16 mo dd waking all night, help!!

[JanineRivera]

Hello Mamas,

I really need some support right now. I just don't know what to do anymore. My 16 month old dd is waking every 20 minutes to an hour all night and I am soooo exhausted. (I really don't know for sure how often she wakes because I don't dare look at a clock for it only makes me more anxious) It is finally getting to me and is starting to affect my relationship with dh; I am so cranky these days!

Is this normal; is this another stage that will pass, or is there something I should be doing differently??? I nurse her to sleep every night usually around 7:30 or 8pm. We are up for the day around 6:30 or 7 in the morning and she takes one or two naps that equal to about 2 hours a day. She nurses on demand eats solids and is mostly happy during the day. She has started to wake crying and I sometimes give her teething tablets; that seems to help sometimes but she is still waking A LOT!!!!

Anyone else in this situation? Please tell me I am not alone. Any suggestions or ideas are gladly welcomed!!

Thank you,
Janine

[JanineRivera]

just hoping for some support

I just thought I would ask again for some support. I love reading everyone's post because it gives me a sense that I am not alone and I would really like to hear from you all about my personal experience. So, if you feel so compelled please read the above post and respond.
Thanks so much,
Janine

[bridgerrose]

I'm so sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time! Lack of sleep one night can be hard but when they start to add up one on top of the other you can feel like you are going insane! I have 3 kids, 5, 3, and 10 months, and I coslept and nursed through the night with both the older kids until about 2 and I am on the same path with my 10 month old They all went through phases like this (I'm in one right now with 10 month old) and it always seemed to correlate with teething pain/growth spurt/something I ate or in other words they were just uncomfortable and needed more comfort through the night.

The things that I have found to help a little are amber teething necklace, a lovie or blanket thing that has been near my breast and probably has a little breastmilk on it, and sometimes a warm water bottle or rice bag near them will help comfort them a little when I'm not right there. Also napping during the day when my kids would sleep or when my husband got home for dinner before the kids' bedtime to give myself a little boost. They always made their way through it though! Now the older kids sleep by themselves and all night long! Just know that eventually she will too!!!

Anyways, I hope it's just a phase and that she gets through it soon!

[Maluhia]

I'd suspect teething or a new skill with that much waking at 16 months.

Does she have her one year molars coming in? Those are a BEAR.

When DD had her molars we'd give her a dose of motrin before bed to help her through the pain that seemed worse overnight. Of course only do this if you are okay with medications for babies

[jjchristey]

Lots of nighttime waking even while cosleeping

Janine,

I can not believe you wrote about the EXACT thing that I just signed up for this forum to ask advice about. My son is 16 months and for the last month or so has been getting up every 20-60 minutes throughout the night.

The schedule we would like to have is put him down after rocking to sleep in his crib around 8:30. He used to sleep there until around 11 or 12, about when my husband and I were going to bed. He would then be brought into bed with us, nurse a little and sleep for 3-4 hrs then nurse some more. Usually getting up between 7:30-8:30.

But what he has been doing for at least a month, goes to sleep in crib, sleeps for an hour at the most, gets up crying and then will be asleep in our arms, but we try to put him down and he wakes up sobbing. So we alternate getting ready for bed and holding him, then he stays with us in bed. But even in our bed, he wakes up every hour sobbing. My husband and I alternate comforting him, he gives him sips of a bottle through the night and I nurse. I don't know if it is out of frustration that I don't have much milk that he clamps down and bites intermittently or if his teeth hurt or what, but I can't sleep while he is attached to me.

Really we love him sleeping with us, but its not enough for him to be sleeping with us, he is still unable to sleep well. My husband and I are so sleep deprived right now it is really frustrating. But what has me more concerned is that I can't think this is good for my son, he can't be getting any good REM sleep waking so much. Fortunately he is a joy during the day, so happy and playful.

I just don't know if he is in pain, I've tried Tylenol, I've tried Ibuprofen, both don't seem to make a difference. I start questioning if I've trained him to wake up by our nighttime parenting style of picking him up and sleeping with him.

I really don't know what to do at this point. It does make me feel better that we are not the only ones going through this.

Although this "stage" seems to be going on forever, hopefully that is what it is and will end soon.

Good luck,
Jennifer

[rzberrymom]

First thing I thought was it's probably molars. My DD's took FOREVER to come in, and she was in terrible pain--although, I didn't really realize how much pain she was in until they all came in and she FINALLY slept again.

[jend]

Janine and Jennifer - I am not sure how long you have been experiencing this but I thought I'd mention the possibility of an ear infection? My DS is 15 months and we have always had sleep issues but he just had an infection that had we not gone to the Dr, we would have never known about. He had no outward symptoms but was waking a TON. He also got molars at the same time.

[JanineRivera]

Thank you

I just wanted to thank you mamas for responding and assuring me that I am not alone. I have thought about the possibility of an ear infection and wanted to wait to go to the doctors until her next check up. Hopefully it is not that! Also, I think I will try what another poster suggested about turning up the heat at night. I will let you know if we have success.