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Help!!

Hi Girls,

I haven't been on here for a long time, but really need some help!
My LO is refusing to sleep on her own! we put her to bed awake and she falls to sleep just fine but in the middle of the night wakes up and refuses to sleep on her own! she will sleep with me in the room or if we bring her into our bed, but this is not ideal! she has started to wake up earlier and earlier too, so not even getting a couple of hours sleep anymore. Its been going on for nearly 6 months and im starting to look a little bit like a zombie!!

Ive tried the controlled crying and she just gets herself into such a state, starts coughing and has even made herself sick. Ive also tried staying with her until she falls asleep for a couple of nights and gradually moving away from the cot a little bit every night, but as soon as i leave the room she wakes up or at best sleeps for 45 mins. Ive tried getting her a night light in case she is scared of the dark.....but nothing is working.

We really wanted to start trying for another baby, but with Paige not sleeping on her own, im not sure i could handle being pregnant and getting no sleep!

Its not only us that are not getting enough sleep, Paige has actually started to develop little bags under her eyes !!:\?

Anyone got any other idea? all welcome!!!

LS0902

Replies

  • hugs huni, lack of sleep is a real killer!

    freya has always been a pretty apauling sleeper, we had jsut about got her sleeping through most nights, well until about 4.30 - 5 any way, then last week she had croup and it felt like we were back to square one with er waking hourly unless she was in our bed. but as soon as she was better i made sure that i stopped giving in to her. so sunday night i spent about 2.5 hours lying on her bedroom floor until she went back to sleep! she wsa soo agry with me shouting 'no mummy up!' and throwing her slef around the cot for about an hour, so jsut lay on her floor and ignored her and evetunaly she calmed down and went back to sleep. i stayed in there for about another 30 mins to make sure that she was propperly asleep and she then slep until 5, which is aceptable by freyas standards. the next night she slept right through until 5.30 and last night she woke at 4.30 and put her in bed with us but she jsut fidgeted and played up so i put her back in her own bed and she went straight back to sleep until 7!!!

    so its not much help but thats what i do, i have to do it every so often as she goes through stages of sleeping and not sleeping.
    i know you have already tried staying with her, but just wanted to say that it works for freya but you have to saty there until she is in a deep sleep other wise she just wakes as soon as you go out.

    hope that things improve for you soon hun. xx
  • thanks hun, think i might try that tonight. Take the spare quilt into her room and stay there until i know she is in a deep sleep. Its worth a try and i have no other ideas!!:\)

    Hopefully will get her back into a routine cos she was sleeping through the night since 15weeks before this spell of sleepless nights.

    Someone mentioned to me that she might be having nightmares? Just wondered if anyone else has experience little ones having nightmares as it didnt even occur to me

    LS0902
  • Sam went through a similar phase but lukily not for as long. i had to sit with him until he was completely asleep and if i tried to move up he would get. he is better now and if he is unsettled i just read him a book and then put his nightlight/music thingy on which plays for two minutes and then hes fine. its this age they really start getting an imagination and it often leads to nightmares
  • This sounds like really hard work. Poor you guys!

    I'm afraid I don't have any words of wisdom to impart as Samuel is a really good sleeper. He was a nightmare when he was little and woke very frequently when he was little but he's (touch wood) all sorted now.

    I know there are a few books out there on different sleep problems with babies and toddlers. One by Richard something or other. Maybe do a search in the library? Have you asked your health visitor too?

    Sorry I can't be more help but good luck!

    J x
  • I have asked health visitor before and all they say is to try control crying again. They have also tried to stay while i put her to bed and have made me leave her until she makes herself sick!! really helpful!

    But good news is i followed flickaty's advice on wednesday night and she woke up once at 3am and i had to stay with her about 45 mins and she was in a deep sleep. Stayed another 15 mins and she didnt wake up again! and last night she didnt wake up once until 6am!!!!!!!!!! so excited!! just hoping it keeps going!!!!!!!!
  • yay! glad things are working out for you, hope that it continues!
    it was the only thing that worked for freya, with CC she would just get in such a state that she culdnt calm her self down and would end up being sick, same as your lo.
    freya si so much better now i have do do it again ocasionaly but most of the time she sleeps until about 5.30 and i can cope with that.

    hope that things continue to get better for you. xx
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