please help - 14 mo won't sleep!

[fizzypop]

Hello.. I've not posted for ages but I need help! I'm not sure if my baby is now a toddler but thought I'd post here in case anyone has an older baby and some advice....

So...

DD has always been a good sleeper.. 7pm-7/8am.. waking only occasionally for mayhas bea dummy. But for the last month or so she'll go to bed fine as usual - bath, bottle, bed at 7pm and she will happily be put down wide awake and take herself off to sleep. Then at 12.30-1am she will wake screaming.. nothing consoles her - calpol, dummy etc, she won't take water. She just wants to be picked up and to sleep with us. I've tried half heartedly to CIO but she wakes the neighbours and she cried constantly from 2am until 6am one night and I was even in the room with her. She does have teeth coming through - molars at that, but she shoes no signs of discomfort in the day time and even calpol doesn't seem to settle her.

I have caved a few times and bought her into my bed, due to sheer exhaustion but I can't have this for long.. not only is it building a rod for my own back but she is such a wiggler that I don't get much sleep with her wrestling me all night!

Oh I should add that she eats well.. healthy meals, protein and carbs at 5pm and 6-8oz milk at bedtime so she's not hungry when she wakes. And she naps for an hour to 90 minutes at lunch time so she's well rested in the day but worn out enough to need sleep at night.

So what would you do? Be persistent with the CIO? Let her sleep with me until I am sure her teeth aren't bothering her? Put her up for adoption? (Joke!)

I am so tired.. I have had less than an hours sleep most nights and at the most 3-4 hours a night. This has been going on for ages and i am so so tired i could cry. I dont get any help because DH works and we have no family near by.

Anyone able to offer any advice?? I've googled it but can only find things on getting her to sleep at bedtime, which she does fine.. its just after midnight she can't settle herself.

Help!

 

[HelenJane]

I think it will be the teethin. I think you can get ssomething stronger than Calpol too. In a blue box think its Ibuprofen? My friends little boy screams blue murder with his teeth and thats the only thing that works. I wouldn't do the CIO as it sounds like she just may be suffering with her teeth.

 

[Noelle610]

How long has this been going on for? It sounds like a trip to the doctor is in order hun. She could be ill - perhaps with an ear infection. She could also be getting her molars, in which case ibuprofen before bed is great (works much better than acetaminophen because it's an anti-inflammatory).

When doing CIO, most kids will not go on for four hours unless something is wrong, so I'd definitely look into it. At the very least, it will ease your mind and you can decide what to do from there.

 

[hubblybubbly]

The evil premolars were terrible for us, willows sleep has always been poor but it went particularly like how you're describing...waking screaming/inconsolable. She occasionally settled with some extra milk overnight, not particularly because I thought she was hungry but more for comfort. Otherwise she just needed cuddles, reassuarance. She already bed shares so I can't offer much advice on that front.

I would get her checked over though to make sure there is no signs of ear infection or another medical reason.

Given that she's previously self settled ok in her own bed and when you CIO she cried for 4 hours I would personally hold off on letting her cry now, sounds like there's something really troubling her, and that's not the right time to sleep train.
X

 

[fizzypop]

Thank you everyone. I never even thought about the doctors! Terrible mummy lol! I did notice today that her throat looked a bit red. I will take her tomorrow. Thank you all xxx