Help! I Am at My Wits End. 13 Month Old Not Sleeping

I agree with the previous responses, but would like to add check for teeth.

We finally managed to get our 19 1/2 month daughter to sleep in her crib rather than co-sleep and then after about a week all of the sudden all she would do was cry whenever we put her down. It turned out she was getting her 2 year molars.

My daughter was a good sleeper as a young infant, but she never slept through the night until recently (she is now 22 months). We tried CIO and even hired a sleep consultant at 10 months. She vomited for 10 nights in a row before I caved in and stopped. Months later we learned that she had undiagnosed acid reflux (she didn't have the typical symptoms so her ped never thought of it). After she started the medication for her reflux, she started sleeping from 8pm to 5 or 6am. It was a miracle drug for us, and she's almost done weaning off of it now. Bottom line: CIO does NOT work for every child... there are sometimes medical reasons why a child will not sleep through the night.

Hi S.. I can totally sympathize with you, both of my kids have been challenging in this department. My suggestion would be to nip this in the bud asap. In my expereince it does not spontansously get better, no matter how much you hope and pray that it will. Is it possible to have your son sleep somewhere else for three to five nights? Maybe he could sleep in your room (unless you think that will create bad habits for him!) so you can sleep train your daughter. The other option is for you and your daughter to sleep elsewhere, even at a granparent's house (extreme I know, but it's been done). It is HORRIBLE to hear them cry it out but it does work and the alternative is you losing your marbles. Just be forewarned that some babies are really stubborn, like my son. The first time we let him cry he screamed for three hours. The thing is, once they have already been crying so long, if you go in it's all been for nothing, you know? So make a plan with your husband when you are both calm and wide awake, and then do not deviate from it no matter how tired or upset you get. I have had to lock myself in my closet to not hear the crying . . . ok that may make me seem a little nuts, but you know what I mean. Get the Ferber book from the library so you have a solid reference that will help keep you on task. Make it a rational and scientific endeavour and know that it is better for both you and your daughter to get a good night's sleep. The sleep habits she develops now will stay with her through life. Taking action will make you feel better; right now you are sleep deprived and at her mercy! I've been there!

Hi S. --

Oh have I been there. DS didn't sleep through the night till he was over 4. Big part was my fault. Every time he made a peep I was in there to check on him.

I now know that babies need a few minutes to learn to put themselves back to sleep (I did much better with DD as I couldn't run in every time she cried, like if I was busy with her older brother)... but having another child in the same room really makes that impossible. And unfortunately your little one knows that if she fusses you'll come in.

If you can't separate the kids, you may want to try eliminating her afternoon nap (I know I neede that afternoon break!) as that may make her tired enough to sleep through the night.

Good luck. I know this was so hard on us.
S.

Watch the video and hear what Dr. Marc Weissbluth, sleep expert, has to say about babies, toddlers and sleep: http://bit.ly/2qtCr

I agree with Emma 100%. Good luck!!