17 Month Old Sleeping

if she is cutting molars... those hurt more than regular teething.

There is also a growth-spurt at about 18 months of age... sometimes earlier.
Is she eating/feeding well?

Has she hit any milestones lately or changes in motor skills or cognitive development? These tweak sleep as well... growing pains being both physical and cognitive. If developmental based, then you can't just stop it. It is hard for the baby too.

Is she having "night terrors?" These start to occur too. Look it up online. This is developmental based too, and is normal.

And there is also "separation anxiety" which occurs at different ages and is manifested differently per age of the child.

Crying for 2 hours, is not good. MUCH too long. Not good for their brain either.

I know its not easy... but she needs something, and even if it is comforting, from you, then that is what she will need. Don't worry about creating "habits" now. Otherwise, a baby will not get what they need.

All the best,
Susan

I think we might need some more info. Have you been co-sleeping? Has she in the past slept in her own bed/crib? If she has what stopped it? Has she been sick? Is she teething? etc. some more info would be helpful.

Yay Susan! What a great response! I whole-heartedly agree with everything you posted! Your baby needs you, she's letting you know that. Every child's needs are so different. Hopefully, you might find a way to get the sleep you need and keep your baby in your bed. Good luck!

i get how important it is for everyone to get a good nights sleep, but I think b/c of the inconsistency your daughter isn't learning how to fall and stay asleep on her own. Crying for two hours seems kind of extreme. Obviously she is too young to communicate what's going on but she needs you right now. I've heard about a book, I think it's called the no Cry Sleep Solution. I had a friend who used this book and had great success with it. Good Luck!!!

HI V.,
I have a great book that I could forward to you if you like. It's called "Sleep Sense Program". This book helped me change my daughters sleep habits (and mine) and now she sleeps through the night.
It sound like she will cry as long as you continue to bring her into your bed....I know because this was one of my problems. The book opened my eyes to the fact that my daughters problems, were actually created by me, and reinforced by me. As soon as I put my foot down and stopped bringing her into my bed, then she started sleeping through the night. It took about 2 weeks of her crying for hours before she decided it just wasn't worth waking up. Yes, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it worked.
Shoot me an email at ____@____.com and I will send it to you (and anyone else who might need it).
I hope to hear from you soon!
M.

Hi V., first of all you don't need books. By 17 months you should have already had a consistant bed time schdule. Ine mom says she needs to right now, our kids always need us, but that's not why she is crying for 2 hours, I would say she is doing that to manipulate you into coming in to her, As it is now she is already manipulating you out of sleep. She needs a bedtime routine that is the same every night, at 17 months old my kids routine was me rocking them and singing them to sleep, laying them in their bed/crib turning on their blur fish aquarium light, if the rocking and singing didn't help them fall a sleep layed them down tell them i love them turn their blue fish aquarium light and left the room, because of what we did was a nightly routine we had no sleep issues with our kids. J.

Hi V.,
I have an 18 month boy who has been sleeping in his own queen size bed since Aug. 2009.
He never did like the crib and would cry for close to 2 hours before he past out. We purchased a queen sized bed so we can coax him to sleep, then either my husband or I would leave the room while he slept alone. It only took a month or so and he was comfortable sleeping alone. In the beginning when he woke in the middle of the night, he would cry, one of us would go tend to his needs, lay with him for a few minutes to get him relaxed and escape to our room to sleep comfortably.
Now, he his quite comfortable sleeping alone. We still have our routine of laying down with him for a few minutes but now its to say prayers and kiss him good-night.
i even caught him taking himself to bed and laying down. a sure sign of confidence and security.
I wish you the best,