11 Month Nearly 12 Months Not Sleeping

Frill

My little boy who used to sleep all night doesn't do it anymore:mad:. He won't go into his cot awake we havn't change anything in his room. He is in his own room since Christmas.

I tried one of them light that have the soft music coming out but he just dances in the cot!!!!

Anyone any ideas.

bubbaloo

Frill wrote: »

My little boy who used to sleep all night doesn't do it anymore:mad:. He won't go into his cot awake we havn't change anything in his room. He is in his own room since Christmas.

I tried one of them light that have the soft music coming out but he just dances in the cot!!!!

Anyone any ideas.

My little man is 13 months and he was exactly the same. Dancing and clapping his hands at 3am! - for hours at a time. We tried everything. I'm sorry to tell you that the only thing that worked was controlled crying. He was just looking for company and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. We just left him crying for no more than 10 minutes at a time. It was tough for the first night but he was back asleep within 40 minutes. The 2nd night he was asleep before the second 10 mins were up, and since then he has slept his head off every night (almost):).
It means we're all in much better form - including him.
It's just a matter of breaking the habit.
You can send me a private message if you want any more info.

stovelid

Frill wrote: »

but he just dances in the cot!!!!

This made me laugh.

Sorry!

Voltex

ourfirst boy was an absolute angel....he was fantastic. from 6 weeks he was in his own room and sleeping through the night by 9 weeks. but his little brotherwas the complete opposite. He would wake anything up to 6 or 7 times a night....but the thing is, he was like that from the day he born...it wasnt something we did.

Anyway...controlled crying was the tool we used. Once we got it into OUR heads that he wasnt in pain, or frightened or hungry ( he was baiscally just pissed off) , it was alot easier. We just went into his room...acknowledged him by a short cuddle or a hug, and left him to it. Sometimes if he even just heard us that was enough.

OP...best of luck..i know its very hard and tiring on you. It gets better...trust me it does!!!!!!

LashingLady

I'm a real believer that all these kids are so different that the same sleep techniques that work for one won't necessarily work for others. I have tried controlled crying a couple of times with my little boy but almost all have ended with an hysterical little boy in a rage unable to get to sleep. That's not to say that it doesn't work for others as i said though!

My fella is nearly two and has gone through around 8 different sleep "phases" in his life ranging from falling asleep by himself after a song and a cuddle to me lying with him on my bed for two hours .

It was particularly bad when we moved house as it really took a while to get settled into a new routine and he just wouldn't go to sleep in his cot especially when we moved him to his own room. but when I found out I was pregnant after Christmas i knew i had to do something.

So I decided to go for a staged "softly softly" approach.

I started off by bringing him to his cot at bedtime to have his bottle (he would have usually had it downstairs). He screamed blue murder if we put him in the cot at night even if we were there so I found getting him to take the bottle with me sitting beside him stroking his head really settled him. Then when he finished the bottle I would stay with him stroking him and maybe singing and generally reassuring him. If he got up I would tell him to lie down and lie him down again.

After about a week of this he was much more comfortable getting into the cot at night so hurdle number 1 over! I still had to stroke him and stay with him til he fell asleep so worked on the stroking next. I would stroke his head til he was relaxed. Every time I stopped stroking him he would get up and start crying. I just sat very still beside him not looking at him and told him to lie down. If it went on I would physically lie him down. After a while he would lie down and fall asleep without me stroking him.

The last thing I did was to start to leave the room once he was nice and relaxed. I sat outside the door on the stairs and he knew i was there and he started to go down by himself with less and less help from me. In all this process took about a month.

I know what it's like when your baby gets hysterical because things aren't going the way they are used to, but after seeing the change in my little boy where we are now in a lovely bedtime routine where he goes down without so much as a whimper, I just think it's a case of making them more and more comfortable with the routine.

Frill

Hi Guys - thanks so much for the tips:), here is my update!!!! I put my little man to bed last night with his bottle, left him at it. He drank all his bottle, put his dummy into his mouth and stood up in his cot and started dancing!!! when he relased I wasn't coming in he started crying !!! I left him for a little bit, but he was getting too up set (and I was in bits - I know too soft) so I went into him settle him and sung a song to him!! and he went off to sleep, and only woke once :)so I am happy enough going to do same again tonight and see how I get on.....

Doroteo

Great tips thanks. My daughter 11 months she is getting better sleep now.