Need gentle recommendations-13 mo old NEEDS to sleep better chunks at night

[The Harpy]

Rebecca is 13 months old next week, and I need her to start sleeping in bigger chunks at night.

I just returned to work full time this morning, maternity leave is over. Becca co-sleeps... starts out in the playpen beside us and then after the first wake up she is in the middle of our king sized bed between Rob & I. She nurses on average 1x every 60-90 minutes, ALL NIGHT LONG.

Becca rarely falls asleep on her own, she needs either to be nursed to sleep, or if she is really tired and has already nursed both sides, then daddy swaddles her tight and rocks her and sings to her while she screams for 3-4 minutes then passes out limp, snoring.

Becca is "that kid" that does.not.sit. She runs, walks, jumps, bounces, etc. All the time. She started to walk at 9 months 3 days. She doesn't sit for much other than first thing in the morning besides 5min with her book basket. Other than that she walks non stop until she falls down exhausted or is swaddled, screams in DH's ear while he rocks her and then passes out.

Her longest stretch is 2.5 hours when she first sleeps, after that...nope.

I have to get up at 6:15 for work, leave at 7:15. Work 8-4:30 in a fast paced, high tension law firm. Today was back to work and I was SO tired I couldn't concentrate.

I can't do this with her up all night... suggestions? Ideas?

Thx...

Me.

[LadyCatherine185]

you could've described my DS exactly at that age. Nursing every hour or so all night, very active, walking at 9 months, etc.

A few suggestions-- can your DH take over chunks of the night and sleep in a separate room with her? Or can the two of you switch off nights?

Dr. Jay Gordon has a gentle nightweaning plan (google dr jay gordon nightweaning) that we modified/followed for my DS around 19 months old. It took about a month, but he went from waking every hour to nurse, to sleeping 3-5 hour chunks! And with no tears. Dr G's program (if followed exactly) is a 10-day program so you could see results faster if you follow it. After Liam started sleeping better, we moved him to his own bed and had DH handle wakeups. Within a week or two, he began STTN about half the nights. He now STTN 90% of the time, only waking up once or twice when he does wake up, and usually because of being sick.

[The Harpy]

Thank you Catie... we are trying right now. When she wakes up she WANTS to nurse... but I am wondering if Rob takes her once in a while she might let me sleep. I know *funny, I get it* he doesn't WANT to sleep in a different room from me, he is nearly as cuddly as she is. I am going to talk to him tonight and we ar egoing to look at the Dr. Jay Fordon stuff... thank you for your advice!

[mrsnarbonne]

I think the book "Sleepless in America" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka has many good suggestions that are gentle and respectful of your child's temperament.