15 month old with sleeping problems

[nikelodeon79]

My 15 month old son, Noah, has always slept with us.  His crib is sidecarred to the bed, though most of the time he ends up sleeping on the bed.  Up until a few weeks ago, he would snuggle up to me occasionally but then move away and even sometimes crawl into his crib all on his own.  He would get up around 1x per night, usually around 3pm, drink a bottle, and then go back to sleep.  Sometimes, he wouldn't wake up at all.

Lately, though, he will only sleep if my arm is actually underneath him.  He also is very restless and will occasionally whimper in his sleep, rub his eyes, and try to get comfortable.  He also sweats (mostly from his head/face area) A LOT.  The pillow is pretty much drenched where his head sits.  He has been fully waking up 3x per night and won't go back to sleep until he has a bottle.  He seems very hungry, and generally settles down after he eats, only to wake up an hour or two later.

He's been drinking a lot of milk during the day, but otherwise seems completely content and happy.

I'm pretty much exhausted.  I don't get hardly any sleep and when I do, I'm all stiff and sore from lying awkwardly so his head/neck can be on my arm.  Last night, he got upset because he couldn't get comfortable and ended up head butting me, causing me to bite my lip.  I started thinking... I wish he slept in his own crib.  Made me sad because I really do enjoy the bonding time of the family bed.  :(

I get a lot of flak from friends/family members because he sleeps with us and the fact that I'm currently discontented about it makes it all the more difficult.  

Any advice/help would be appreciated.

[skycheattraffic]

The extra milk is making me think of a growth spurt for sure. Since you're giving him bottles, I'd just go to bed each night expecting that he will need 3 bottles and be ready for it. A small cooler on the bedside table may be helpful. My DD was down to two nursings per night for a while but around 14 or 15 months she stepped up the nursings to 3 or 4 and is still at that frequency now at almost 17 months. Her daytime appetite/thirst is also through the roof and I was starting to suspect a spurt. Then about a week ago we had a playdate with a friend and her DD who was routinely 1-1.5 inches taller and the girls were practically the same height! I think you will probably just have to ride this out. You may also be dealing with some low key teething or developmental milestones that are interfering with his sleep. My DD is usually a steady sleeper (between nursings) but she will often turn into a light/difficult sleeper for a while and I'll notice more teeth or a new skill or an illness. She is just now getting over a very stuffy cold and for 4 days was absolutely beside herself day and night - her poor sleep making her daytime temperament very difficult which made it hard to settle her to sleep, etc. This morning she woke up in a much better mood which made it possible to take her to the park and that always helps her sleep.
I would try to ride this phase out, take him outside lots and hope he gets through this quickly. It really sounds like he's just dealing with something and should be himself again soon.

PS: another thought: if he sweats a lot, it may be thirst waking him instead of hunger and cool water might refresh him and help him settle easier.

[nikelodeon79]

Thank you very much for your response! I feel very reassured.

I have a super awesome hubby and he always has three bottles ready in the fridge. He also gets up and gets them and feeds Noah when he is hungry. It's my "job" to cuddle Noah back to sleep. I tried so hard to breastfeed and was devastated when it didn't work out as long as I planned, I love the bonding time he gets with daddy, though.

We have tried water but he gets extremely upset/frustrated when he figures out it's not milk.