Hi there!
Just wondering if some mums outs there can help me with my little ones sleeping fiasco!
So my little girl is 14 months old. She has been sleeping in her own cot from 7pm-4:30/5am since about 8 months old. We used to co-sleep, so I started popping her down in there for her day sleeps and gradually started putting her down in her own cot at night. She has a bottle and a dummy to drift off. The last few days she hasn't wanted her bottle at lunch time (before sleep) because she's full - which I'm cool with I am happy for her to groove her own eating/drinking. But my issue is she doesn't want to go down for a sleep.
She is absolutely exhausted, won't have a bottle, all she does is want to be rocked or sleep on me. I don't have a big issue with this but not sure why she has suddenly wanted to be rocked or cuddled to sleep. And it's not taking 5 minutes it's taking over an hour to get her to go to sleep.
I'm probably being paranoid but it's the 3 day in a row it's happened and I'm a little confused why she's doing it when she's been so content doing why we've been doing for so long now. Don't particularly want to get into the habit of rocking for hours every day.
Much to many family members and friends distaste, I don't believe in crying it out. Feels unnatural to me to let her get so worked up on her own. Can anyone recommend some tactics or things that have worked for them apart from the CIO? We have the same routine of morning play, morning tea, bottle with bed. Or am I probably fretting over something as simple as teeth/ cognitive leap/ growth spurt?
Thanks
2 Replies
It sounds like your last sentence rings true! Kids go through phases. They will be good sleepers then bad sleepers and then good sleepers again. As its only three days I wouldn't stress. Check her molars, as I think 18mth ones are a thing. You could try giving her some paracetamol to rule out pain/discomfort?
As someone going through something similar, I haven't got much advice but a lot of sympathy and understanding x
My son (18 months) has spent the last 3 or so months being horrific to put to bed. And he'll still join me and my husband by 12 or 1 ish in the morning, anyways!
I am so exhausted and miss having my own bed lol
And naps? Hah! Funny! He despises naps. It means he's missing out on excitement!
I don't have much advice to offer in terms of day sleep, since mine absolutely refuses to go down.
But I have found that routine works well for night time. Bath, kiss from mummy and daddy, a bedtime story, and a five minute cuddle.
Although you might want to swap the bottle to a sippy cup. It's better for their teeth and my LO loved feeling like such a grown up having a cup!
Sometimes, though, you'll just have to spend the hour cuddling them to sleep.
As cliche (and frustrating) as it sounds, they're only little once x
You'll get through it. And there's nothing wrong with your little one (or you when you get frustrated with it x)a