Hi.
Soooo...My baby boy just turned 9.5 months. Up until now, there has never major sleep issues.(except napping out of town) He has always gone down in his crib, awake, since he was 5 months old. We had a pretty good routine going. Recently, when I have been putting him down for his regular morning nap...he screams he screams he screams...(is he trying to phase this out so soon?) Afternoon naps are not too bad but he still fusses. When 7pm rolls around when we start getting the kids ready, he screams and cries as soon as he goes down to bed even with his lullabies, his story, his bath and rubbing him a bit/// For instance, last night He wailed for quite a long time, so I picked him up, brought him downstairs put him down with some toys and continued to fold laundry. He screamed the entire time...when I was finished, I gave him a bottle with some warm water in it, he didn't want it, so I put him down and he rolled over and went right to sleep. Tonight was just as worse, He cried so much...that I just gave him a sip of a bottle and put him down. He rolled over and went to sleep. Has anyone been through this before? I feel like this is seperation anxiety he is going through?
SOOOOOOOOOOO FAR...Thanks for all the input...Last night was okay, We did our routine thing with the boys, I spent some extra time in his room with him playing earlier, as soon as I put him down, he screamed and cried. I rubbed him a bit and left...waited ten minutes, he was still up crying. Went in and we played some lullabies for him on guitar and he rolled over and went to slept. Today for nap, We put him down, he sat back up and stood up, we layed him back down. So we sang him another song, I gave him a little rub and left and put on some Soft music in the other room. He just calmed right down. I heard him playing in his crib for about ten minutes and then he just went to sleep.
C. sounds cruel but I would let him cry only because if you pick him up he will think you will do it all the time if he screams trust me he needs that nap at 9.5 months. Bedtime is bedtime let him cry himself to sleep he needs 12 to 14 hrs at that age. Good luck and don't give in at that age or it will come back and bite you every time.
you could be right about him phasing the morning nap out... i would try waiting an extra hour for the am nap and see if that makes a difference. I forget what age my girls were when they stopped doing 2 naps a day, but it could have been around 9 months. I hope this helps!!!
My son did something similar to this at this age then again at 2. I felt he was testing or it was separation anxiety. I always made sure bedtime routine was the same every night. I use to stay in the room after I layed him in his crib. I would not face him or make eye contact, just was visible so he knew I was there. Then each night I would move further away, he would check occasionally then lay back down. By a few nights I was in the hall and he wasn't checking any more. I never let him cry too much for I thought it gave him more anxiety. Just have to be careful they don't manipulate you into staying b/c you can make it a bad habit. Good Luck it will pass.
Skip the morning nap. My kids both outgrew it by 9 months. Give him a good afternoon one. Be sure he eats to full capacity all day and gets a lot of exercise (climbing, trying to stand etc) and put him to bed at night after his routine- NOT NEGOTIABLE! Walk away. Don't teach him if he screams long enough you'll come back and do something for him. (If you're going to give in, do it right away, because he'll just learn to cry longer if you hold out.) Don't give in! He's figuring out how to manipulate by crying at bed time, if you show him now that he always goes to sleep and no one comes back in to do anything for him, he'll get used to it quickly. You're in charge! My son (19 months) still occasionally cries at bedtime for 2 or 3 minutes, but it NEVER escalates unless he's hungry or sick because he's never gotten anything out it. Sometimes he just needs to sooth himself. Usually he doesn't cry at all. Stick to your guns!
he could be getting some teeth in his mouth. all kids are like that. they will go to bed without a problem for a while and then they will scream when you put them to bed. make sure he does not have a fever and does not have and ear infection. give him some tylenol or motrin and see if that helps. if he is getting teeth hylands teething tablets are natural and they help.
My son is 7 months old and is doing the same thing. I think it may be teething. Good luck and pass on any tips you have. I almost dread going home from work, because he's been fussing or crying all night for the past 2 weeks. I love my baby, and just want to be able to help him stop crying, but I don't really know what to do.
Hi C..
I know exactly what you're going through. We "sleep trained" my daughter at 4 1/2 months after she went on a sleep strike. My doctor warned me that at around 9 months old most babies will go through a phase where they don't want to go down to sleep at night and advised me to go right back to the sleep training if this happened. We used The Sleepeasy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger if you're interested. It is a gentle method using CIO.
I think what your boy is going through is a "speed bump" in the sleep process. It is temporary if you deal with it in a consistent manner. I'm not sure if you're ok with CIO but if you are I would just put him to bed as usual- same nighttime (and naptime) routine you've been using etc.- and just let him know you love him and you'll see him in the morning. Remember he's in his crib, safe and sound, and won't remember this time when he wakes up!
( Be sure to rule out illness and teething- just in case)
If you think it is separation anxiety make sure to spend a bit of extra time with him during the daytime, play in his room together during the day, and maybe tack on an extra 10 or 15 minutes together before bed. Keep everything calm and soothing. Be very consistent! This is the key to getting over this bump in the road. After a few days he should settle back into his routine.
Good Luck!!!
My daughter is nine months and just started to do this very thing. She doesn't have any teeth yet so I was thinking it may be related to that. I've put Orajel on her gums and she seems to go right to sleep. However, she wakes up maybe 4 hours later and I have to reapply. I'm not sure if teething is really the issue, but this is what I have tried that seems to work. Good Luck.
My daughter will be 9 months next week. For about the past 3-4 weeks she has been fussing when I'm trying to put her down for naps and bedtime. I think it is her way of settling herself down to sleep. She will fuss- cry and arch her back- for up to about 5 minutes then just go to sleep. Maybe your son is going through the same thing. Sleep issues are so difficult (my little one still doesn't sleep through the night!) Good luck!
