What makes a sleep problem?

[nannymom]

My dd is very high needs. very high needs. She has always been a terrible napper but used to sleep OK untill recently. basically wether it's nap or night time sleep she wakes after 40 minutes to an hour. I have always thought this was just her high needs but recently someone suggested to me that maybe something si wrong with her-like not being able to fall into a deep sleep. My question is how do you know what's normal and what's not when it comes to sleep and if it is a problem what do you do?

[chubbycheeks]

Well, I can't tell you if there is something wrong or not with your DC, but I can tell you that my 30 MO DS is the same way. He is also very high needs, always has been, hasn't napped in over a year either. He goes to sleep about three hours before I (we co-sleep) and most all nights he wakes up about 1.5 hours into his sleep cycle. He also wakes many times in the night even once I have come to bed, usually screaming. I have thought that it may be night terrors, or maybe just his checking to be sure that I am there. I have talked the ped, and he really doesn't have any solutions for me. So no real help for you, just wanted to say that you are not alone mama!

[moistangel]

My son is a little more than a month older than your daughter (though he WAS early) but he is doing that lately too. He's not hitting a deep sleep. Maybe it's an age thing? That will go away... *hopes*

The biggest clue to me that something was different/wrong is that he mostly wakes up cranky. Only once a day or every other day does he wake up happy and seemingly rested...

No advice, really, just lots of empathy. :hug

[nannymom]

Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna bump this in hopes someone else with insight might see it.

[quakerlady]

any possibility of food allergies making little tummies irritated?
sleep apnea?
noises near the bedroom (easily solved w/ a white noise source- radio not on a station, etc)?

[IncaMama]

where is your dd sleeping? i think that 40 min sounds like a normal cycle to me, but it seems that your dd is not able to go from cycle to cycle easily...when she hits light sleep again, she wakes up instead of being able to ride it out until the next deep sleep...is she in the crib/bed by herself when she wakes? or does she wake if she's with you too?

[nannymom]

white noise extended the naps to about a full hour. She sleeps in our bed alone during her morning nap and on the guest bed of the home I work in during her afternoon nap. she sleeps better at night when I'm there but it still isn't great.

[spirit4ever]

my babe (almost 9 months) wakes after 30 min of being put down..i go back in and nurse/soothe back to sleep and again 30 min later he wakes again. My older ds was the same and the only thing that helped was weaning at almost 3 :irked: so i kinda know that I have a good while before it goes away. Oh and I know its cause my little guy has the 'sucking to sleep' association, but their sucking need is soooo great when they are little and I think he really needs it!