14 Month Old Doest Sleep Through the Night

You can read what sleep expert Dr. Marc Weissbluth says:
http://billiediscoverytoys.blogspot.com/2008/09/sleep-beg...

First, you have to do what feels right for you. It took me 14 months of getting up with my daughter to finally have the nerve to try cry it out. It was three painful nights but she has slept through the night since. Even when she has been sick and I have gotten up to check on her, once she was well it only took one night to get her back into her routine. It made a world of difference for all of us to have a good night's rest. If bringing her into your bed works and everyone is getting rest then you can go with that but your having to wake up and move him to his bed means that you are not getting blocks of solid sleep. I also highly recommend Dr. Weissbluth's book. He argues everyone in the house needs to be well rested, not just the baby. You need to be well to take care of your baby and not being well rested brings on all kinds of health problems.

Hope this helps.

Dear T., One of my sons did not sleep through the night until 7 years old. I know this does not make you happy. I did whatever it took to get some sleep myself. I left a cup of water in his bed or by his bed. If he needed to climb in I was ok to a point. I had 5 kids and the 2 youngest had bunk beds in the room with my husband and I. He was a truck driver and needed his sleep. I too was a SAHM and could rest during the day. I do not believe in crying it out. I think a child needs something and it is moms job to see what it is. They grow too fast. The good news is he is 27 and has his own home. Love your children, Grandma Mary

Hi T.
Some kids don't!!
I know that you want suggestions that will help him sleep.
I don't have any. Two always slept. 8-10 hours and sometimes more. The other two never slept. In a 24 hour day one slept 2 hours and the other 4. It was crazy I did everything. The MD said I see no sleep deprivation in him, but sure due in you. Same with the girl who came years later.
Write me, lets talk.
God bless you and give you wisdom.
K. --- SAHM married 38 years --- adult children 37, coach slept the most; 33, lawyer, married with 10 mo, never slept, still doesn't but is up with his own, his wife is thrilled; twins 19, one sleeps one doesn't, at home, glad not to deal with kids up all night 3.8 GPA; on campus loving it cause others are up, 3.9 GPA; respectively.

Dear mom,

I suggest keeping him in your bed.

You don't need to return him back to his bed immediately.

Just let him stay there.

and get some rest yourself.
I know what its like to feel sleep deprived but believe me it does end eventually.

My children always sleep longer when I am beside them.

I have a child who at 4 years old, comes running into our bed most nights.
NOT all nights but quite a few.

As time goes by it dwindles down.

I know this because my oldest was the same.
and it stopped at around 6 years old.

Thankfully my youngest likes his crib. which at 3 years old he is still sleeping in , because
A.) he still fits it
B.) he moves around alot
C.) Why spend money on another toddler bed right.

Anyways,
The other way to do it is to teach him to self soothe.
Keep a soft toy in the corner of his crib, and at the very first peep of noise run in there and reach his hand up for the toy. make his hand pet it.and it should relax him, just to know you are there and to feel the toy.

Eventuall he will learn to do this automatically by himself, and won't need you to come in the room.

you'll know this when he only rustles a bit and then quiets down to sleep again.

M

go to the library's web site and find cassette tapes or cds to help your child sleep. i found one at the rescue mission it has worked. I was skeptical b/c it said guaranteed to work but it does.

Crying it out DOES NOT work for all kids.
That said, here is what helped my first daughter and we are working on doing for our second who also doesnt sleep and crying it out also did not work. (7 days 2 times, consistent etc...

1. We baby proofed her room and put her crib mattress on the floor around 15 months. She HATED HER CRIB. We put pillows around it and a few books. (In a lot of cultures thats what they do anyways. No crib.) SHE LOVED IT! Loved laying on it, quietly read books there etc...She started sleeping better. We were lucky she didnt get up and run around but we were prepared to put a gate up at her door.
2. Then came whole milk. 7:30pm to bed 8am wake up.

So far the milk is helping our second child. (I didnt breastfeed that long) and soon we will be pulling her mattress out of her crib. She sleeps like a rock star in my bed with a rail.
Good luck. Be creative.

I find that teething really interferes with my son sleeping through the night. I know, its really hard. :) Try giving him tylenol one night and see what happens. He really needs to stay in his crib, but I know, sometimes you are just so exhausted that you take him to your bed because you don't know what else to do. Does he have a lovey, like a soothing teddybear? I think that helps. I don't think crying it out will help your son...try some music that you only play at bedtime. That is a good association that will trigger his sleepiness.

when you do cry it out you must be consistent and give it at least three days to work. In order to not make them feel abandoned I would go in every 5 or 10 minutes, lay them back down say night night and leave. They will cry harder but they will know you are still there, you are not going to take them out and it is time to sleep. The first night is the worst. They second night the crying is cut in half and by the third night it should only be for five minutes or so. I did it on a Friday night this way my husband and I could rest the next day if we had a rough night. I also did it at nap time to create consistency. It really does work if you do not give in, however it is very difficult to do. I was like you at my wits end and extremely exhausted. Some people will say it is cruel but I looked at it as a gift to my children to learn to rely on themselves for soothing and a gift to the family for some solid sleep. If you are sleep deprived your patience will be tried, and I feel on the whole the entire family will benefit. It is personal choice but for us it worked and was well worth it. My kids are now 24 and 20 they survived and they don't hate me for it, LOL!!!

T.,

You're doing great! You've made it 14 months! Awesome!

I hear you on being exhausted. I didn't start to have a brain until February this year. That was 18 months.

My son didn't sleep through the night until he was 18 months. At that, he is waking up now and again, because he didn't either eat enough, has gas pain, or has a dream or two (or because DH stubs a toe at 1 AM!)

Nap when he naps. Comfort him at night. Ask a friend to watch him for a power nap for you. It's coping, not a cure.

A swing might help, but he might be too big for what is made now - so a hammock might be more in order. They make them for infants. :)

Likely it is teething, and that doesn't stop until they all arrive.

He needs you, and you will find when you meet what he needs, even if it is just a cuddle and a rock, he'll know you're there for him and go back to sleep a lot sooner.

No, swings are not addicting. No, co-sleeping is not addicting. Look up information about them from La Leche (sleeping) and other sources before you totally rule them out.

Good luck!
M.