don't know if you're a blanket person or not, but I've found that if I wrap my DS in his blanket while he's still in my arms and then lay him in his crib, it eases the transition a bit (less of a sudden temperature difference, perhaps?) He's also been sleeping with a bit of fleece for a "pillow" and he likes to snuggle into that at night.

But, I can't help you with the night-wakings because we still have consistently one a night (at 16 months). Luckily I can go back to sleep in a heartbeat.

[Raidra]

We usually use a sleep sack, and he tends to do better when he's in that (although it's 2-3 tries to get him down, rather than 4-5). We use blankets, too, and he has a lovey that he snuggles up with.

Of course, he's screaming in his crib right now, and I have to go pick up my husband at the train.. my father is supposed to listen for Colwyn, assuming he's asleep. Ugh.

[Raidra]

40 minutes later..

He's still crying. I've gone in several times, and the second I walk in, he stops crying. I pick him up and rock him for a minute or two, then put him back down. As soon as I lean over the crib, he screams. My husband came home 10 minutes ago (my dad had to pick him up), and he tried to get him to sleep with the same results.

What is going on? I'm going out of my mind.. it's been an hour!

[nwaddellr]

Teething? Or something in the air? I ended up sleeping with my DS (there's a single bed in his bedroom) because he would only stay asleep for five minutes at a time, it was midnight, and I was getting tired.

[lizajane]

we have been having major issues with schuyler since he moved into the twin bed. suddenly closing the door was terrifying to him and he would jump out of bed, rush to the door, desperately try to open it while screaming bloody murder. he has been up at night for as long as 3 hours at a time- same kind of thing. screams until we get there. stops. gets SOOOOO close to sleeping, but when we put him down or get up to leave (if we weren't holding him, but were sitting next to him) he would SCREAM again.

so- if you do not have a teething/ear infection/pain kinda problem, like we don't, here is my idea: separation anxiety. it shows up unexpectedly and comes and goes. schuyler is TOTALLY fine during the day- loves going to preschool, friends' houses, etc. so it isn't a clingy kinda separation thing.

here is what i have been doing the past few days and it is working:

go into his room and reassuring him (hug, kiss, mommy is here, everything is ok, i love you...)
encourage him to have some control by asking him to do things, even if i have to help him to do it (you need to get back into your bed, you need to lie down, it is time for night night)
stand or sit next to his bed and remind him to lie down when he pops up
slowly move toward the door, still reminding
sit outside the door until he stays lying down, stays quiet and starts drifting off
leave the door open so he doesn't feel trapped (very annoying because we have two dogs who bark and an open staircase right next to his door that leads to the kitchen where there is always noise.)

this routine is for a 20 month old, so it might now work at his age. but maybe something like it, but modified. like sitting beside the crib and singing and patting him to let him know that you are there, you will "rescue" him if he has a real emergency, and that he is safe in his bed and can go back to sleep unafraid.

[Raidra]

Thank you so much for giving me a few suggestions.. we're not having any excessive teething issues.. that was about two weeks ago. :)

I'll try just patting his back and whatnot while he's in his crib.. the problem is that we have my parents and my sister all sleeping within 50 feet of his room, so I feel really guilty about letting him cry. If it was just a little cry, I wouldn't mind.. but it's one of those high-pitched, nearly-hyperventilating cry.

I was so upset last night that I let him CIO.. I kept going in after 5-10 minutes and finally after an hour, he fell asleep. He ended up sleeping straight from 8pm 'til 5am, but then he was up for the day. I felt so guilty for letting him CIO, though.. I asked my husband if he thought Colwyn thought we abandoned him, and then I had a bit of a cry. :( He seems fine today, though..