My 21mo NEEDS to start STTN - like YESTERDAY!!!!

[Super~Single~Mama]

Ok, I'm at the end of my rope. He is night-weaned. He is teething. (OMG I HATE TEETH!!!)

I'm a SINGLE mama - so posts about dh's taking over nighttime are NOT helpful. I don't have ANYONE here who can help me - my family is 3,000miles away.

I'm in law school. I'm taking the Feb bar exam. I CANNOT be up ALL NIGHT LONG listening to a screaming toddler b/c I am LOSING MY MIND.

I'm seriously about to give him to his father and walk away from him until I'm done with all this shit. But, I can't do that b/c he's my baby. So, I need another solution please. HE NEEDS TO STTN. I cannot nurse him at night anymore (he's been nightweaned for over a month anyway) b/c it gives me dehydration headaches (he would literally be latched on all night if I let him), and I can't sleep through it anymore b/c he's so big and not comfy to nurse side lying anymore.

We co-sleep most nights, although he has a pack-n-play that he will not fall asleep in.

His bedtime is 8pm. It's the magical time for us - any later and it takes HOURS for him to fall asleep and he's a wreck the next day - so bedtime can't change either. He has a good appetite, and last night he ate a TON of food - but didn't sleep worth ANYTHING last night. He SCREAMED at me ALL NIGHT. I got hardly a wink of sleep, and now I have to go to class and actually LEARN something - yeah right, its not going to happen on negative 2 hours of sleep.

Any ideas????? I hate CIO, but I'm almost there, so I need something else please.

[Biscuits & Gravy]

I wish I had an answer or solution for you. Unfortunately all I can do is commiserate. DS is also 21 months old, and does not sleep through the night. He is not even night weaned! Teething is evil. We moved him to a toddler bed recently, and last night he woke up once around 11. For the first time since the transition I was able to nurse him back down in his bed. He stayed there until 4:45, then wandered into our room and crawled into our bed. It was a miracle!

My older DS did not STTN consistently until around 18 months. I'm trying to be patient and realize that it takes longer for some kids, but it is getting really hard!!

Hopefully others will have some ideas.

[hollytheteacher]

I'm so sorry and this probably doesn't really help, but at that age, my ds was the same way and teething toook soooo much longer than i thought it would. But magically at 2.5 (a few months after nightweaning) he'd sleep through the night other than the occasionally sit up,ask for water,immediately go back to sleep times.



A lot of people told me the same thing (the 2.5 age thing) and I thought it wouldn't be true with my ds, but it was!! Soo hang tight and hope/assume it will all work out soon

[Super~Single~Mama]

Umm...he turns 2 in Jan. I MUST pass the bar in FEB so that I can even GET a job. W/o a job I can't provide for us. 2.5 yo is WAY too late for me. Like I said, it has to happen SOON b/c I need to graduate.

sorry, nak

[LadyCatherine185]

It took a little while after nightweaning before Liam STTN.. He did start sleeping a LOT better about 1-2 months after though (like only waking up 2-3 times and going right back to sleep). Have you tried moving him to his own bed in another room? What do you do to get him back to sleep when he does wake up? I think the less you do, the better and sooner he will learn to sleep. Not suggesting CIO, but just try to remain calm and firm and tell him "shh, it is time to sleep." and maybe just rub/pat his back. When we moved Liam to his own bed (we did have DH take over wakeups though) he started STTN, or only waking once. I think being in the room with us was too stimulating for him. Even while getting his 2 year molars he only woke up once or so a night, and he was ALWAYS super affected by teething. Now that they are all in, he STTN every night. He finished getting them in around 23/24 months.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I wish I could move him to another room, but he won't sleep in his pack n play, and we only have a one bedroom apartment. I would put him in the LR, but its loud in there since the elevator is right by my apartment so we can hear the door opening and closing. It might work, but I'd have to get him to sleep in the pack n play. And if he falls asleep in my bed, and I move him, he gets scared when he wakes up (since he isn't where he fell asleep). He slept better over the summer some, and he was in bed with me, so I don't think thats the problem.

Maybe a toddler bed in my room? I don't really have room, so I don't know if that would work anyway.

When he does wake up I try to just shush and pat his back, but he doesn't stay laying down unless I physically lay him down - he sits up and screams blue murder. I really don't get it. The teething is definitely the issue - but motrin or tylenol doesn't seem to be doing the trick right now (he has more teething issues than me and my 2 brothers combined according to my mom - and I believe her. He's a MONSTER when he's teething).

[LadyCatherine185]

Maybe try "playing dead" for a few nights in a row and see if that helps? When he wakes up just lay there and pretend to be asleep.. maybe just say "lay down, go back to sleep" but don't physically touch him. If he seems to sleep better with you I wouldn't try moving him, especially because that could be more disruptive to your sleep as well.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I've actually tried that - it made it worse. He bashes his head against mine. I hope his teeth don't take 2 months again.

He's so stubborn (he gets it from me). It's a good thing he's cute since I can't stay mad at him when he gives me those giant puppy eyes.

[D_McG]

I do the play dead thing. and then any head bashing or any other kind of thing is a discipline issue. I leave the room if they hurt me. Day or night.

[liliaceae]

I would try putting him to sleep in your bed, and you sleeping somewhere else for the night (living room floor, wherever), just to see if he sleeps better on his own. And of course go to him if he starts crying.

Do you offer him water when he wakes up in the middle of the night?

[sweetkid]

My dd slept through the night at 38 months.She woke up for the day at 4:3o.She woke up once or twice in the nightthen went right back to sleep after,water or covers.

She was a horrid horrid sleeper for the first 2 years if she had any wheat or dairy products,and if I did (when nursing). That might help??

Also Amber necklace day and night when teething.

[Super~Single~Mama]

He definitely doesn't have any food sensitivities - he eats anything and everything and never reacted to anything in breastmilk. No reflux, nothing.

I think I should try one of the teething necklaces - but what do daycares think of them? He's in daycare 4 days/week, and I don't know how they would feel about one.

How long should it be too? I don't want him to choke (obviously!), so how long/short should it be so that its not too tight or too loose???