14 month sleep regression?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Cheeky S is 14 months old and started STTN at 9months. He was consistently doing 7-7 (or longer sometimes) apart from periods of illness. However, over the past fortnight or so, he's been going down at 7pm and then waking at 1am, 3/4am etc etc. It takes about 20-30 minutes to get him back down to sleep, which involves laying him back down in his cot, replacing his dummy, re-covering him, and putting on his mobile. I know he's doing a lot better than some, but at 19w pregnant the lack of sleep is starting to kill me. He's started walking in the past fortnight, and has definitely got used to us giving up trying to settle him in his own bed and thus bringing him in with us. From 5/6am onwards, I have no problem if he wakes- he comes in with us and that's fine, but he's been waking up earlier and earlier expecting to come and bedshare. One night, he woke at 11pm expecting it. No siree! Will this pass or am I doomed to be woken up umpteen times again? I thought we were past this, wah wah wah etc.

[Mellors]

He's not teething is he? I had this with B when her molars came through (had forgotten they still grew teeth at that age!).

Other than that - switch off the monitor/buy earplugs ;-)

[Lochie]

I am having major sleep disruptions at the moment due to molar hell in my 16 month old. Started off like you Ruth - really against bed share, but now we are sharing a bed nightly as it is only way anyone can get any sleep. I know I am creating a dependence and assumption that this will always be the way, but don't care really as I hate to see him in so much pain. I guess the key signs for molar teething is hands in mouth when he wakes up.

I went to the doctor today as it has got so bad and wanted to check it wasn't his ears that were the cause. Doc told me that molar teething starts around this time and can go on for a while :-( I was given liquid ibuprofen as Calpol really wasn't hitting the spot and have started him on it today so am hoping that will help with sleep tonight (praying more like!!!). Anyway, it may not be molars that is the cause for your little one, and I do sympathise with the added strain of pregnancy as well!! What I am trying to say really is don't feel guilty about co-sharing - at the end of the day I figure just do whatever you have to to get you through the bad patches and it'll all come good in the end! I did a bit of googling and the molar erruptions and associated sleep disruptions can last a few weeks, so am sure it'll all be sorted out long before your second baby arrives....

[Ruth_Baldock]

Ha, me and Husband take it in shifts with the earplugs- he keeps an ear out on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays, me the other days ;)

Don't think he's teething, he's devoid of the usual drooling/whining package. He is still coughing sometimes at night (why, God, WHY?!) but thinking about it, it may be because he coughs and his dummy rolls out of his reach (he has a very small, flat, non-suffocation risk pillow- don't call social services, shh!) so I may do away with his pillow tonight.

I wouldn't mind the bed-sharing if he would LIE STILL, but he likes to sit up, put his cheek on my mouth and then go 'a mama! MA MA MA MA!' over and over again for up to 2.5 hours :( No sleep is had by any, and I normally end up plonking him in his cot, saying 'GoodNIGHT, Seb!' and shutting the door. Sounds harsh but 5 minutes of 'NOOOOOOOOO MAAAAAA MAAAA!' later he's normally conked out, but it's stressful for all and not something we want to do every night (husband also worried about neighbours going mental when he's screeching at 4am, doesn't want to get an ASBO or similair)

[randomv]

Ruth, does he have a morning nap? Maybe it needs cutting? I think that's quite common at this sort of age.

[Ruth_Baldock]

He has one nap in the middle of the day 1.5-2 hours, and he's often so knackered from broken sleep in the night that I have to wake him up. Oh, Cheeky S, you are a head scratcher...

[Belle]

Ruth - my little boy does the same thing when we bring him in, and with the same consequences! so I sympathise.

We had this at the same age, and rightly or wrongly I decided to ditch the much-needed and loved dummy. I felt that is what he was waking for, and he had to learn not to if you see what I mean. Of course I was terrified he'd be traumatised and/or have his sleep ruined forever but amazingly he adapted within a few short nights. we had already ditched it for daytime use a few months earlier I think, so didn't do it all at once, though I'm pretty sure we did naps and nights at the same time. You may not want to go with this, but thought worth sharing. I got some good advice on here at the time about how to approach it. He was too young for dummy fairy stuff so I just went cold turkey, took solace from the fact others had experienced the hell of the first night, and by the 3rd night he was asleep in minutes. it def did help his sleep, although think that the fact his ear problems were sorted shortly before the dummy ditching played a part too.

Of course now we're back to bad nights for altogether different, as yet undiscovered reasons, these kids don't like the status quo do they?!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Thanks, Belle :) He's been weaning himself off his dummy in the day (I timed it, he had it for a total of 7 minutes in the day yesterday) and we've been thinking of ditching it for a long, long time. Husband has the week off next week and I think we're going to give it a proper go then- at least we can do shifts of sleeping etc so that we're not both pathetic and useless the next day.

Status quo and babies? The two don't go together, I'm afraid. Why am I doing this all over again? Someone remind me?

[embo71]

My 16 month old daughter has been sleeping in our bed by about midnight for the past month or so (I keep telling people that its only been a week, and then I work out that actually it has been going on for ages!!)....

She has never had a dummy, and has always been an okay sleeper (well thats a lie, she has been known to go down very well, but then wake up at 4am and what to play), but something has spooked her now and she wakes up at least 3 or 4 times a night, ending up with getting into our bed (cos i cant take the lack of sleep).

I assume she was teething as she has molars coming through, but they dont seem to cause her any pain during the day, so why would they hurt at night? Also she has a bit of a cough, which seems to be worse at night, but again it doesnt seem to be the cause of her waking....

We are putting it down to being a stage and we hope every night (with crossed fingers) that it will be the first night she stays in her cot, but obviously that has been going on for weeks now.......

Sleep deprivation is one of the worst things about parenthood and I could bore you senseless with the effect it has had on my mental state! What I would give for a guarenteed night of full sleep!?!?!?

If anyone has any tips, tricks to try PLEASE let us know.......

Good luck,

em

[Gussy]

Hi Ruth, from memory I went through this phase with my now 2 year old. I never quite worked out what it was - I was pregnant too, so maybe it was that (?) - they say they can sense these things, and I think some teeth eventually showed up but it wasn't obvious for some time. Or, controversially, it could be recent jabs? My little one was knocked out of sorts for about a month after hers - could have been complete coincidence of course.....So in good news, it is a phase that will pass, annoying I know as it doesn't help. All I'd say is be consistent as I'm sure you know. My two now won't co-sleep - they think its party time as soon as I bring them into bed. My toddler started hitting me on the head a few weeks ago when I started falling asleep after bringing her in with me because I thought she was ill. NOT AGAIN!

[nunheadmum]

I don't know if it's teeth or simple developmental stages but both of mine have see-sawed between good and bad periods of sleep. It's great when it's good and so hard when it's bad.

We've never had any major signs of teeth trouble so always assumed it to be developmental e.g. becoming more active or a step change in understanding things etc. It seems at times like they just have trouble switching off until they learn how to process and deal with the new 'thing'. Unfortuately it always seems to come back to some level of controlled crying (or simply not responding) for them to learn their own way of dealing with it.

Good luck with it - or maybe someone will come up with a more optimistic explanation. Would be nice if there was a simple solution!

[Ruth_Baldock]

Thanks everyone for your replies. On closer inspection, little S seems to have some new teeth coming in afterall- and yesterday afternoon after a long nap, he had a bit of a meltdown shoving his little hand in his mouth and howling. So perhaps it's a mix of starting to walk, his room layout being changed (to make room for New Baby's stuff...uh oh...) and teething. Last night was a bad, bad night but hopefully this will all pass sooner rather than later *fingers crossed*

[SEGirl]

Hiya

I'd love to give you some advice as to what to do and what works in this situation but I'm afraid I'm in the same boat. But at least you know your not on your own in this.

Our LO is now 15 mnths and this has been going on for about 8/10 weeks sometimes up for anytyhing between and hour and 2 1/2 hours. He is teething (only has 4 teeth) and has been quite ill with flu 7 tummy bugs since Christmas, so I know that's partly responsible and he has started walking.

I am desperate!!!!!!

I have to wake him during the day after his afternoon nap (1 1/2 hrs) he's exhausted too, dear love him. We are in the process of buying a house and at the moment live in a 1 bed, so he is still in our room, in his own cot, but there's no escaping the cries. Ear plugs just don't work when he's only a couple of feet away :( Any suggestions would be much appreciated. I can manage when I'm not in work the following day as I catch up on sleep during his nap ,but I find myself not being able to concentrate in work. I am so fed up using matchsticks to keep my eyes open!!!

My plea for a miracle solution goes out!!!