hello everyone. i have a newly one year old daughter. yah!!! but she is having a problem sleeping through the night. when she was 5 months the doctor told me to get her to sleep on her own and sleep through the night by letting her cry it out. so that she got used to it and didn't hurt herself when she got older and could stand. and that took just about a week to get her sleeping fine through the night. but recenlty she has started to wak up again a few times, and i have tried to let her cry it out but she gets herself so worked up and i'm afraid she is gonna hurt herself. i have tried just rocking her, giving her some water. but none of it works. so i end up giving her like 2-4 ounces of a bottle and putting her back down, but then she wakes up 4 hours later only to do it again. i know she isn't getting restful sleep and neither is anyone else in the house. anyone have any advice? i would love to hear from you. thanks!!!
tahnks to everyone who gave me advice, it was sooo much help. i tried a few different things from each person. and she is doing a lot better now. this site is really awesome. it's nice to hear that other people are going through the same things as you are. thanks, again...A.
I realized in the 12th month that my son was not sleeping through the night b/c he was not getting enough food through out the day. We started feeding him 4 times a day until he would eat more at 3 feedings. I let him cry it out after a week or two of feeding more and now he is back to sleeping through the night. Hope it helps.
i just posted a very similar post about 1 week ago. My daughter did the same thing when she turned 1 (january 11). The best adbvise I was given was to purchase the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Mark Weissbluth. The book is excellant. I am currently in the process of a new bedtime routine. My daughter is doing good with it so far. however, we still have some perfecting to do. I purchased the book for $15.00 at barnes and nobles. Good luck and you will sleep soon.
We subscribe to the Healthy Sleep Habits... theory. Our kids sleep great and I attribute it to that approach. It takes tough love, but you'll be glad you did it. Good luck!
Kids go through growth spurts, maybe she's just hungry. I get up and get water in the middle of the night, why shouldn't she need something? She's also old enough to be having bad dreams. If that's the case, you're going to traumatize her more by not comforting her when she cries and her sleeping will get even worse. I've never let my sons cry it out and they sleep just fine. Go to her, comfort her, she'll go back to sleeping well when she's ready.
hi,
first, as you have read it is normal for babies to wake periodically throughout the night. my dd was still waking every 2-3 hrs at that age. i firmly do not believe in crying it out but really needed more than 2 hrs sleep at a time. i bought the book "the no cry sleep solution: gentle ways to help your baby sleep through the night" and it has been wonderful. she actually slept 7 hours straight. it takes more patience but pays off in the long run. good luck, if she was doing fine though up until now she most likely is teething or going through a growth spurt. i would not recommend ignoring her. good luck!
At this age, when they wake up, they think they might be missing out on some fun. It sounds like she has figured out how to get you to come into her room and give her attention. Of course, love and attention are good things, but she needs to know that nighttime is for sleeping. Is the nighttime bottle a new thing that you've started to soothe her? If so, it sounds like that is just going to starting another bad habit and make it even harder to get her to sleep through the night.
I know people have passionate opinions about crying it out, but I think it can be done in a loving way. We used a modified Ferber Method (Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber). We went into our daughter's room in intervals to reassure her that we were there but that it was bedtime. We kept the lights off and did not pick her up or even touch her. Just poked our heads in and said, "It's bedtime now. I love you." I would never let a child cry unattended for any longer than ten or fifteen minutes, but this approach worked well for us, and we now have very good sleepers. Good luck!
Go back to basics and use the techniques you did at 5 months that worked so well. You know she is capable of falling back to sleep on her own, so maintain that expectation. If you go in and check on her, rock her, give her water, that is what she will first expect and second require to go back to sleep.
I've never been one to let kids "cry it out" especially in a sleep situation. Our oldest would get so worked up she'd actually throw up.
It could be she's going through a growth spurt, maybe some teeth are coming in, or something. If you end up giving her a bottle, put some cereal in it to give it some "umph". We would do what we call "Spin the wheel"...just like when they were smaller:
*is she too hot or too cold?
*is it gas? (go ahead and give her mylicon)
*does she need clean pants? (go ahead and change the diaper)
*is she hungry? (put cereal in the bottle and mylicon if you haven't given her htat already)
*does she have a nuk?
*does she need her buddy? (some stuffed animal)
*are her teeth bothering her? (baby orajel swabs & motrin)
Just a few thoughts...good luck!
Hi, A.! I also have a 15-1/2 month old daughter, and she's not sleeping well right now either. Low and behold, she's cutting more teeth! Her molars are poking through, along with one of her other teeth. Poor kid! I've been giving her some Motrin before she goes to bed, and she's doing a TON better. Give her some Tylenol or Motrin and see if that helps. Lord knows we need our sleep! Good luck!
My son started doing the same thing, as long as her crib is low enough she will not hurt herself. She will sooth herself back to sleep. Is she getting teeth in that could be the cause of some of this.
Hi A.!
I am not much help but I am having the same problem with my 11 month old little boy. He is up every few hours crying until I hold him or rock him. I am exhausted and I know he must be too. I have tried giving him a snack before bed (maybe he's hungry), giving him ibruprofen (maybe he's teething), and letting him cry. I take him to the doctor to get him checked over but they insist he is fine. Nothing is working but maybe these ideas will help you. I honestly think they just wake up and miss mommy at night! Everyone says I will miss this stage someday...but...I'm looking forward to some good sleep!
How many naps is she taking? When my kids were about 1, I cut out their morning nap and just went to one around 12 or 1. It's hard at first to keep them awake, but well worth it.
Helllo A..
I have a 13 month old who has never once sleep more than 5 hrs straight . I am going thru the same thing. She just recently got her 8 th tooth and was waking up like every 2hrs. i tried tylnole that seems to work for 4 hrs.. i had no idea because i checked a few days before so it could be that. I would love any help also. My girl I think the problem is she falls asleep while drinking her bottle..I only give it to her at night and been trying to use a cup of milk. I tried to let her cry it out at like 5 months she cries for 2 hrs and woke up her sister for 5 days ...Good luck ..
Try giving her 1/2 cup of hot cereal before she goes to bed. If the bottle is working for four hours that is clue that she's hungry.
She may just be a light sleeper and wakes up. Not all children's sleep patterns are the same. As children get older waking up is natural as it is to adults. We wake during the night. We get a drink...got to the bathroom. Children are no different. Maybe it's mommy are you there. It is h*** o* us though isn't it. She is becoming more aware of the night as she gets older. Darkness and night time means something differnt to a five month then to a 1 year old. Your mother instinct will give you clues...listen to your inner voice as a mother.
A., (love the way you spell your name BTW)
Your baby girl may be going through a growth spurt...the good thing is they are only supposed to last a few days. Just keep with the routine and I'm sure she will be fine. I commend you for being able to do it on your own with her. I am also a single mother and it is hard sometimes but so worth it!!!
Good luck with her,
M.
please email me too... I am having the same problem with my son... he will be one on Feb 1st
We had this problem with my son. It turns out he was afraid of the dark. We got him a nightlight and never had another problem. Hope you find your solution!
I really liked a book called "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer." I had a problem (with a six mos. old) and it really helped me. The basic idea is go in and pick them up (after making sure they're really crying-not a call out) and hold them about 30 seconds after they stop crying and then put them down. If they start crying again, pick them up and put them down after they stop crying again. The process should train them to sleep on their own in less than a week. Good luck!
Hi A.,
I feel for you in regard to the sleep deprivation, especially with being a single mom. Unfortunately your pediatrician gave you bad advice to let your baby cry it out. At 5 months, and even up to 2 years old, babies are often not developmentally capable of sleeping through the night. Forcing that on a baby by the cry it out method is neglecting the baby's most basic needs, such as hunger, comfort, and a secure attachment to you. When you respond to her cries you are teaching her that she can count on you to be there when she needs you. Not doing so risks her withdrawing and giving up. You risk her not being securely attached to you. I recommend reading Dr. William Sears' books, such as The Baby Book and Attachment Parenting. Another book called The No-Cry Sleep Solution may also help. Keep in mind that growth spurts, teething, developmental milestones, gas pain, illness, separation anxiety, and any number of things can effect a baby's sleep patterns. Go to her every time she cries, hold her, keep the lights low and be quiet, feed her and change her if she is wet, and rock her back to sleep or whatever works to get her asleep again. You might also want to try co-sleeping or bed sharing. You can bring her crib in your room or have her sleep right next to you with a safety rail on your bed. This is the norm in most countries in the world, and Dr. Sears' books will help you understand the benefits to both your baby and yourself. If she is teething, put a couple of Hyland's Teething Tablets in her mouth when she wakes up. Good luck, and blessings to you!
