Sleeping issues

My boys have only been STTN since about 13.5 months and it's been sketchy at that. Seems like they go in streaks where they will STTN for a couple weeks and then all of a sudden we're back to getting up in the middle of the night.

I don't know that DH and I have really done a full CIO. We will let them cry for a good 10 minutes or so and then go in and usually have to rock them for a little bit and after that they are fine and will sleep for the rest of the night. These past few nights are really getting to me ... could be the pregnancy but still ... they are almost 18 months. Shouldn't they be sleeping good by now????? :headbang:

Now they just woke up, for whatever reason, and just started sCrEaMiNg something fierce. We went in, nooked them, layed them down and walked out. Well the one boy continued so now DH is in their rocking him while I'm crying and on TS. :cry:

I'm getting to my wits end on this sleeping business. Should we do a full CIO??? Even if one is sleeping??? What do you do when they get to that horrible scream???

Please share your sleep stories and any other words of advice. TIA

 

:hug: I know it's hard.....but full CIO sounds like it may be needed. :youcandoit:

 

could there be anything else going on? teething? hitting a milestone? not feeling well? i know those things always affect my girls' sleep & i tend to just wait it out in those situations as i feel they usually genuinely need the reassurance/comfort when they wake at night. as for whether they "should" be STTN by 18 months or not, i expect that that falls under the category of every child is different. i think STTN most nights with periods of not STTN sounds pretty average for this age. :unknw:

all that being said, if you do choose to do CIO, it's definitely best to let them know that bed time is for sleeping and that you won't be back in to see them until the morning. and then stick to it, even if they start screaming. if you have the option of separating them into different rooms for the first couple of nights it can make things go a little bit smoother but if not, it'll be fine to keep them in the same room too. the thing to keep in mind though is that CIO isn't always a forever solution - sometimes an interuption to the routine will require a repeat.

 

Well I was trying to get DH on board for a CIO session tonight but he just caved. I told him that he can deal with them. I'm not going up there anymore unless they are sick. He just doesn't get it. :blink: Now the one boy was quiet while the other was throwing a fit and now since DH went in their he's started screaming. Should have just left him. He was starting to wind down after just a few minutes of crying. Sorry, just had to vent.

What are some of the books some of you have read for sleep training??

 

one of my boys does have a runny nose and a little cough but he's not the one who woke up screaming. the other one doesn't have anything like that yet. they did have a bad nap today and I know sleep begets sleep. issues of being sick are tended to as needed and I am there for comfort and reassurance but i don't feel like this is one of those times. maybe, but idk.

we, unfortunately, don't have the option of seperating them and they do wake each other up if they start screaming so then we are in double trouble. probably why we haven't done full blown CIO. I just feel like STTN is such a rarity here and should be more frequent. It's literally like two weeks of sttn and then two weeks of not, give or take a few days. Is this how everyone else's nights go??

I'm so sorry for all of the rants. It's just been a rough few nights and i'm pregnant and tired. sigh.

 

:hug: you must be exhausted! i remember how tiring that first trimester is.

we actually hired a sleep consultant to work with us (waaaay back when the girls were just 3.5 months old) - i really liked it because a) we had a personalized plan and b) we had someone we could check in with to see what was & wasn't "normal". you can check out her website at www.cheekychops.ca if you'd like (we live in different provinces & did all our work via phone & email). or i expect you could probably find someone in your area who does something similar if you'd prefer.

as for books, here are the ones i've heard most recommended:
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber (he does the graduated CIO method)
The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers by Elizabeth Pantley

 

Another book to throw into the mix is Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Pre-schooler by Ann Douglas. She goes over different sleep issues by age and reviews the different methods to deal with them and also gives some suggestions as to why a particular sleep issue might be happening. She also discusses the different methods of sleep training, does not advocate one over the other, but does tell you how to implement them.
I'm sorry you are so exhausted Momma :hug: and I hope the boys start STTN again for you.

 

:hug: I hope you all are able to get some sleep soon.

I read the Healthy sleep habits one and LOVED it! I learned so much about how much sleep they need and how naps play such a critical role in it as well.

We did full blown CIO at 10 months for the twins and a year for my youngest. It worked wonderful for us and yes for the first 2 nights it was rough but soooo worth it. However you and dh have to be on the same page. Have you two been able to sit down and talk about it, not while it's happening. Have a plan. If he doesn't want to do the cio then what are his suggestions... Just talk and hopefully you both can come to a compromise and be able to sleep.
GL!

 

i love Ann Douglas - i didn't know she had a sleep book! i'll have to check it out. i've read her Pregnancy & Toddler books. i especially like them because they're written specifically for Canadians. is her sleep book the same?

 

My twinsies have NEVER been good sleepers. A good night was when they would only wake up once or twice each. Then they had a nanny at the home during the day instead of daycare and we think they were sleeping way too much during the day which caused them to SCREAM when we put them to bed and wake up at 3 am ready to play. So, after letting them CIO and minimizing one nap a day plus putting them to bed at 9pm instead of 8 has helped TREMENDOUSLY. You dont need a book, you need to find out what makes them sleepy and go for it! Good luck!

 

Ok, call me stupid, but what does CIO stand for? I can't for the life of me figure it out.

 

Hehe, I won't call you stupid, but I will answer your question: CIO stands for Cry It Out. There are several books about sleep issues in children, and some mention different forms of this method of getting kids to sleep through the night (STTN in forum lingo ). Hope this helps!