Help! We Can't Get Baby to Sleep!

Another vote for the book, "healthy sleep habits, happy child" by Weissbluth.
I am sorry I don't have anyting to add other than what's been said.

L.-- I feel so lucky right now. We have the best baby when it comes to sleeping. But, we did have to work at it, it didn't just happen. When he was real little I read the book Sleepsense (which I can email you if you wish) and it put it all in prespective for me. As I said, it took some work, but he now knows how to soothe himself back to sleep when he wakes up at night (most of the time) and I know how to respond to him when he really needs me.

I personally do believe that it's important to teach my child to sleep on their own, and that crying is not the end of the world. But I also believe that I need to be attentive and learn the different cries. My child knows that if he really needs me, I will be there.

Funny, but last night of all nights he woke up and was crying in a way that made me go to him. I took him out of his crib and laid with him on the couch. Usually that works, but last night it didn't. He was sleepy, but didn't fall asleep. So I put him back in his crib and left the room. As soon as I closed the door, he started hollering, but in a different way. I went back to bed and told my husband that if he was still crying in 10 minutes, or if his cring changed, I will go back to his room. Well, ~exactly~ one minute later he was quiet. I don't know if he fell back asleep right away, or was just playing in his crib, but he was fine.

I recommend "The Baby Whisperer". I did kind of a modified version and it did seem to help. Also, "The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers" might be more helpful than the original meant for infants. Good Luck!

Hi L.,

With my daughter, we went through the same thing - she didn't want to sleep in her crib and so she slept in our bed on and off until she was two. It was absolutely exhausting getting her to sleep and then she would wake me up throughout the night when she would move around or cry - I swear I didn't get a full night sleep for over two years. I totally didn't believe in the crying it out method, I thought it just sounded terrible, so we just kind of put up with it because we didn't know what else to do.

When my son came along, I decided I just couldn't go through that again and I took a totally different approach. When its bedtime, we sit on a chair in his room and read books. Then we walk around his room and touch everything in his room and say goodnight to it (goodnight light, goodnight dresser, goodnight window, etc - we got the idea from the book "Goodnite Moon"). He has liked that part since he was little and I think it helps build their vocabulary. Then I let him push the button to turn on his music and he gets to turn off his light. I put him in his bed and then shake his blanket over him and play peak-a-boo with it as it lands on him a few times which makes him giggle and then I give him a kiss and leave the room. The first couple nights of this were kind of terrible - he cried for quite a while but by the fourth night he only cried for about a minute and after that he stopped crying at all. Its horrible to listen to your baby cry but it will really pay off in the long run. Bedtime will become enjoyable instead of a struggle and best of all, you will both sleep better! If we keep my son up past his bedtime and he starts getting tired, he will actually find his blanket and his pacifer, grab my hand, and start walking toward his room. After all the bedtime struggles with my daughter, I didn't think it was possible that a baby could actually want to go to bed.

Listening to him cry for those few nights was really horrible but I tried to translate the crying into what he was probably actually saying "I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to go to bed" and that seemed to make it easier to deal with. At bed time, I think we just need to be clear about what we expect, its bedtime and they have to go to bed, there is no getting around it. At some point, they will begin to realize that when they are tired, they are supposed to be in their bed and they will accept it. If you decide to do it though, don't go back in once you put her down because then the next time they will cry more to try to get you to come back again.

Oh, and we put glow-in-the-dark star stickers on his ceiling (although not over his bed in case one falls off) and he loves them - that seems to help. Sometimes on a hot night we will turn on his ceiling fan which he likes to watch too.

He does sometimes wake up wanting his pacifer so I try to toss a couple in his crib so he can find one on his own when he wakes up. Also, when he wakes up at night, I usually try to wait about five minutes before I go in and he usually puts himself back to sleep by then.

Anyway, its definitely a very personal decision as to what approach you are comforable taking, but if you can put up with a few tough nights of crying I think you will be rewarded with a good sleeper for years to come. Just make sure you are consistent each night with whatever you decide to do - I think they do best when they know exactly what to expect. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and I hope you get sleep soon!

I agree with the other mom's!!! I did the same thing with my third, which is really bad since I was ok with the other two!!! She was 9 months and would still wake through the night and nurse. Finally my husband put his foot down and said he really needed a good night sleep, so she needed to sleep in her own bed ( I agreed!!)

The first couple of nights were bad and she did cry for a while. My husband was the one who would have to go in to soothe her, because if she smelled the me she would never go to sleep.

We decided to start her on a schedule like her brother and sister, but she would go down later than them because I wanted them to be asleep so she wouldn't bother them.

We found out that the "cry it out" method was going to be our only solution. You could rock her to sleep and the minute you put her down her eyes would open and the crying insued!! It is very hard to listen to them cry, but in the long run they will be learning to soothe themselves to sleep, which is something that they will benifit from for the rest of their lives.

I now really enjoy the quiet evenings after all the children are in bed. My husband and I can actually catch up with each other, since the rest of our time is spent focused on the kids!!

What ever method you decide to use remember you will have a rough couple of days to week. But don't give up because the next time you try it is going to be twice as hard. Kids are very good at trying to out last their parents!!

You can do it!! Good Luck!!!
A.

I relate to the frustration of sleep deprivation. Luckily I have always been able to stay home with my child, because she didn't sleep through the night with any consistency until after the age of two (and when teething was all done!). Now think about it from her point of view. She is away from you all day, so she really needs to be close to you at night. Like it or not, that's the bottom line. It doesn't sound like you nurse, which would be another source of comfort, so again, she really needs that physical closeness. Why are you so intent on having her in the crib that you are putting yourself through all of this additional stress? I recommend reading Attachment Parenting and Nighttime Parenting by Dr. Sears. Keep in mind that mothering is a 24-hour job. There is no magic cure for sleep. So many things can affect a baby's sleep patterns, and many are not biologically ready to sleep through the night till age 2. We are also one of the few countries in the world in which babies sleep in cribs. Co-sleeping or bed sharing has been the norm for thousands of years in most cultures. If you want sleep, surrender to what is, and let your baby be close to you at night, if even just in her crib next to your bed where she can hear you breathe. Let go of that need to control and give your baby what she needs. Good luck!

It is not abnormal for your baby to want to sleep with you all night, she misses you when you are away at work and needs to reconnect with you. Unless you have the heart to let her cry until she gives up on you (which could be a very long time) you just need to change your perspective about sleeping with her. I promise it won't last forever! Other cultures sleep together, and we did until very recently. It is a normal extension of breastfeeding and being a mother. I have a 1 year old, and we have co-slept from day one. I wouldn't have it any other way. My other 3 did transition to their own rooms without a problem, don't push this precious time away, it will be gone forever soon enough!

I did have a similar problem each time after my son was sick. When he was sick I would let him sleep with me, laying on my chest so he would be propped up more, or I would hold him while sitting in the recliner for the same reason. It was the ONLY way he would sleep when he was sick for weeks at a time. BUT when he got better he would refuse to sleep in his bed.
I did the stay by the bed and work my way out of the room a few times. Letting him cry it out, not looking at him or talking to him, merely being in the room. Each night I got closer to the door and then finally out the door, then when I could just lay him down and close the door. This process took me up to two weeks one time to get him on his own little thing...two weeks of him crying it out for 1-2 hours without touching or talking to him. (COMPLETE TORTURE!!) It worked, but it killed me.
The last time I got him back to his bed he was in a big boys bed. I started outside his room. We discussed a routine and we did that routine that night, and every night since. Teeth, good nights, potty, read book, prayer, music on, lamp on, fan on, last minute hugs and kisses, big light out. He cried a LONG time the first night and came out of his room about 35 times, which I was right out side the door. I walked him back without saying a thing. He finally gave in. And only a few minutes the next two. By night three we were going to bed like champs! We are going on three years and still have the same routine and we LOVE bedtime (I didn't think I would EVER be able to say that!!!)
It will lead to a few sleepless nights, but once she figures out you are not letting her sleep in your bed, she will stop crying for it. If you give in after a period of time, she will know that hey all I have to do is keep up and they will take me to where I want to go. Best of Luck!

HI L.,
I'm glad the motrin helped with the pain. My dd is going through the same thing. we co-sleep, and it's worked fine but lately you would think she is an acrobat in bed. She also wakes the moment we lay her in her crib unless she is sound asleep. I am going to borrow a pack n play for our room and try letting her sleep the first stretch in there. my dd still nurses at least 2 times through the night. Enjoy this precious time with her. As you know they grow so fast. Also, because you work full time she may be needing the extra cuddles from you at night (making up for lost time during the day). I would not deny her this. I highly recommend that you do not leave her to cry. Parents do it when they are desperate but it is not in the best interest of your baby. Just because a technique gives the results you want does not mean that it is the right thing to do.

I never did this but all my friends raved about it get the book its called something like Happy child healthy sleep habits.... alot of my friends found satisfaction from doing the technics recommened in that book. We persoanlyy cos lpet until they went into toddler beds then I would lay down wiht them in the toddler bed so I really have no experience but when my friends have told me Good luck!

I haven't had any trouble with my son sleeping with something called his "sleep sheep". It's a sheep that he's had since he was born, and it has several buttons, each having a calming sound (whales, babbling brook, heart beat, etc.) - it's by
'Cloud B'.
His personal favorite is the whale sound. We find that on nights he has a little trouble sleeping (due to teething, or most recently, a cold), we grab his Sleep Sheep, set it on 'whales', and it soothes him right to sleep.
We LOVE this thing & can't do without it!
Good luck!!

Hey L., My son would not sleep good either when we got him his big boy bed. What I did was I went into his room and layed right beside him while I sung him to sleep.I would also give him a music toy that had sounds of the ocean and water. It had frogs and monkeys and such on it. He always slept with that on.When he got older I gave him his Jesus loves me teddy bear and he sleeps with that every night. When he was asleep I would leave the room. When he woke up I let him cry it out. Now he sleeps in his bed. Sometimes you have to let your child cry it out. I know it may be hard but sometimes you just have to do that. You can also pray about it.

I will say a prayer for you on here ok...

Father God I pray in the name of Jesus for L.'s Daughter that you would comfort her and help her to not be afraid of sleeping in her crib. I pray in the name of Jesus that she will sleep all night long in her crib without cring and geting up in the middle of the night. I thank you father that my prayer is answered. I give you praise and glory. In Jesus name I pray amen... Be blessed...

I know I am late with a response, but I read that your daughter used pacifiers to sleep. I had a problem with my son sleeping through the night. He did sleep in his own crib, but would wake up 3-4 times a night, even when he wasn't teething. He would go back to sleep when we put a pacifier in his mouth. My doctor suggested putting several pacifers in his crib so that if he woke up, he'd be able to find one and put himself to sleep. I bought 10 pacifiers, and put them all in his crib (perhaps I went a bit overboard, but I was desperate!) It has helped so much when he wasn't teething. Good Luck!

She should be taking only one nap in the afternoon by now if she is getting up around 6:30 AM and going to bed around 8:30. See if your mom can keep her awake as much as possible, make sure she is getting some stimulation in the daytime like getting outside, seeing new faces, toys, etc.

Try going back into her room, patting her, talk soothingly, but don't get her out. It will take patience and a lot of time the first few nights, but if you can bear to hear her cry some, she will soon be sleeping in her bed without too much fuss. At 3 months it would have been easier to do this, but don't give up. It will work. You will find that when she wakes in the night, if you ignore her just a little while, 15-30 minutes, she will go back to sleep and so will you.

I have 3 children, and my daughter has 2 little boys. She went through this with her older one, who is 2 now. But she was determined to make him sleep in his own room. Now they both sleep in their own rooms - 3 mos old and 2 yr old.

Hi L.,
I understand your situation. Our 17 month old would wake up screaming a lot the first year due to pressure pain behind his ears. After we had tubes put in, he slept better and then we tried the fade-away method. Do you have a pack N play? Or is her crib small enough to fit in your bedroom? I would try her in that, next to your bed so that way if she wakes up, she knows your nearby and may go back to sleep on her own. Or, you can at least pat her before she fully awakes without having to get out of bed. Then, as she gets used to this arrangement, slowing move the packNplay or bed further away from your bed. Eventually, you can get to the point where you can put her in own room. It may take several weeks, but the point is that you can ALL get a good nights rest. Good luck! A.

Hang in there, this too shall pass!

A few things came to mind while reading your request... The first was the teething pain - both of my babies' sleep was HORRIDLY messed up by teething pain. So you're trying to change her sleep habits when she's in a lot of pain and actually needing you *more* and not less. Definitely treat her pain (if she cannot sleep, ibuprofen worked well for our babies, even though I am normally VERY reluctant to use medicines!), and try to just wait for a few more weeks on changing the sleep habits.

Now, when she's having less teething pain, there are lots of approaches to changing your 10-month-old's sleep habits. Many will try to tell you that crying it out alone in her room/crib is "the only way" but I'm here to tell you that *neither* of my kids fell for that - they just ramped it up more and more and more, and I just did *not* feel this was the right choice for my kids. I know some babies will only fuss a little bit and go to sleep, but others WILL NOT and trying to force them will just add MORE stress and LESS sleep for the whole family.

So, if you would like to look at other methods for changing sleep patterns, I highly recommend:

* the excellent parenting blog, Moxie, which is *very* practical and non-judgemental and full of wonderful, valuable, HELPFUL information - the links below are just 2 of several great blurbs on sleep...
http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2005/12/quick_and_dirty.html
http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/06/babies_and_cio.html

* Elizabeth Pantley's "No Cry Sleep Solution"

* The Sleep Lady's "Good Night, Sleep Tight" (by Kim West)

There are lots of ways to get baby to sleep on her own without her crying alone by herself in her room. Just wanted to share a few of these with you in case they'd be helpful. And good luck! I'm hoping for an easy transition into newer, better sleep patterns in your family!

Unfortunately, I think it is a battle you are going to have to fight out. A suggestion I have is to take a T-shirt (or something that you have worn and/or smells like you) and give this to her in her crib. Maybe having the scent of you will be enough to calm her. Also, have you tried music? Either way, you are going to have to be strong and not give in even when you want to. Maybe start this on a Friday night when you and your husband do not have to get up early for work. Hopefully, by Sunday night she will begin to get the idea and it won't be such a struggle. Good luck and hang in there!

Hi L.! I feel for you! I went through that for a LONG time. Fortunately, I didn't have to get up for work in the morning, so that makes a huge difference. She is at the age that she is probably going through some separation anxiety for one. If she's anything like my daughter who is 10 months, she likes to check in with me at night. She used to wake up at least 1-4 times a night. I have made it a point to go in, calm her down, and leave. The longer I hang out, the more she thinks I'm there for play time. It was a little ugly at first, she cried and made me feel guilty, but we've finally gotten to the point that she knows that I will give her a few ounces of formula, then put her back in her crib. She doesn't even fuss anymore, because she knows what to expect. I am a firm believer of consistency. Whatever you decide to do, stick to it. Don't keep changing and doing something different, because she will only become confused and even more fussy. You may want to use the holiday weekend as a start for getting her used to her crib. That way you don't have to worry about getting up for work in the morning. Definitely check with your mom about her nap schedule. Make sure she's napping in her crib. That's the best place to start to get her back in her own bed. As for her teeth, I use the teething tablets too. If she's overly fussy, I give her the Tylenol or Motrin. I also give her the frozen teething rings, especially on hot days like today. She loves it and it keeps her busy. She likes to roll around in the driveway in her walker with her frozen teething rings. Stay strong and be consistent!! Good luck!

Hi L.,
I definitely do not have expert advice, but I do have 10 month old twins and completely understand your exhaustion!
Each of my children were different..........no matter what I did the same! My first three children are boys, our first slept through at 6 weeks!! Our second slept through at a year! big difference! Our third was almost sleeping through at 10 months...........I will say that each of my boys never went to sleep for the night until almost 11pm....the girls have been sleeping at 9 or 9:30. They wake up just as your daughter does....sometimes the lose their pacifier, maybe they get chilly if the blanket comes off, they still generally take a bottle about 5am.......but go back to sleep fo a bit.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that as long as you are consistent, have a good routine, they WILL do it! It just might not be on your time. Each child has different needs and sleep patterns. I have tried the "Ferber" method and it seemed to work ok, but again I agree with consistency!
Our "routine" for the time being is:
up at 7:30
nap at 10 until 11:15
lunch/play
nap at 2:30 until 4:30
dinner, lots of play, outside time
8:00 bath, quiet play, bottles at 9
straight to bed while still awake

I know it is so hard to be tired and do what is expected of you ~ hang in there! they will sleep, you are on the right track! I hope a bit of what I have said may help you! Good Luck.

I'm sure someone else will recommend this book as well, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy child" It's a great book and I would recommend trying it on a weekend. You will have to let her cry herself to sleep, but I promise you it's better for her and she won't remember it in the morning. It might take 2-3 nights, but it will get better. If it's too hard for you to not go in and rescue her, go outside or in the basement. You have to be strong. Good luck!

hi L.
Maybe a soft peice of your pjs or a blanket with your scent on it will help

When my daughter was 9 months old we decided to break her of the "rocking to sleep" habit. We put her in her bed at 9:00pm, shut the door, went to the furthest room in the house, had a glass of wine, and let her cry for about 5 min., then went back in (didn't talk to her just touched her), then left again. We then let her cry for 10 min., did the same thing. We probably went in a total of 3 times, but kept spreading it out. By doing this she knew we weren't far away and didn't abandoned her, but she also knew she wasn't going to get rocked. This seemed to do the trick for us. If I recall we only had to do this 2 nights in a row, then she got the hint. I've known some people to put the kid to bed and go outside so that they couldn't hear the baby cry. THIS IS THE BEST AGE TO BREAK THEM OF THE HABIT! GOOD LUCK!

Oh, L.! I am so eager to see the responses... I am having the same problem with my 10 month old, although she has been sleeping in her own room for a while now, and this problem started a couple months ago with a bad teething spell. Now she just wants us to hold her while she sleeps. And she throws fits before bed. Anyway, to get to my point, I feel for you! I am exhausted and sleep-deprived all the time.

She wakes up 2-3 times a night -- and I'm not into letting her cry it out. Sorry, that's just not for us.

By the way, we started using children's motrin, which seems to work a lot better than tylenol for teething.

Your little girl needs to learn how to go to sleep on her own. You and hubby need to establish a clear consistent bedtime routine for her . Lots of families like bottle, bath, book, bed. You then put her into her crib and kiss her and say goodnight. If she cries, set the stove timer for five minutes. If she's still crying, go in and comfort her without picking her up, settle her again, and leave. NO big production, just quiet and calm. The, set the timer for ten minutes.If she's still upset , go in again. Then fifteen minutes, etc. This will work after a couple of nights or so. Really stubborn babies may take three or four nights. It can't be any worse than what you're going through now!
If she falls asleep in your arms, wake her up by talking to her quietly as you put her to bed. Say something like, "Here's your bed and now you can go to sleep." She will learn quickly that bed is where she falls asleep. She will use this skill to put herself back to sleep in the middle of the night as she cycles through light sleep stages. This will make life much better for all of you.
As far as bedtime, try to see when she reaches the exhausted and miserable stage and back it up from there by 45 minutes or so. Then you can do bottle, bath , book , bed and get her down before the screaming starts. Watch for the signs that she's sleepy: rubbing eyes, twirling hair, staring off into space, yawning. These are clues that she's winding down and will settle into sleep soon. I know that time with her after work is precious, but she needs her sleep, and you and the family need sleep, too. Good Luck!

I feel for you. I will say I have not done the sleeping with us on our son but we did on our daughter when she was a baby just did not want to get it started with Quentin. Anyway I would give her some Hyland teething gel on her gums for her teething and I giuve mine on top of the gel some Colic tablets they work for alot other than Colic LOVE THEM and I have a HUGE stock of them lol. They both took them when they were 2 weeks old. I also give him Tylenol at night as well. I will go in to nurse him in HIS room and rock him and read him a story as I am nursing him. When he goes to sleep I put him in his bed along with the fan running for noise and his little bear that plays Lullaby songs and I pat his butt for a few min and I leave IF he wakes up I make sure he is ok and I go out to let him fuss it out himself. He is doing better now and still does wake up at 7 am every morning along with his sister who is 4. WHY did I have to have early risers lol and SO SO ACTIVE. lol Would not trade em for nothing. I hope it gets better for you but I think you waited to long to do teh sleeping in her own room . Try to do her naps in her bed as well. I know Quentin loves his swing and he would do almost 2 hr naps in it but NOW he is getting to big for it for naps and is in his bed not taking to long of naps but it is something I guess... Good Luck. M.

I wasn't able to read all the responses, but I see you got plenty of good advise on methods to use. As someone who has been through this, and works full time, I can completely understand the giving in because you are tired and you have to be able to function for work. My suggestion would be, if you and/or your husband has vacation time coming to use it when you are ready to hang tough and not give in. That way you can concentrate on teaching her and stand strong, without having to worry about being coherent at work the next day. If you don't have vacation time coming up, Labor Day weekend is coming and that would at least give you one extra day to try to stand strong. Good luck.

As a survivor of a non-sleeping child, I can totally feel your pain! I would try to give her Motrin (it lasts longer than Tylenol) an hour or so before bedtime. You can also give her a little Orajel to help relieve the pain till the medicine kicks in. Does she nap in her crib? If not, I would start with naps in the crib, then transition to bedtime. It may also help to spend sometime playing in her bedroom, just to get her familiar with the room. Does she have a lovey? I know a blanky really helped my daughter sooth herself back to sleep. A shirt that smells like you may help too. If you can stand it, letting her cry a bit in her crib may help too. I'm not a huge fan of cry it out, but that's what we had to do with my daughter to break her of the bottle. She only cried for about 10 minutes, then was fast asleep. However, for those 10 mins, she screamed her little head off. I will warn you, that it will be extremely hard to hear your little one cry like that. Hopefully you can find a solution soon. No sleep is not fun! Also, you may want to try to transition her on a weekend when nobody has to get up early. You may have a few really late nights. Hopefully you can find a solution that works best for you soon!

I highly recommend _The No-Cry Sleep Solution_ by Elizabeth Pantley. It's a gentle way to get her to sleep, and it allows you to go at your (and her) own pace. Good luck!

Dear sleepless, :)
where is your daughters bed? in another room? maybe she feels lonely and thats why her preference of sleeping with you remains? If space allows, put her bed in your room, so she has her independence and so do you with actual sleeping, our 2 boys slept in the bassinet in our room until they needed to go in their crib and that then was in their own room. this may be a nice way to SLOWLY transition her to her own bed. then after a few successful months you can put the bed back in her room to sleep in, and make it a big deal of excitement (as she'll be right about 1 yr old) like "oh my goodness you get to be in your own room!! wow, look how big you are now you're one!!!" that kind of a thing.
also what time do you lay her down to sleep? depending on what time you and your husband work, if you have 9-5 kind of jobs (as I do) then the schedule of laying her down could be maybe 1/2 and hr after the evening meal, if you eat around 6o/c lay her down at 7. maybe with just lullaby CD's as the sound is good rather than a visual too to keep her awake. have a single night light in a corner so it doesn't shine in her face, and its dark she'll get the idea this is bedtime. does she sit still for a story when you hold her? maybe find a few books at the library about bedtime and sleeping, that describe animals sleeping, how they sleep.... so she can see that and "join in" the sun goes to sleep, so does she.....
i could go on, with the little tricks we do for our boys. the biggest one being her bed in your room as a first step change, early bed time for her, so she's worn out before you need your sleep, and then transition her back to her room.
I hope this helps with what other ladies may add for you, and the let her cry thing i see you're trying, so if she sees you don't give in... no matter how long she goes on for, you're ok..... your fist daughter survived, you'll be fine!! :)

A few things came to mind:
I didn't use teething tablets, so I don't know how well they work, but I know some swear by them. I always used the baby-orajel swabs and Motrin (particularly at night because it's a 6-8 hour thing as opposed to tylenol which is a 4-6 hour thing).

When you lay her down, do you lay her down on her back, on her side, or on her tummy? With our first, if we laid her down on her back, she was up before we took a step away from the crib crying and fussing. If we put her down on her tummy, she stayed asleep and would sleep for hours. Yes, I know they say you're not supposed to do that, but it was the only way she would sleep! We don't smoke, and may have 1 drink on New Years Eve or something, so we don't drink much at all - so the dr. eased up a little, but still wagged a finger at us.

Both of our daughters when they were at 10 months typically took 2 naps a day. If your mom could get her on a schedule with her naps, that should help too - and then have a scheduled bedtime. Both our daughters are Very routine oriented. They like knowing "what's next". (We have a 4.75 year old and a 22 month old.)

You might also consider with her bottles "slipping her a mickey" - as we call it. What I mean by that is throwing some cereal in there. Make sure you give her the orajel a few minutes ahead of schedule though, and the motrin too. She'll drink more if her teeth aren't hurting her.

We also have a Sunbeam humidifier that has a blue night-light that shines through the tank. The sound of the humidifier is also soothing.

Good luck!

Read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. You won't be disappointed. The book discusses why your constant rocking, patting, visiting, etc. does not encourage sleep and only serves to keep her more awake and awaiting each return (and subsequent screaming when you don't).

I was a little skeptical at first; when we instituted the techniques at around 6 months it only took us a grand total of 3 days. The first night there was about 45 minutes of crying. The second night was about 20, and the third night was a matter of minutes. At 18 months, he sleeps from 6:45 pm until 7:00 am.

My daughter was normally a good sleeper, but we went through a time where she would cry when I put her down. I told her if she laid down I would stay with her and rub her back. It really helped a lot and I don't have to do it anymore. Just a thought that may help. Good luck, it is so hard to function without sleep!

It's all what you can handle! Rest assured that every mother has had to go through this stage. Most likely, you will have to let her find her way to fall asleep. It sounds cold but this is what i had to do with mine. Just like weaning them off of the bottle and pacifer. It took about two almost three weeks for him to stop crying all night and go to bed. Having your child sleeping in the bed with is not what you really want, dont do it. Crying is not a bad thing, as mothers we dont want to see our children cry but it is a normal emotion. If you try to shield your child from crying all the time this can start to be unhealthy in every situation. And having your child attached to you every minute is possible but depends on what type of relationship you want child to have. I spend pre-bedtime with my child but i also spend time with him when i first get home too. We play after he has eaten and then he gets a bath. and I talk to him explaining what happens next. The more you start to show and talk to your child about what happens in his or her life the more they will start to understand that this is routine. Do some things change? yes, but i try to keep this routine as much as possible.
It was very hard but what you can do is try to keep an eye on her, maybe peek in a few times through the night to make sure she is okay. but dont turn the lights on (do keep a night light) or talk to her. This will let her know that you are there for her during this new phase. Hopefully this will help some.