Settling down to sleep

[tinkertoes]

we've been really lucky with Jacob - he's a great little sleeper and I generally have no complaints... but this week we're suddenly struggling to get him down to sleep... even using the old cheats of rocking/feeding/etc... it's gone back to up to 2 hours to get him to settle. (It was taking half hour max.) Through the day he seems ok if I pop him in the car seat or if we are out in the pram - but he's really objecting to his cot - as if it's insecurity. As soon as we leave the bedroom he's absolutely fine so I'm pretty confident that he isnt hungry or that anything more sinister is going on. He mainly sleeps through - but if he wakes up then normally he goes back down without as much as a whimper. I'm starting to wonder if it's anything to do with the changes to the clock.... though that doesnt really account for why he'd object to his cot through the day. Anyone else had the same with their little one - any suggestions??


x

[loulouh1973]

I know I saw you last week, but since then, I've had real problems getting Evie to sleep in her cot during the day. She will go to sleep on me, or in her pram on a walk, but as soon as I put her in her cot, all hell breaks loose! I really hope it's a phase cos I can't get anything done, and it's exhausting! I've tried making her think it's night time by blocking out light, putting on her lullaby cd and putting her in her sleeping bag, but it doesn't work. Today she had the most God awful tantrum because she was so exhausted! I can't really shed any light on it, but sympathise completely because we're going through it too!
xx

[tinkertoes]

I spoke to health visitor - she couldnt really offer any prcatical advise - other than to stick it out and not to give in and take him out of the bedroom again and to thereby "help him deal with his anger on the subject". But I know that's not easy when all hells breaking loose and your head feels like it's going to explode! Anyway - since orginal post - we've been experimenting with dummy again. To start with - it did calm him (once I could get it to stay in his mouth - think he just didnt have the technique rather than deliberately spitting it out!!) - though we ended up running up and down the stairs to pop it back in every 5 minutes. However - since then it's been pretty successful (though as I speak I can hear Dad engaged in a small battle upstairs!!) - and at least half the time he's gone down without too much of a fight - and no more red rages! He seems to have got the hang of keeping it in his mouth - and (fingers crossed) isnt needing us to keep putting it back in once he's sufficiently settled - it just falls out and stays out.

In two minds whether to continue - I didnt really want to be dependent on a dummy - but leaning towards keeping it going for the time being.

Good luck though - and let me know if you find any other tricks!
x

[tinkertoes]

Well.. it's not particularly getting any better at this end - is Evie showing signs of coming out the other side? Dummy is becoming a regular feature and sometimes really does trick. Other times he makes it perfectly clear that he's not going to sleep - no way no how. He seems to be at his worse at bed time...and I think he now recognises the signals - sleep suit, story etc and starts whimpering ahead of going in to his cot. Last night he got himself in to a right state.. poor little monkey.

He's still sleeping well once he goes off - which is great but it feels like we've really taken a couple of steps back as far as getting off to sleep - we're helping him nearly as much as we were when he was a newborn. Should I be worried about making a rod for our backs now that he's much more aware of what's going on?

[Lucinda]

Hey there, the only time that Charlie is like that is when he is hungry. Is it worth trying another feed?

[Jess&Frank]

Hello

Just thought I'd let you know that you are not alone!

We've got into a routine of just letting Frank decide when he is tired in the evening - mostly around 8pm. It is quite obvious, whatever toy you wave at him, whatever position you put him in, he just whimpers. So, used to be no problem. Just put him down in his Moses basket, cries a bit, and then off to sleep - 5 mins top.

But that was before! Now, he seems to have worked out that he can cry, and cry, and cry (I think some other baby must have been feeding him ideas!!). A couple of nights ago, it was so bad, that I had to feed him again and he didn't go to sleep until after 10pm! Same with daytime sleeps, he's decided that he doesn't like his room or his cot and he just wails the minute we go near his little sleeping bag.

I'm hoping it is just a phase...

PS: although, I feel like retracting this post. Frank has just gone to sleep on his own upstairs in the time it has taken to type this... sorry.:o

[tinkertoes]

The story continues.... with the help of the dummy and occassionally a cuddly toy to hold on to - the settling down is massively improved...

But he is now waking up more routinely through the night and having problems getting back to sleep by himself. Sometimes he will whimper himself back to sleep - others he needs a feed or once in a while just comforting helps. Aagh. Dont know if its related to the dummy - but I'm reluctant to give it up as it really does comfort him - but eqally dont want to keep using it, if that means him properly unlearning how to get himself to sleep. Or like Lucinda says maybe he's getting more hungry. Or if it's all just a big coincidence and just another phase that'll change. In fairness it's only once or twice a night - which isnt a big deal - suppose I'd just about got used to sleeping through and was starting to take my zzz's for granted!

Any mums out there that have been through this phase and come out the other side - what's their verdict on dummies?!