Night weaning REGRESSION -- What to do?

[MLA]

I nightweaned DS at 10 months old (yes, I know, it's early), and things were going pretty well. He'd sleep until 4:30 or 5 (sometimes later) before waking to come into bed w/me and nurse.

Well, then he started teething all 4 molars and all 4 canines at pretty much the same time, and things went to pot. He started waking at 3a, then 2a, then 1a, then midnight; then we were back to waking every 2 hours to nurse.

I figured it was the teething that was causing the problems. So I waited for the teething to finish, but that was followed by illness and then some extensive travel.

So, I finally re-nightweaned him in December (at 15 months). It went really well. By the 3rd night, he was sleeping until at least 4a, and I was even getting stretches until 5a.

BUT . . . He's regressed again. He started waking at 4a, then, 3a, then 2a. Last night at 2a, DH tried to get him to go back to sleep for an hour. He'd fall asleep for a few minutes and then wake up crying. At 3a, I finally took him into bed and nursed him so that we could get some sleep.

I don't know what's going on. He can't be teething (unless his 2 year old molars are coming in ridiculously early). I don't think it's a growth spurt, as he just went through one.

I NEED this child to sleep in his crib. I don't sleep well w/him attached to me all night any more. And the other night, he actually managed to fall off the bed after I'd brought him in at midnight because he wouldn't go back to sleep in his crib.

Has anyone dealt with this before? Any suggestions? Does it get better?

[nameisrio]

For us, it went in cycles. My daughter went through a bad period like that around that age (or maybe a couple months before) where she was in our bed every night and waking up crying unless she was nursing. I gradually started putting her back in her bed after she'd been asleep a while and before you knew it, she was totally sleeping in her own bed. I still had to get up and nurse her in the rocker in her room, but I could put her in her crib after, which worked better for our family. I never officially tried night-weaning, but at 2 yrs. she started sleeping through the night. That wonderful period lasted about 8 mos. (I weaned totally during that time). Then she went back to wanting to sleep with us! I don't think it had anything to do with weaning as it was a couple months after that. More likely it's her active imagination/nightmares. Now she is sleeping (TTN) on a mattress at the foot of our bed. Next step is to move her back to her own room, but it actually doesn't bother me much to have her in our room every night, as long as we have the bed to ourselves!

So yes, to answer your question, it does get better....but then it might get worse again!

[MLA]

Thanks. Last night was better. He didn't wake until 4a. I'm beginning to really think we have some teething going on. He's been chewing on his sippy straws like crazy and pulling his ears. Hard to imagine that the 2yr molars would start this early, but he did teethe early w/the rest of his teeth.

[almadianna]

these repeated regressions are telling you something, maybe he is just not ready to nightwean?

[sarah1122]

We've tried night weaning twice (once at 11 months and once at 13). Both times it has worked for a week or two and then my son (now 15 months) is right back to waking up every 2-3 hours. I just figure its because he isn't ready...and I'll keep trying every 2-3 months until it sticks!

Maybe there is an ear infection going on? The ear pulling definitely sounds suspicious.

[MLA]

Interesting that you've had the same issue, sarah1122. I'm really sure it's teething. He pulls on his ears when teething (I've taken him to the doctor several times for ear pulling, and he's never had an infection; it's always bene teething-related). And he's been sticking his fingers, sippy straws, and anything else that will fit into the back of his mouth and chewing.

I will say this -- even though he's regressing, his sleep is still a thousand times better than it was before we did any nightweaning. So I'm trying to look at this as a very gradual process. Right now I'm getting anywhere from a 4-6 hour first stretch of sleep from him, which is really good. And I'm trying to focus on that.