No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers?

S.,
my second was diagnosed with GERD and milk allergy at 3 months. I "babied" him for months trying to get through both. Then was stuck getting up with a 6 month old 3-4 times a night! I did a version of the "baby wisperer" I would pick him up, calm him down then put him back down, up down, up down, up down. . . the first night it was about an hour then less the next night. It did eventually work. There was crying, but not hysterics or for a long time, just lots of intervals. Best of luck

My nearly 2 yr old grandson seems to get into this same pattern after he has been ill. Its like their little internal alarm clock kicks on at the same time every night. He sleeps at my house quite often and for a while it was 1:20 every night. Ugh.

My remedy... do NOT pick him up. I let him know I am there and that I am not picking him up. I pat his back, swaddle him tight and say good night. Some time that does the trick. Some times it does not.

On the night it does not, he gets a squirt or two of Bach Rescue Sleep - and then so does grandma. If he will let me, I put it in his mouth or on his passy.

It is a non habit forming VERY mild sleep aid. It takes the edge off and he falls right to sleep and stays asleep. And so does grandma. Once he sleeps thru that internal alarm clock time just one night, it seems the patter is broken.

I have no advice for you, it's been years since I was where you're at now. I feel for you! I am interested in hearing the advice you receive from other's, though. My first thought was, kid's needs change. We change from time to time - when we're hungry, how much sleep we need, etc. Maybe it's a "stage." I hope things settle down soon for you. Hooray on the extended BF! I did it, too and wouldn't have changed a thing.

I'd like to ask you - how did you get him to sleep 12-13 hours at 6 months??? We also co-slept, I exclusively BF and my 3 never slept that long. That would have been wonderful!

S.,

We're in your predicament.
My dd has been sleeping since 8 months fine, she goes down without a fight and sleeps great from 8 to 8, normally.

A few days ago she developed a fever and a few days a rash, turns out she had foot mouth and hand diseace. It's viral so there's nothing they can give her, I'd never even heard of it, she got it somewhere, it's airborne and the Dr said quite common during the Spring.

At any rate, we brought her to bed with us ONCE, I just wanted to comfort her since she was sick and ever since, she wakes up sometimes every HOUR, no lie and screams at the top of her lungs.

My husband can only go in, I give in and pick her up and she does not calm down with me for this reason.
He goes in, ALL NIGHT for the last few nights when she starts crying, makes sure she has water, lays her back down, never picks her up out of her crib, covers her, rubs her head and tells her he loves her and walks back out.
She goes back to sleep, then when she wakes up he does it all over again. Last night it was only once, so I think we're improving.

Hope that was of some help, that's the only thing that works for us, she goes to bed and nap down perfectly easy as always but it is that awakening that brings the reckoning :) It's killing us with sleep deprivation....

She's 20 months and my son is 9 months so it is very exhausting.
He doesn't wake up normally, I muffle her with music a little loude rin his room, he sleeps soundly. I know she just wants to sleep with us but she is a very very light sleeper and nobody can get rest with her in our bed, she wants me to cuddle her and cries if I move away - and my back is so sore I can barely walk in the morning.... Not gona do it... nobody sleeps propery so I hope she gets back on track soon.

Let me preface this by saying, I do not believe in the cry it out method. That said, sometimes they just need to cry. Makes no sense right? HA! My daughter would wake up all night long. Not because she was sick, but becuase we let her. If that makes any sense. The minute she would whimper, I'd rush in and pick her up. She was(and still is) a bottle baby. When she'd wake in the middle of the night, she'd need a bottle to fall back asleep. Finally, I'd had enough! I was exhausted and so was she. At about 9 mos, I decided to let her fuss for a few minutes if she woke up in the middle of the night. And I mean fuss. She never really cried. It was less than 5 minutes and she was sleeping soundly again. She still gets up in the middle of the night occasionally, but generally only if she's sick or has a bad dream. I can't stand to hear her really cry or scream, so if that happens I go in and get her. If she's just fussing or whining, I let her go till she's calmed down, which normally takes about 5-10 minutes. We all sleep much better and are far less grouchy throughout the day. I hope that helps! You could also give your son a special blanket or lovey, if he doesn't have one already. He may cuddle that at night? Good luck and happy sleeping!