Big Problems with sleeping...please Help!

I have to agree with the other responses. When my son was two he had a wonderful sleep routine, going down the same time every night without a fuss and sleeping most nights all the way through. Then he ended up really sick (this was last year) and hospitalized for a week. He was still recovering when we brought him home and we lavished attention on him. It completely destroyed his routine. I spent the next three months up and down all night, with him screaming and me trying everything to calm him. Finally, as hard and heartbreaking as it was on me, I just started going through a set routine and letting him cry in the end. He took a bath, got a few stories, some warm milk, hugs and kisses, tucked in, and that was it. If he cried the next hour I let him, because I knew he was safe, warm, healthy, and had a full belly. After about a week he improved and after about a month he was back to going to bed without a fuss and sleeping through the night. The best advice I can give you is to start the routine and letting her cry it out now because the longer you spend trying to make her calm down the longer it will take for her to learn to calm herself. Good luck and I hope you'll be sleeping again soon.

I have similar issues - I have a3 yr old, and I noticed awhile back after she would get a cold she would become more needy. I had to ride it out and be FIRM FIRM FIRM. At this point the kids realize they can get what they want by screaming and crying. If you know she is comfortable, not hungry or in pain...you may have to ride it out for a few nites. It is hard, but when she realizes she cant manipulate you at all hours of hte nite, eventually she will settle down.

also, maybe you shouldnt wait til she is tired - maybe you should start the "sleep process" earlier - wash her up, lay her down, read to her, sing to her - every nite - children like routines. my daughter still leeps with her soft music at nite .somteimes she wakes up and puts the CD back on (its next to her bed)

to try and avoid it in the future - I realized that when she was at the height of the cold/flu or whatever I catered to her, but then i had to tone it down whne she was recovering and treat her as I "normally" would.

Good luck

Hey there. It's so horrible being sleep deprived!!!!

My little guy turned 1 in December. He was sick with a fever like 3 times January & February and EVERYTIME we went through this. It's hard not to "spoil" (for lack of a better word) them when they're sick and yes they love that attention. I have to agree with the other 2 responses...you just need to put her down and let her cry it out for a few nights. I know it's not easy, but really it shouldn't take too long, especially if she had been sleeping good.

Also, try to put her to bed before she's completely exhausted. I just weaned my little one and I noticed that a set routine really helped all around. Maybe a bath, a couple of stories, some hugs of course and then bed...even if she doesn't seem exhausted yet. Watch the clock for a few days and see if it helps getting her to bed at a certain time. I just noticed with mine that if I waited for them to show signs of tiredness, at that point they were like overtired and it was a lot harder for them to settle down.

I hope this helps and I hope you will be sleeping soon! Good luck.

Q.
I know this sounds tough, but you have to get her back in her old routine and quickly. As bad as it sounds, you need to put her in the crib and walk away....do it on a night where she is totally exhausted....make sure he was running "wild" before bed and a full belly. She may scream her head off, but she will go to sleep...Right now, she wants the same attention she got when she was sick, but we both know, we can't do that for too long with no sleep....put her down and get some rest!
Barb