Sleep Issues and Logistical Questions

I'm struggling with night-wakings and very early morning wakings, after having amazingly good sleepers since 5 months of age. My three girls have rotated around being sick since April 18th (yes, I've marked the date of my last good night's sleep), and one twin and the baby currently have an ear infection. The twins each have two molars coming in. My problem right now is that my one twin without the ear infection is waking up around 1 am hurting from her molars. She is waking up my twin with the ear infection, and they both get very upset. I've been rocking them and giving them Motrin. They'll go right back to sleep, but cry when I put them back in their cribs. I've never put them in our bed in the past, but I've been so desperate lately I've done it. One usually wants to play and keeps us up, so that isn't working.

How did you handle these night wakings with two crying toddlers? I can't figure out how to get them from the rocking chair to their cribs without waking them - they're heavy! I'm even considering sleeping in my rocker since it reclines, but I'm sure I'll get no sleep. When my DD gets over her ear infection, should I still get them up when they cry from teething pain? I don't want to start a habit of rocking, but I also don't want to leave them alone if they're really hurting.

Are there any tips/tricks for the molar pain, other than ibuprofen? Do we just have to keep riding this out and then get back to sleeping normally when everyone is well and not getting molars?

 

Whenever they're sick and really miserable, we just do whatever it takes, including bringing them to bed with us. We've never had any issues with starting habits - as soon as they're better, they go back to sleeping on their own with no problems.

I hope everyone feels better soon!

 

Like Holly said, when they are sick we are just in survival mode. You do whatever you have to do to get through it.
:hug: I hope it passes soon! And for us teething never woke them in the middle of the night, could it be that they got the ear infection too? It can make the ear pain a lot worse when they lay down flat. Good luck!

 

I'm a mean mommy. Run of the mill illness and teething get a dose of meds and off to bed you go. If they are super sick (vomiting or significant respiratory issues) I'll keep them with me if they just won't sleep. That has always been very rare.

 

I'm with Holly & Brigette. If they are sick or feeling bad, I will let things go a bit. I will snuggle them in my bed, rock them, whatever it takes, really. I agree with Brigette that the ear infection can really hurt them a lot more when they lie down at night, so it could be they will be better once the infection is cleared up. :hug:

 

I'm with Meredith on this one. Dose of Ibuprofin, back to bed with you for teething. If they can't sleep (as opposed to won't) I will let them lay in bed with me until my husband comes to bed.

 

Thanks for the advice. It's been going on so long now that I couldn't tell the "can't sleep" from the "won't sleep", and I think we had formed a habit. I called my pediatrician's nurse and she said that they should be fine staying in their cribs with the length of time on antibiotics and the teething. So, I told them last night before bed that they had to stay in their cribs and fall back asleep if they woke up and we would all get up at 6:00am. My one DD started crying for me at 4:45am and I told her to lay back down and go to sleep, and she started crying loudly and woke her sister up. I went back to bed and they only cried for about five minutes, thank Goodness. One fell back to sleep and the other didn't, but she didn't cry much more. We all got up at 6:00am and it was much more pleasant. I feel like we can get back to normal sleeping now - thanks!

 

Yayyyy for sleep!

Royce decided that he couldn't sleep last night, he woke up twice from dozing off (LOUD yelling, OMG I thought my ears were going to explode in the other room), so I let him lay in bed with me from 9-10:30, he was awake (so was I :headbang but at least Alice got some sleep. (That girl could sleep through a stampede of elephants in her room.)