Nightmare-turned-Happy AP Sleep Story!

[justKate]

I was reading the threads here and realized that this is a lot like the TCAC forum--people without problems don't post!  So I wanted to share, hoping that it will make someone feel better about what they're going through.

A little background first. My (only) DD will be 2 on Valentine's Day. For the first six months of her life, she would only sleep on top of me, after screaming for 3+ hours.  She was a NIGHTMARE at bed time, and had to be physically held down to get to sleep.  I posted here so many times, lamenting my choice to cosleep and nurse through the night. A sleep fighter extraordinaire.  She woke every 2-3 hours until she was 17 months old.  I posted about holding her down here; about her routine here; and a low moment of threatening to put her in her crib.  She's never CIO, and the three of us have never all slept through the night.

She's always had a crib or a mattress on the floor available, but would never get near it.  Last week we bought her a toddler bed and put it next to our bed.  Huz had surgery and we were afraid that she would hurt him with her regular kicking and squirming all night.  She LOVES the bed.  The past two nights, she has slept in the bed from 10 p.m. until I wake her in the morning, without issue.  No crying, no getting up, no waking mommy.  And she's only 3 feet away from me if she needs me.  It's a miracle!  I lay with her until she goes to sleep, and then get up and go to sleep myself.  This never would have worked 3 months ago, but now, she loves it.

All this to say, when nothing else works, time will.  The past two years have been the hardest of my life, but I can say (now!) that it was worth it. It feels like there is no end in sight, but it will come.  Whether it's 2 years or 10 years, there will be a time when baby can leave the bed (if that's what you want) and still feel safe and attached.  My baby sleeps in her big bed now, but she trusts that mommy is there if she needs her. In a way, it's sad because I miss the snuggles, the baby breath, the sweaty head on my arm.  But this works for us, and I didn't have to make my baby CIO to get here.  Hooray!

And of course, if she wants to join mommy for snuggles, I'll be there....

Stay strong mamas!

[LittleBirdy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I wish more people would come back and post once things get better... it gives me so much hope, and keeps those CIO monsters at bay.

So glad to hear DD loves her big girl bed!!

[mamma2j]

THANK YOU!!!!  This is what we keep reminding oursleves!  If nothing else, time.  SOMEday, we will sleep again! 

[shotmama]

i hope more people post like this, too!

it's 4 am and i love being next to DD (14.5 months) at night but maybe she's getting uncomfortable with me in bed at night, now.

we were wondering if doing the same thing, when she is comfortable, will work  (she wakes when i move a little, but she wakes up screaming if she realizes i am not there next to her). 

she moves so much that i have to keep her from falling off the bed half the night. she sleep crawls over her pillow 'bumpers'

[JuliMummy]

We too have gone from having "the worst sleeper in the world" who, at her lowest point, would wake up every 45 minutes and scream all night long, to now almost sleeping through the night. She is 17 months now. We recently night-weaned, which has reduced the wakings from 6+ to now only 1 for the past few nights. YAY!!!! I still can't believe that after such a long time she is finally figuring out how to sleep properly! :) And I agree with JustKate that the most important factor in getting us to this point has been time. We just had to wait until she was ready. I know it is just horrendous when you're in the middle of the sleep disruptions, but do whatever you can to get through it because it will get better. Love to everybody who's suffering from sleep deprivation 

[Jend1002]

I agree - I really do love these posts!  But now at 28 months...I am starting to wonder if it will end for everyone else but me.  I know, self-pity party

Any day now...any day....

I have stopped trying to figure it all out though, which is a huge relief.  I really believe time will be the only thing that makes this easier. 

[nd01]

Thank you for posting!  I was thinking about the same thing the other day - a lot folks in here are in the same boat which is nice because it feels so good to know you are not alone, but folks who don't have these issues probably move onto other boards.  So it is great to hear success stories.  We're moving next month so I like to get ideas on how to set up the new house to be conducive to sleep and this sounds like a great one!

[ssh]

Originally Posted by Jend1002 

I agree - I really do love these posts!  But now at 28 months...I am starting to wonder if it will end for everyone else but me.  I know, self-pity party

Any day now...any day....

I have stopped trying to figure it all out though, which is a huge relief.  I really believe time will be the only thing that makes this easier. 

My DD started being able to STTN at 30 months right after all her teeth were in. Just be patient it will come. She didn't start wanting to sleep in her own bed until right after turning 4, but she sleeps a solid 10 hours a night and happily goes to sleep alone in her own room.

[Jend1002]

Thank you.  I needed that too!  I am anxious for the two year molars to come in. 
 

My DD started being able to STTN at 30 months right after all her teeth were in. Just be patient it will come. She didn't start wanting to sleep in her own bed until right after turning 4, but she sleeps a solid 10 hours a night and happily goes to sleep alone in her own room.

[shotmama]

did you mean the baby teeth like the 20 of them? my DD is 14 months, has 16 and the last four baby teeth are moving. does this mean the light of the tunnel is coming sooner than we think? haha! if so, i am so relieved!