Hi, I'm amother of 3 and my youngest is 13 months. She was a great newborn sleeper and would sleep through the night. She wakes up I swear 4-5 times a night. I still nurse her so thats how she goes back to sleep. Also, her crib is in our room because her room isn't done yet. I'm just so tired, she also will not let my husband touch her at night. If it's not me she screams. On the weekends I cant sleep in because she will through a huge screaming fit and wont stop. She is running my life! She is so cute though so I give in. Does anybody have any good suggestions for me? How do I get her to sleep through the night again?
Take a look at the "No Cry Sleep Solution" book...has some good suggestions. Have you tried a pacifier? Lovey?
I am having the exact same issue with my 14 month old. She nurses to sleep and wakes 2-3 times a night and will only go back to sleep via nursing. If her dad goes in, she screams mama until she has me again. I don't know the answer, but a lot of people have told me to let her cry it out and honestly I can't think of what else will work at this point. The problem is trying to "schedule" for that, with another in school and already as sleep deprived as we are. Anyway, good luck to us both!
Stop giving in. She controls your life because you let her. We have to teach children what we expect from them. If her tantrum gets you out of bed, she learns that her tantrum works. If she is ignored, she may try harder at first, but if you hold your ground she will learn new behaviors. Same goes for night nursing. Just stop. Let her learn how to self comfort at night so that you can all sleep better. I used to let my kids cry for 5 minutes, then comfort them with out food but by rubbing thier bellies and talking/singing, then leaving for another 5 minutes until they are asleep. Never have I had to go in more then once, and even that one time is rare, they almost never fuss for a full 5 minutes. Of course, I started this at about 2 months old, your child will probably cry harder/longer at first because she is so used the way thing are now. If you hold your ground it will be a tough couple of weeks, but so worth it in the ong run.
Best of Luck!
Okay from one L. H to another I can definintely give you some thoughts I have but they involve the cry it out method which is NOT easy but it works. My pediatrician was the one who encouraged me to do it. My kids are 9 and 5 now and they are perfectly normal well-adjusted kids who are none the worse for wear for having to cry it out for a few nights. Message me back if you want me to tell you more about how we did it...some people think it's just awful and that cruel (to each his own) so I won't write it all out unless it's a method you're comfortable with.
I will say sleep deprivation is the worst, so regardless of what you try, I hope something works for you soon.
Hugs!
L. H
PS 38 y/o sahm to 9 and 5 year old girls.
My son was about 14 months before I got so tired i couldn't stand it. he was up every hour all night to nurse. i finally figured out that he was dependant on nursing to fall asleep. so i weaned him..the first night i stood over his crib for 2 hrs before he went to sleep again. the next night was 45 min. and after he was completely weaned he was and is a great sleeper. now at 2 1/2 it is just dreams that wake him up.=-)
Hi, 13 months old is a tough age in the world of nursing I know I nursed both of my boys for 2 years each. I started giving them baby cereal and or you can smash up into little bits of what you are eating for dinner for the little one to eat before bed time and it seemed to help their sleeping habits. She maybe still hungery and having a hard time sleeping because of it.
Good luck and I hope the advice works for you.
A.
My middle did that at the same age. It is a phase! She screamed for daddy though and we gave in untill he left on a trip! She only fussed for a day and when she relized he wasn't comming she stoped. She still is a daddies girl but we were able to co-parent again! So my suggestion is to take a weekend for you and go somewhere. You'll come back refreshed and she'll have to build a relationship with dad and her siblings.
L.,
Check the archives from this site about sleeping and for some reason there isn't a Diaper section (don't know why??) but it's under Other Topics. Get the book "sleeping through the night".
G.
She is waking up because she wants to cuddle with you and be close to you. If you truely cannot stand up to her and put your foot down, then the only way you will get any sleep is to let her sleep in your bed. If it were me, I'd cut off the nursing at night. That alone will likely make her sleep through the night... there's nothing to wake up for anymore.
The average person wakes up 3-7 times a night, and most of us just change positions and go back to sleep. What your daughter is doing is waking herself up all the way and insisting you nurse her back to sleep. This not only is not good for your sleep, but your daughter is not getting a good night's sleep either.
Do not give in! She will continue to cry until she gets her way and you'll never get anywhere. She is only nursing for comfort.
You have to let her cry it out. Have you seen SuperNanny the show? I know it's hard. I did it with 3 children (but all when they were six months). I cried myself each time, but no child ever died from crying. They will go back to sleep. Don't let anyone tell you illogically that you are a bad mom for letting your child cry at night when they are supposed to be sleeping.
If your child is sick, that's a different story of course.
Honestly i had the same problem. I took the doctors advice and moved her out of my room. I would check to see if she needed to be changed, if so i left them in the crib to change her. my doctor told me not to pick her up, she will learn to sleep at night that way, just make sure that nothing is wrong first. my daughter got really mad and screamed even louder, i didn't pick her up and after a week she was sleeping through the night. this was the hardest thing i have ever had to do. that and i was nursing to so i got a little sore and had to sleep with a cloth under me. Hope this helps
L.,
My little one is only 5 months so I dont have the experience you do, but I do know what it is like to be up four and five times a night!! Maybe she is just going through a growth spirt, if so, im sure it will pass soon and her sleep will improve! I am not a fan of the CIO method, maybe it would help to let her sleep in the bed with you until this phase passes. That always helps my daughter sleep right away even if she is having a horrible night! That way you aren't getting up and down all night. I sympathize with you!! Hope things get better soon.
E.
