I have read all the relevant articles and info on sleep routines and although they have been helpful i need to ask you mums your advice to my particular problem, My one year old was never a good sleeper but started sleeping through (8pm - 5.30 am) a month ago. This occured on most nights and on some nights he would wake but it only took a stroke or two on his back and he was sleeping again. The last few nights have been torturous, he wakes at 2am or 3am and falls asleep in my arms but once put in his cot he wakes, he grizzles and tries to put himself to sleep while i stroke him but just can't. Two hours later i just put him in my bed and it takes breastfeeding for him to fall asleep which he does then til' the morning. Is it teething? Am i starting a bad habit by breastfeeding at night?
I have had similar problems with my son Harrison. He hasn't been he best sleeper, I did lots of over night feeds until I just couldn't take waking up that many times! Right now you may find that it takes only 1 feed but sooner or later it is likely that every time he wakes, he will need some assistance to get back to sleep.
You are dealing with several different issues. You shouldn't pick him up when he wakes and you go in to settle him (I sometimes do too but can backfire by not wanting to get back in bed), bringing him in bed with you (if you are comfortable with him sleeping with you, your business, but if this is another habit you don't want to form you should stop that as well), and breastfeeding (you are giving him a sleep association).
I don't know how you feel about controlled comforting/crying but it worked wonders for us. You just need to retrain your son about bedtime and routines. Harrison still needs occasional settling in the middle of the night but for the most part, we don't have to do CC. Just pat on the back and give him the pacifier and he settles back to sleep. Sometimes more than that, and we deal with it when that happens. I tend to take week time duties since my hubby works M-F and he doesn weekend duties, if we need to.
Good luck to you. I know exactly what you are dealing with!
Angela
In addition, I forgot to mention (and I'm sure you don't even need me to say it) that you should only do controlled crying after you are sure there is no illness, injury, wet diapers, and temperature isn't too hot or cold (environment).
Also, if it is teething (or even if you think it might be) don't hesitate to medicate!!! Panadol/Tylenol are gentle enough to be given for teething and are quite effective. There is also topical medications available as well such as oragel and bonjela.
Sounds like teething to me as well. I agree with the other ladies that this is not uncommon for that age group, ie, sleep distrubances. I would avoid starting a new routine of feedings for fear that it would cause problems later on down the road. Orajel or baby tylenol helped my kids through this difficult time. Best of luck to you!
Honey, the word routine between 6 months old and 20 months old is a very loose term in deed. Teeth come in thick and fast, we barely have had a weeks break in between them this whole time and the growth spurts also play havoc with the whole sleep thing. I will add how ever that you may be making a rod for your own back by breast feeding him back to sleep. I'm wondering if it would be poosible to imtroduce an expressed bottle at this time. I had to switch to formula at 3.5 months, but at some point (I can't remeber how old exactly, your bubs age or a bit older) our daughter began waking after being an A1 sleeper and I ended up giving her a 2nd bottle (lay it near her sleeping arms) before I went to bed for her to find and she would find it and go back to sleep. It took 3 nights to break her of this habbit only recently (not quite 18 months old) how ever I got close to a full nights sleep and so did she in all the time that interveened. I'm wondering if you couldn't do the same with expressed milk, or perhaps off a dummy, though it's probably too late for that. he's started solids by now, so he may well be getting the munchies in the middle of the night whilst his body is using more food with all the growing etc. Or even a formula bottle if your comfortable with that....thats my suggestion, hope it helps.
The only concern with leaving a bottle in bed or putting to bed with a bottle is tooth decay with the milk settling on the teeth. I know this because my baby teeth were terrible cuz my mother did the same thing. I had metal caps on my molars because of it!
My son went through this at about this age too. No particular reason we could see either. Just had to comfort him until he went back to sleep - but he would go back to sleep too. Check for any teeth coming through - the eye teeth can cause restlessness like this. I would try not to feed him in the night personally but that is up to you. It really shouldn't last too long, unfortunately you will go through things like this every now and then and you just have to persist.
I can only sympathize....as miss B didn't really give me peace till around 2 through the night LOL......you see any thing would rock her boat.....teething,growth spurts etc....I did however stop her through the night breast feeds around the 12 month mark(it is what I chose to do,not telling you wot to do :o).....) I would give her a little tepid water from her sippy cup and also any appropriate medication etc if she was teething.I would check for any new teeth on the way through.....good luck Hugs Crystal xx
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