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Suddenly needs to be cuddled to sleep!

Hi ladies, my little man Ollie is 16 months and has always been a fab sleeper. We had him in a routine, 7-7 from 10 weeks. I have always just put him in his cot awake and he settles himself. For some reason, the past few days he has been crying like mad when I put him down for his naps in the day and for his bedtime sleep. I have to either cuddle and rock him off or sit next to his bed until he falls asleep...I don't want to get him out of what has been a great bedtime routine!!!

Plus with Xmas meals etc coming up, we will be nervous leaving him with a babysitter!!!!!

Thanks,

Emma.

Replies

  • sounds like a bit of separation anxiety to me, its probably just a phase he's going through as he's now getting a bit older he knows he's being left on his own,

    It won't do him any harm to let him cry for a bit to see if he settles himself, you don't want to get into a routine of rocking him to sleep esp. now - he must be getting heavy!!
    I do consider myself a bit of an expert on sleep issues as my Shea (14months) didn't sleep through until he was 8 1/2months and now if he has any illness / teething problems i'm up all night with him!!
    We did controlled crying with Shea in the end to get him to sleep through and even now he still has the most god awful tantrum when I put him down to bed but he wails and hurls himself around his cot for 5/10 mintues then he's out for the count.

    I remember my hv giving me a bit of advice and its always stuck with me:
    as long as your baby is getting enough love and cuddles during waking hours it will do them no harm to let them cry when they are gojng to sleep.

    Hope this helps
    Claire
  • Hi Claire, thanks for the great advice. I put Oliver down for a nap at 10am, he cried for a bit and I had to lay him down again a few times...fingers crossed he is asleep as I haven't heard him, but know if I peek in his room he'll probably still be awake and start crying again!!

    That seems like good advice from your HV, Oliver definately gets enough cuddles in the day image

    Sounds like you hace done a great job with your little one's bedtime...fingers crossed that Ollie will get out of this habit.

    Thanks again,

    Emma.
  • Hi Emma

    I never peek in his room when he's settled in case I wake him!! I used to feel a bad mum cause I dare not go in the evening and check on him cause everytime I do, its like he senses me walking in and he sits bolt upright!!
    But now I don't worry so much, I know he's okay and would soon scream the house down if he wasn't!

    Good luck
  • hi emma

    what time does your LO get up in the morning? maybe he needs more time between waking and his nap time - thats what happened to my boys when they reached around that age. My middle boy Isaac has always ben a nightmare for sleeping. He is 22 months now and likes to be cuddled to sleep. Iv tried controlled crying - he cries till hes sick so you end up taking him out to change his bedsheets. At the moment i sit by his cot till he falls asleep and will gradually sit further away every few nights. If he stands up I lay him down and say close ur eyes and go nitenites softly and it seems to be working coz it took 10 mins for him to fall asleep last night. Although the first nite i done it - it took 1hr 15mins but i stuck with it ans its paying off (fingers and toes crossed) I have to be careful tho coz he has stomach probs so have to make sure hes not crying in pain just coz hes being fussy! Also Isaacs 2 yr molars started coming thro at about a year and a half. Could it prob be discomfort? Good luck

    Elaine and boys xx
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