Waking up at night

[kipsid]

My son is 13 months old and he keeps waking up 4-5 times per night. I give him the pacifier and falls back to sleep immediately. It is annoying to lose my sleep so many times. I tried ignoring him but he ends up falling back to sleep after 40 minutes instead of instantly, because the 40 minutes come with crying. He is not hungry, even though the last time he wakes up (around 5am) is to be fed. I wouldn't mind if he gets up once for feeding. Any ideas how to make him sleep through the night?

[Eve]

Have you made any environmental changes?

 

Maybe take the little one out for a bit before dinner time and have a little play in the park/back garden. That helps promote tiredness alongside getting up nice and early at the same time each morning. Also stagger afternoon nap time. If after nap time you have educational play time your son will grow used to wanting that stimulation and won't sleep too long.

 

In my experience it is all about routine.

 

Take care,

Eve x

[calla]

I empathize with you as my son also took a long time to sleep throughout the night. Try giving him a bath before he sleeps and playing some soothing music.

[turnera]

I read to mine every single night until she fell asleep while playing classical music (and keeping it on all night). The music soothes in general, and the reading slows down the senses so that sleep is welcoming.

 

Of course, it may be a physical issue.

[kipsid]

Thanks for your comments. He has no problem to fall asleep - I give him his bottle and as soon he finishes the milh he falls asleep immediately. The problem is that he will wake up during the night to check if someone will go to him, check if we left him, give him his pacifier and whatever else is in his mind. Do you think I should let him cry until he realises nobody will go to him? Is this the 'training' people refer to?

[Eve]

Thanks for your comments. He has no problem to fall asleep - I give him his bottle and as soon he finishes the milh he falls asleep immediately. The problem is that he will wake up during the night to check if someone will go to him, check if we left him, give him his pacifier and whatever else is in his mind. Do you think I should let him cry until he realises nobody will go to him? Is this the 'training' people refer to?

 

I think you have to judge it by his distress levels. I think experts say not to stimulate with talk and play for little ones who wake in the night. I didn't follow the expert rule and often had my girls in my bed, which is not advised nowadays I hear due to overheating etc.

 

Judge whether he is distressed or needs a nappy change but do all the environmental stuff firstly which will ensure a deeper level of tiredness. Also, he may need a rusk in his milk as well to give him something a bit heavier in his tummy to help keep him asleep.

 

Take care,

Eve x

[turnera]

I didn't believe in getting them up when they wake up at night. It only sets a precedent that is not beneficial. He may have a month or two while you practice not picking him where he sounds distressed, but he's a baby, and once he's back on a healthy schedule, it will be forgotten.

 

I read - and followed - that if they wake up, you go in, soothe them, do NOT pick them up, but sing to them or something, for a few minutes, and then you leave. If they do it again, you wait an extra minute before you go in, rinse and repeat. If they do it again, you add another minute before you go in...until he learns that if he cries, you won't rush in to comfort him, that he has to learn to soothe himself. And he will. Unless there's real distress for a biological reason, of course.

[SmellOfRain]

I can so relate to this.....My first 2 children, who happened to be daughters, slept through by about 10 weeks.....but boy, when my son came along.....I didn't get a full night's sleep for over 3 years LOL......I tried all the same techniques I did with my girls, but to no avail......is it a boy thing I wonder? I don't know, but it sure seems that way for us.....an idea I didn't try, that in hindsight may have helped is place something of yours in the cot with him eg a shirt, and tuck it in like a sheet so that he has your smell close to him, this might provide a sense of comfort to him when he wakes up. Hope you find something that works

[pheromones05]

This happened to me prior to diagnosis and went away when I got on the prednisone for the adrenal insufficiency. You should really see a doctor and get the prescription you need so that your body can rest, the stress your body is enduring because of the low cortisol should never be ignored and treatment should never be delayed.

[kipsid]

This happened to me prior to diagnosis and went away when I got on the prednisone for the adrenal insufficiency. You should really see a doctor and get the prescription you need so that your body can rest, the stress your body is enduring because of the low cortisol should never be ignored and treatment should never be delayed.

 

I am sorry but I fail to see how your reply relates to my issue.

[standtall]

13 months old? Let them cry until they fall back asleep...they will. They will cry for 1 to 2 hours, and this will last about a week. Then it is over, they will learn how to put themselves back asleep, and you will never be bothered by it again unless they are sick.

[lavendera]

My daughter just did the let-them-cry-until-he-falls-back-asleep method. She would call me crying because it hurt her to listen to him. Finally though, he laid back down and fell back asleep, for about 2 hours, then he was at it again. They finally gave in and he's back in bed with them!

 

Personally, I raised three kids and tried the crying method once. Never again. They all slept in our room or bed until they didn't. They are now productive, loving members of society. Didn't harm them a bit.

 

Good luck to you. I think you either have a baby that sleeps through the night or you don't. Never seems fair, but it is what it is. He wants his momma right now. Good ideas to try in this thread though!

[bean1]

Kipsid,

 

I will say that I don't believe in the cry it out thing. To me, sleepless nights are part of the parcel aside from certain safety situations (I mean obviously if you have a crying newborn but a toddler in the bath, toddler comes first, or if mom is going to lose her marbles she should put baby down & walk away for her sanity).

 

At 13 months (or 15 months seeing as this is an old thread), you are likely dealing with a teething issue, particularly the back teeth. I recommend "cuddle it out" during these phases along with a bit of tylenol or advil.

 

My son is 18 months and does not sleep through, he never has, but has improved remarkably with time. However, when it's a teething issue, leaving them to cry only teaches them that you will not be there for them when they are in pain, it does not teach them to go back to sleep.