Help with ideas...my kid kept me up all night crying for attention-how do you handle?

[supermom]

Last night my 1 1/2 yr old daughter woke up at 2 and was wide awake and crying until @ 4am.

 

I rocked her, and that calmed her down (nightmare maybe?) but after 3am hit, i would put her back to bed and she would cry again.

 

I even let her cry for about 20 mins....didn't stop.

 

Finally @ 3:30am I let her up and watch tv, yes, I know it's showing her shes in control, but what do you do when she wont stop crying?

 

close to 4am, after watching some cartoons, i put her back to bed and said "now please go to sleep okay?" and she said "alright" and ended up playing in bed until @ 4:30am, i just let her while peeking in on her...she was singing and playing with her bear, actually very cute, but mommy was worn out, as i work 11to7 and had to get up by 8am this morning.

 

so she ended up waking up on her own around 8 too, poor thing was so tired...she even fell asleep in the car on the way to daycare. She was pretty whiny this morning but i knew it was because she was so tired.

 

so is this normal for her age? and what is the best way to handle a crying kid who wont go to sleep. i did rock her, but she wanted to stay up still.

 

i am one very tired mommy today!

 

any advise would be awesome.

[HokeyReligions]

I've been there. It happens. If it occurs on a regular basis have your peditrician check her out.

 

Has anything changed in her room? Moved furniture? Open or closed door? Different air freshner? Allergies?

[supermom]

No, nothing changed in her room.

 

I was also afraid of her having an anxiety attack, since I have them, my mom has them, my sister has them.....and of course, I want to be an understanding mom too because from experience, when you are having an anxiety attack, the worst thing is to have someone yell at you for it.

 

The crying was more of a "I don't wanna go to sleep" cry and a cry for personal attention, like whenever I was rocking her, talking to her, or letting her up for a bit, she stopped.

 

I guess I'm entering into the "terrible two" stage, but I am a new mom, my first kid, so I don't know every thing.

 

Thanks

[Matilda]

I'd say it's par for the course. Unless it happens on a regular basis I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure she's not sick, or something like that.

[Thor]

I can't say for certain that what happened to us is going to happen to you, but I'll share what I have.

 

Around the same age as yours she would wake up around 3am and wanted to be held and rocked back to sleep. Sometimes, she would only calm down if she could go to the play room or watch a little tv. However, we soon discovered that she was falling into a habit of sorts. It took about 3 nights to get her to just sleep through the night again. I guess what I'm trying to say is that once you're certain there's nothing wrong with her then do everything you can to prevent a habit from forming. Sleeping through the night is one of those things that is sorely missed when they stop happening.

[supermom]

I totally agree. I think I'm torn from wanting to me the MOM and in control and not letting her have control and MOMMY who wants to nurture her sad little girl.

 

Usually she'll put up a fight at bedtime, and my H and I let her cry if she is not soiled, hungry, or hurt. We check on her every 5 mins or so to let her know she is not abandoned, but i don't want her to take control either.

 

ugh! Kids are fun heh

[shortbus74]

**KIDDING HERE** give her sleeping pills.....restful nights sleep for all!!

 

 

No really..... I do not have kids, but my mother told me that when I would not sleep at night she would put me in the car and start it up and I would fall right to sleep.... Worth a shot....

 

Good luck and I hope you get some good zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's.............................