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leave her in the playpen if its working why fix it
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I have a 15 month old daughter. On and off I've had trouble with her sleeping - sometimes to the point where she'll only sleep 11 hours for the day, wakes up from 20 minute naps screaming and still tired and won't return to sleep. And when she doesn't sleep enough she starts throwing tantrums for everything from changing her diaper to washing her face all day long. I think that 13 - 13.5 hours sleep a day puts her in a good mood all day.
Recently, I went on vacation to visit family in Michigan and Illinois. She slept in a playpen for 5 days in Michigan and a crib at my inlaws for 2 weeks in Illinois. She slept GREAT!!! As soon as we got back home, back to sleeping terribly again. I've been trying everything from sound machines to blacking out all light to switching her bedroom... Finally I realized, maybe her mattress is too soft?? The playpen is obviously very firm, and the crib at my inlaws seemed a lot firmer than hers at home.
I started putting her to sleep in her playpen at home and she's been sleeping better each day, close to 13 hours! Should I go out and get a really firm crib mattress? Has anyone had this experience where their child slept better after getting a firmer mattress?? If so, do you have any recommendations on very firm crib mattress? I want to get her out of her playpen and back in a crib.
Thanks everyone!!
In response a little to GG, thanks for your help. I have actually tried moving her crib to different locations in the room and even moving it to a completely different room :) Right now her crib is completely removed from her room and her playpen is in the same spot the crib used to be, so I don't think that could be the problem. But thanks for the suggestion. It just seems like you have to try EVERYTHING until you find something that works. Craig's list is a good idea. Or I'm not sure, maybe I can return the crib mattress to the store if it doesn't work out - not sure what the return policies on cribs are.
leave her in the playpen if its working why fix it
I suppose anything is possible. However, I feel like all crib mattresses are pretty darn firm. My kids haven't been sleeping well either and I have been thinking just the opposite, maybe we need to buy them softer mattresses. It's worth a try. Maybe buy one off of Craig's List for $10 or $15. You might also try moving her crib. Could the air vent be blowing directly on her (or maybe it's too hot where it's located). Pull the crib into the middle of the room (or against another wall) and see what happens. Maybe place it where you put her to sleep in her pack and play?
When we bought our crib mattress we were told that one side was for when they were a baby up to about a year (firmer) and then flip it when they are older. Maybe see if one side is softer than the other and just try to flip it. Good luck.
I don't know. The crib mattress we used was pretty darn firm, and my kids always slept great (at night anyway... naps with my son were something else altogether... lol).
It certainly can't hurt. Only you can decide if the cost of a new firmer mattress ($75?) is worth the time it will be used by your daughter.
it certinaly would not hurt to try. you can donate the old mattress to a womens shelter. we have two little ones thus two matresses. the old matress was given to us by a grand mother. the crib was old and we ended up using the mattress from the 80's it was very firm and we liked it much better than the squishy one. i would just pull the mattress from the shelf and find out. or ask your michigan family what kind of mattress they have? the one she seemed to like.
