11-month sleep regression? When does the insanity stop?

[Tway]

I really thought we'd turned a corner there. DD went down easy enough at 9, spent a good month getting a 4-5 hour stretch in her crib, then got up to sleep in our bed and nursed maybe twice before waking at 9ish. I was thinking we'd finally, finally, finally seen some improvement. I'd actually stopped obsessing over sleep a little.

Ha!

For the last 2 weeks, DD goes down at 9, is up at 12, and will scream bloody murder--which I've never heard her do any other time--if I just pat her back or pick her up. Screaming stops ONLY when I put her down to bed with me. Then I give in and nurse and she closes her eyes, seems to be asleep, but then PULLS MY HAIR or PINCHES or KICKS me all. night. long. She'll even cry in her half sleep if she wakes and finds we're not stuckthisclose.

What gives??? She used to nurse and turn over and sleep. And she wants to nurse more and more... pulling out her paci and searching for the boob. ARGH!!!!!! I'm so tired of being tired. I looked up "11-month sleep regression" and want to punch the mothers complaining of their babes waking once for a feed!

Random info that may be affecting her:
- she just got her top teeth
- looks like 4 more are on their way
- she's standing up all over the place
- walking can't be far behind
- she naps 2 X 40-minutes a day, and always has

Plus Mommy is in an increasingly bad mood out of frustration and sleep deprivation, which isn't good for anyone. I really though things were getting better. I guess that's what irks me most. We've put in the effort but it feels like our sleep is going backwards...

Any advice? Any BTDT? Even a hug will do! Although be warned I may fall asleep on your shoulder...

[mamandedeux]

nak

my ds2's night last night went something like this (he'll be 11 months next week):

-down at 7 (in bed with me)
-awake at 8 (I had left to have ''adult'' time with DH )
-nursed to sleep, slept with me until 10
-awake from 10 till 2, with me trying to nurse, rock, walk, threaten (ok, not really...) back to sleep
-up every hour until 5 wanting to nurse
-up for good at 5 am

...and it's been like that for the last 2 weeks. He was sleeping ok (nursing every 2-3 hours, but we co-sleep so it's not a big deal) prior to that.

I guess my point is, I feel your pain. At least DS1 is sleeping well now. Hang in there!!

[bodhitree]

That sounds very similar to what my DD does when she has an ear infection (especially the half-waking and crying and the screaming). If there's been any kind of congestion in the past several weeks, or if she's been touching her ears at all, I'd take her to the dr. just to get checked. Or you could try giving some ibuprofen and seeing if it helps. If it does, then at least you'll know she's in some kind of pain.

[Tway]

Thanks for your replies!

DD is perfectly content during the day and isn't pulling on her ears--plus we tried Tylenol last night with no luck. So I don't think it's an ear infection. I'll keep an eye out for any signs, though.

I forgot to mention that DD is also very clingy at night, and says "mamamama" if I turn my back to her or try to push her away so she stops pulling my hair. I don't know if it's a separation-anxiety thing, because she's happy enough to go to anyone else during the day, but it crossed my mind.

She just turns into a completely different baby at night. DH thinks it's because I'm anxious about bedtime again and I'm frustrated about the lack of sleep, and DD's picking up on how I'm feeling. In the early days of being sleep deprived, I remember thinking if I can make it to a year she'll be sleeping better and it'll be so much easier. But it's so off the mark, and I'm so frazzled...

[Tway]

Anyone else...?

I guess I'm holding out hope for a magic cure or something.

[AdamsV88]

Originally Posted by Tway

Anyone else...?

I guess I'm holding out hope for a magic cure or something.

I am watching and hoping for that magic cure too... my daughter was sleeping pretty good only waking two or three times to nurse at night but now she fights me for hours sometimes at night when I am trying to put her down and even does for naps too sometimes. I nurse her, lay her down, pat her back and she is OUT cold, I start to walk away and her little head pops right up and she just screams and cries... I am about ready to pull my hair out.... I dont know what to do. She doesnt take a paci and she wont take a bottle or sippy of any kind (I did both with my oldest so she would sleep... I put water in a sippy and when she woke up and wanted a drink she would take a sip and lay herself back down...) My youngest wont do this... she wont give in to anything. she is a stubborn llittle thing....

[LadyCatherine185]

sounds like teething and developmental. I hate to say it but for us sleep didn't REALLY stay better until DS got all of his teeth in.. which was about a month ago. We had HUGE improvements when we nightweaned at 19 months (went from waking every 1-2 hours to only waking 2 times a night), but he has only consistently been STTN the last several weeks.

Teething REALLY affected Liam's sleep. He would not only wake up more often (there were nights of waking every 15 minutes), but he would also stay awake for HOURS in the middle of the night. And there was nothing I could do.

hang in there mama! it will get better soon!

[Louisep]

Originally Posted by LadyCatherine185

sounds like teething and developmental. I hate to say it but for us sleep didn't REALLY stay better until DS got all of his teeth in..

Same thing for us. DS stopped being a fairly good sleeper at 5 months - when his first tooth popped through. He started sleeping well at 14 months when his last tooth (except for 2 yr molars) came through.

Developmental stuff always kept him awake too. Wow, when I look back, I don't know how I made it through the madness! The nights of being awake for hours with him. It passes mama, just hang in there.

[Tway]

DD just woke up an hour after being put down. ARGH! From 5 hours in a row to 1 in just 2 weeks...

Thank you, mamas, for your ears and your support. I just went out with an old friend who said his DD didn't sleep well till she was almost 2, so at least I'm not alone IRL, either. I know I will one day look back on this and have fond memories of comforting DD when she needed me, but right now it's just so raw and overwhelming. Sometimes I look back at all those Saturday mornings when I was single where I got up early just because. What was I thinking!!!

[AndtheStars]

My DS is 13 mos and I'm in the same boat. My only consolation is that DS has never been a very good sleeper so my expectations are never high to begin with. He goes down ok, but will only sleep for 4 hours or so before waking up, nursing, tossing, turning, kicking, head-butting, sticking his finger up my nose, in my ear, pulling my hair, sitting up, trying to crawl headfirst off the bed etc, etc. He seems to be semi-asleep through all this, but of course it's impossible for DH and I to sleep through. He does this all night. I'm not exaggerating...all night. He only has 8 teeth (needs 4 canines and 4 molars) so maybe once the teeth come in things will get better. I have no advice, mama. Just a hug and the comfort of you knowing that there is another mama out there with her childs finger up her nose at 3 am wishing that sleep wasn't such a luxury.