Micah has been getting more teeth, which might be the reason it has been so hard to get him to go to sleep at night again. This teething thing goes on for a really long time! I can't imagine what it feels like for bones to push through skin from the inside out. We have been giving him Hylands teething tablets, which I've heard work really well. He actually really likes them, and even asks for them right before bed. Last night it took Micah one hour to finally fall asleep even though he was exhausted all evening. We started getting him ready for bed early because he was looking extremely tired, so by 7:30 he was all ready for bed. I put him in his crib and he laid right down, but the second I try to leave the room he stood up and screamed at the edge of the bed. If I would go in there and rub his head or his back and sing to him, he would lay right down again. But it takes him a really long time to fall asleep (he must get that from me). And I don't want to stand there for an hour rubbing his back and singing to him because I really want him to be able to fall asleep on his own. Dave is usually the one who puts Micah to bed, and for a while Micah was doing great. But over the past couple of weeks, he has been crying incessantly when we try to leave the room.
We do the same routine every night: change, read a book, brush teeth, go to bed. Last night Dave went to play soccer, so I had to put Micah to bed. I let him cry for a while, but he was not getting any quieter and not calming down at all, so I went in there after about 15 minutes and held him and rocked him, but it seems like it only makes him a little more hyper when I do that. He thinks about things, like the train going by and says "cuh cuh" (not quite able to do the CH sound yet!), or he says "kee kaaaah, ma ma ma" (meow) and jumps his body around when he does the meow sound. Or if he hears the garage door, he says "Da da" with a smile on his face in a really cute voice. Or he thinks about his balls and asks for a "Ba?" and wants me to let him down so he can get one. Oh, to have the racing mind of a toddler!
The other night when Dave was at worship practice and I put Micah to bed, I thought I had it all figured out! He went right to sleep when I put him down around 7:30. However, he had only had a 5 minute nap during the day - he fell asleep in the car only 3 minutes from home, stayed asleep when I took him from the car seat to his crib, but woke up minutes after I left his room. So I guess if I don't let him nap during the day at all, he would go to sleep no problem!
Does anyone have any tips on what to do differently, or how to help a 15 month old fall asleep?
A place to help family and friends keep up with our lives.
About Me
Photo Albums
Currently Reading
Labels
- family (23)
- Christmas (21)
- Running (6)
- Recipes (5)
- Vacation (5)
- God's love (4)
- understanding (4)
- Balls (3)
- Books (3)
- Music (3)
- dates (3)
- words (3)
- Thanksgiving (2)
- Grocery Game (1)
- Responsibility (1)
- Soccer (1)
- discipline (1)
- news (1)
- retreat (1)
3 comments:
I totally hear you, girl. It's so frustrating when they sleep fine and then suddenly the whole thing goes out the window and you feel like you're dealing with a newborn again.
The only thing I can think of is maybe he's overtired? If he's not napping and taking a long time to get to sleep maybe he's just not getting enough sleep? Sometimes that happens with little ones. There have been various times in both my kids lives so far when moving their bedtime up by half an hour did wonders. It's not always the solution and maybe it's not the problem. You'd have to be the judge of that.
Otherwise, all I can say is hang in there. Sooner or later he'll get over the hump and sleep like a champ again. Or he'll hit a growth spurt and his body will knock him out for 13 hours a night like Kieran is currently doing. (Alas, it won't last!)
My son is going through that same stage on and off. I think sometimes it's just their little toddler brains are so ramped up from all the new things they are learning and they are not able to shut them down even though they are exhausted. And when they are being so cute it's hard to dump them in the crib and leave, right? :)
You're so right. It must be all the stuff he's learning and he's just unable to shut off that little brain of his. Last night, after perusing the internet and looking in a parenting magazine that I had just received in the mail that day which just so happened to have the title "All your baby sleeping issues SOLVED!" on the cover, I tried a technique that actually worked really well! When I put him to bed I told him I would be back in 2 minutes and I left the door open so he knew I'd be coming back. So I came back with a ball and then when I left again I told him I'd be back in 5 minutes and I came back with some water. Then when I left the third time, I told him I would come back in 10 minutes, but 20 minutes later he was asleep so I didn't go back in there except to check in on him. It was beautiful! We did it again tonight and it seemed to work again! It may just be that he was really tired both last night and tonight and didn't fight it as much, or we might really have found something that works! Only time will tell. Thanks for the advice.
I'm so glad you're getting more sleep again! Baby-induced sleep deprivation really stinks--I know first hand now. Your new bedtime trick sounds genius. I hope it keeps working for you guys!
Post a Comment