My DD has always been a bit of a difficult sleeper. She's a sleep fighter. Once she's asleep she's okay as long as I'm there. She doesn't sleep along and dhe wakes up a couple times to nurse, but just goes right back to sleep. I can deal with both of those, it's getting her to sleep that is really rough.
When she had a morning nap, it would take me about 1-2 hours to get her to sleep for AM nap, then another 1-2 for PM nap, then another 1-2 for night time. I know, right? I was spending 3-6 hours a day just getting her to go to sleep.
We dropped the morning nap a little early for this reason - around 12-13 months. Then it was BLISS! She established for herself a great little schedule, something she'd never ever done before. Woke up at 7 AM, nap for three hours in the afternoon (with no sleep fighting - literally asleep in 15 minutes) then at night, we would start the bedtime routine around 7:30 with pjs, a story, some nursing, then she'd be asleep by 8:15 or so. As long as I was the one putting her to sleep and I did it by putting her in the mei tai and rocking on the glider or bouncing on the yoga ball, it was great (forget DH putting her to sleep, though).
Then, suddenly, at about 16.5 months, everything went totally haywire. It was right around the time that she got 4 molars and 2 incisors in all at once. Nap was okay, she'd go right to sleep like usual, but nighttime was a nightmare. One to two, sometimes three hours and then she would wake up at 5:30 or 6 AM. Now all the teeth are in but she's still doing this.
I've tried everything: dim room, completely black room, white noise, quiet, music, singing, bouncing, rocking, walking, stillness, carrier, no carrier, nursing, pacifier, no sucking. I haven't tried the car because she's not a big fan (and never falls asleep in the car) and was a car seat screamer when she was littler.
Is there anything I'm missing? Anything you can think of? Moving bedtime earlier isn't really an option because of the time my DH gets home from work. He'd never ever see her if we did bedtime any earlier than 7:30.
When she had a morning nap, it would take me about 1-2 hours to get her to sleep for AM nap, then another 1-2 for PM nap, then another 1-2 for night time. I know, right? I was spending 3-6 hours a day just getting her to go to sleep.
We dropped the morning nap a little early for this reason - around 12-13 months. Then it was BLISS! She established for herself a great little schedule, something she'd never ever done before. Woke up at 7 AM, nap for three hours in the afternoon (with no sleep fighting - literally asleep in 15 minutes) then at night, we would start the bedtime routine around 7:30 with pjs, a story, some nursing, then she'd be asleep by 8:15 or so. As long as I was the one putting her to sleep and I did it by putting her in the mei tai and rocking on the glider or bouncing on the yoga ball, it was great (forget DH putting her to sleep, though).
Then, suddenly, at about 16.5 months, everything went totally haywire. It was right around the time that she got 4 molars and 2 incisors in all at once. Nap was okay, she'd go right to sleep like usual, but nighttime was a nightmare. One to two, sometimes three hours and then she would wake up at 5:30 or 6 AM. Now all the teeth are in but she's still doing this.
I've tried everything: dim room, completely black room, white noise, quiet, music, singing, bouncing, rocking, walking, stillness, carrier, no carrier, nursing, pacifier, no sucking. I haven't tried the car because she's not a big fan (and never falls asleep in the car) and was a car seat screamer when she was littler.
Is there anything I'm missing? Anything you can think of? Moving bedtime earlier isn't really an option because of the time my DH gets home from work. He'd never ever see her if we did bedtime any earlier than 7:30.
. Also an increase in night wakings around this age for LOs I know. Google 18-month sleep regression, you may find some answers. I think we went though it a little early.
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