10 months - up for hours at night crying/playing/standing - anyone else?

[LPF]

I've been posting about evan's inability to nap currently - he'll sleep in the morning but in the afternoon he just fights it so by bedtime he's chronically overtired. He's now at nursery 3 days where he sleeps even less.

Previously he sttn 7-6.30. Now his nights are getting dreadful too. Last night he woke at 11.30 and didn't fall asleep till nearly 3am. He plays, sits up/pulls up - cries as he's stuck - we lay him down (no talking etc) he cries when we leave then plays and cycle starts over. I have bad insomnia when I'm awake a lot a night so I didn't go back to sleep till 5am.

He looks terrible - all puffy, ill etc and he probably will only nap for 45 mins this morning and fight it the rest if the day. Luckily it's a home day but tomorrow I'm at work and I'm dreading it as I've got a clinical job and I'm scared of messing up - why did this have to happen now!?!?!

Anyone else have similar problems or tips?

 

[LPF]

I'm literally sat here in tears now.

It was bad enough yesterday when he would only sleep in the morning for about 45 minutes and refused sleep the rest of the day. The night was horrific and now he's been refusing his morning nap for nearly an hour. He keeps sitting up, crying then playing then crying again.

He's had about 7 hours sleep in over 24hrs - this can't be normal.

I can't bear it anymore - he's so miserable, I miss my baby.....

 

[Faffalina]

Hey. Can't offer advice as having the same problem, except that she's nine months old. Seriously reconsidering whether to return to work PT at the end of the year...

How long has Evan been doing this?

 

[LPF]

Started a bit a few weeks ago when he first started nursery but has got much worse in the last 10 days.

 

[Foogirl]

What does he play with? Does he cry when he wakes? How does he go to sleep?

 

[Faffalina]

Could it be the famous "regression"? Googled and found lots of people in same boat...

 

[k4th]

Oh.my.god! 7 hours sleep in 24 hours!! Before lo even I couldn't manage on that!! Poor you & poor Evan!! to you both!!

My lo has NEVER been a good napper. I have to work so hard to get a couple of hours ish in during the day. She's been teething this last wk, waking at 2am & taking about 2 hrs to resettle. The teething has died down though & now I think she's doing it either from habit or being chronically overtired. I'm still sussing out which she is but your lo sounds like he might be the latter.

Is there anything that will make him sleep? The car, buggy, White noise, rocking, cuddling etc? When my lo is overtired I tend to wrap her in her buggy & go for a really long, entirely outdoor walk. I don't look at her or talk to her & I put her snoozeshade on as soon as she drops off & then I just keep walking. It has helped her catch up with her sleep in the past. Would that be worth a try? It can take up to an hour of power walking for her to nod off.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this & stress at work too

 

[LPF]

What does he play with? Does he cry when he wakes? How does he go to sleep?

He 'plays' in the sense that he sits up or pulls up and bangs on the side of the cot and giggles etc. Panic sets in when he can't get down again and the crying starts.

Sleep for him is always self settled - I can't rock/shush/pat him and he never sleeps in the pram and barely in the car.

 

[LPF]

Oh.my.god! 7 hours sleep in 24 hours!! Before lo even I couldn't manage on that!! Poor you & poor Evan!! to you both!!

My lo has NEVER been a good napper. I have to work so hard to get a couple of hours ish in during the day. She's been teething this last wk, waking at 2am & taking about 2 hrs to resettle. The teething has died down though & now I think she's doing it either from habit or being chronically overtired. I'm still sussing out which she is but your lo sounds like he might be the latter.

Is there anything that will make him sleep? The car, buggy, White noise, rocking, cuddling etc? When my lo is overtired I tend to wrap her in her buggy & go for a really long, entirely outdoor walk. I don't look at her or talk to her & I put her snoozeshade on as soon as she drops off & then I just keep walking. It has helped her catch up with her sleep in the past. Would that be worth a try? It can take up to an hour of power walking for her to nod off.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this & stress at work too

Thanks, nothing ever makes him sleep except himself unfortunatly. He's slept in the pram 3 times between 2-6 months then nothing since. It's always a big effort for us too to get him down

 

[k4th]

Coincidentally, I have just been reading a parent magazine & one if the articles is about sleep. It says that between 9-12 mths children often find a comforter to help them sleep. Eg a teddy etc.

Does he have anything like that? He might benefit from it, especially now he's away from you at nursery. If he doesn't, could you sleep with a teddy so it smells like you & then give it to him just as he's dropping off so he associates it with sleep? & then once it's associated y could give it to him in the cot to see if it helps?

I'm out of ideas after this. I really, really hope you find something that works! If u do, please share! My lo is off to nursery when she's 10 mths & I'm so worried about naps too!!

 

[LPF]

Thanks all,

This morning I put him down for his nap and just over an hour later he fell asleep! he kept pulling up to play and I left him too it (to wear him out I guess) and when he properly cried, I went in and lay him down. After 4 times and looking very worn out he fell asleep.

I woke him up after 45 mins as the HV was here for his check and we talked and she wondered if at nursery if he sits up and plays he gets attention, which I think he does. We've always been very 'sleep time is sleeptime' and no talking, play, light etc but I think at nursery they aren't so strict.

I put him down for his usual afternoon nap and he fell asleep in minutes!! I think a combo of no play/messing from me earlier and a shortened morning nap (I don't think he needs as much sleep as he was having) has helped.

Trying to get nursery to do what I do might be difficult. Fingers crossed for a restful night as he shouldn't be as overtired.

 

[LPF]

Coincidentally, I have just been reading a parent magazine & one if the articles is about sleep. It says that between 9-12 mths children often find a comforter to help them sleep. Eg a teddy etc.

Does he have anything like that? He might benefit from it, especially now he's away from you at nursery. If he doesn't, could you sleep with a teddy so it smells like you & then give it to him just as he's dropping off so he associates it with sleep? & then once it's associated y could give it to him in the cot to see if it helps?

I'm out of ideas after this. I really, really hope you find something that works! If u do, please share! My lo is off to nursery when she's 10 mths & I'm so worried about naps too!!

He does have a comforter thankfully. He's always snuggles a muslin while thumb sucking - any muslin will do thank god!

 

[stardust599]

Sounds like a developmental leap with overtiredness thrown in. I think consistency is the key hun, sleep time is sleep time. I remember we had similar issues from early on!

My LO has always done better on set nap times.

So everyday from 10am-11.15am and 2.45pm-4.00pm she goes into the cot for sleep time. Sleep time isn't negotiable and we do have time (like the past week) where she fights it but I don't give in to her. If she cries I stay with her to comfort her etc. but mostly she just plays and fusses etc. so I leave her to it. Generally for the afternoon nap if she hasn't fallen asleep after 20-30mins I just get her up and have her sleeping in bed by 6pm for night time so she doesn't get too overtired xx

 

[Mrs IKW]

Violet has regressed to waking several times a night, usually a drink of water and her dummy get her back off to sleep but I am knackered from broken sleep... The only way she would nap this morning is out for a walk in her pushchair so I couldnt even get a sneaky 40 winks myself then... She isnt even pulling up yet so Im dreading that!