Help staying asleep

Jo - posted on 01/23/2010

if you rock her to sleep she will then only become dependant on being rocked to sleep which means every time she wakes in teh night she will need to be rocked to sleep to go back to sleep. The cry is only a real need based on teh type of cry, it can also be a "I dont know how to get back to sleep wihtout being rocked" cry. If you want to be up all night rocking a baby back to sleep then go for it, I have never had to do this ever and I have also never let my baby cry it out. My son goes into his cot awake, ready for sleep and falls asleep by himself because I have taught him how to fall asleep independantly

Amanda - posted on 01/23/2010

I would seriously recommend rocking her till she is completely out and then laying her back down or taking her to bed with you for the rest of the night so you can all get some sleep. If she is crying then she has a real need, don't let people try to tell you otherwise.

Jo - posted on 01/22/2010

there are much better methods than letting your little one cry it out, she probably doesnt like her room much now either, would you if you had been left to cry in a room that you are supposed to feel safe in? It all depends on how her day goes, if shes getting too much sleep she will wake up trying to make up the time she needs to be awake, if shes not getting enough sleep during the day then she will be overtired and will not sleep properly at night, being very restless and unsettled. If she wakes in the night go in and pat her on the back until she is calm and then once she is calm you leave, if she cries again once you leave then you go straight back in (you dont wait any amount of minutes, you decipher if her cry is saying "Mum I need you" rather than just a moan) and repeat until she falls asleep. The first time we did this it took 45mins and hes STTN 12 hours ever since. This is a gentle technique that does not require you to leave your baby to cry, she may still cry when you do it but you are right by her side letting her know that she is safe and its only sleeptime.

Helen - posted on 01/21/2010

Ahh, my sympathies as we have the same problem with our 13 month old little boy! It started when we moved house and he had a cold, then started teething. His sleeping hasn't improved since then though, even when he isn't actively teething - although it is worse when he has teeth coming through. Our son's situation is complicated by chronic feeding difficulties and the fact that if left to cry he ends up vomiting, which we can't let happen when his weight is an issue. If that wasn't the case however, and I hope it isn't the case with you, then I have heard the 'controlled crying' technique is very good - mentioned in the Supernanny book by Jo Frost. You go into baby when she is crying, settle her then leave the room. When she carries on crying you wait twice as long before going in to her again. And you gradually increase that time gap. The best trick I have with my son is giving him a dummy and making sure he has his favourite toy to snuggle up with. Failing that, if he insists on howling the house down, we go downstairs and watch a baby dvd on low volume with the lights off for a little while until he settles. And prayer makes a big difference! When we were losing it the other night, we prayed in desperation that our son wouldn't wake, and he slept through the night for the first time for ages. I hope things improve for you soon! xx

Heather - posted on 01/21/2010

We play a CD with mellow children's Bible songs while our girls sleep. I played classical for my boys when they were little. Otherwise my only suggestion is going in and rubbing her back or talking to her for a minute or two and telling her that it is time to sleep. I will pray for you.

Tracy - posted on 01/20/2010

Have you tried classical music for her to listen to? When ours sons wake up in the middle of the night, we turn some on and they fall right back to sleep.

Hope she starts sleeping better soon.