help! 18month old regresses sleep habits!!

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Help! 18month old regresses sleep habits!!

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MMCH

Thu, May 03 2012, 8:21 pm

our 18 monthd old DD was kih a great sleeper...she would go down at 7 and wake up at 7, and has been doing this for a long time.
she takes one 1.5 hour nap
starting a couple of nights ago, we put her down, and half hour later she was shreeaaaakking her brains out!! I got so nervous I ran in bc she never does it! but then she was being adorable and playing really nicely..so I didnt mind I assumed it was a nightmare. then it happend the next night, and again tonight, we were took her out and she was just playing... but then she started again!!
whats going on?? advice?? is this the start of the age where they just dont want to go sleep??? shud we set a standard now and just be strict?? (shes our first)

Ashrei

Thu, May 03 2012, 8:29 pm

My friend quoted from a good book "The Wonder Weeks" that actually there's a normal thing: The 18 Month Sleep Regression. (No kidding!) But as far as how to handle it, I don't know. My son is 23 months now, and it wasn't so bad for him, but now we wind up going back in about 15 minutes after we initially went in and giving him another bottle (because he's crying), and we got into that routine. We did make him cry it out again when it got unbearable (early AM wakings etc.) Anyway it's normal and it'll work out, just make up your own new routine to compromise on this or make her cry it out.

MMCH

Thu, May 03 2012, 8:40 pm

no kidding!! thats so funny! k wow im happy to hear its 'a thing'

imaamy

Fri, May 04 2012, 12:10 am

Mine is 19 mos and just now starting to sleep thru most nights! My first thought is maybe now that your DD is 18 mos, she doesn't need quite so much sleep. Maybe a little later bedtime? My DS goes down at 7:30 and wakes around 6...and not the greatest napper. Each kid is different though.

lizard8

Fri, May 04 2012, 12:19 am

I didn't know it was a 'thing' but I just went through this with my 18 month old.

First she was sick so it was normal to wake up in middle of the night. After 2 weeks we were trying to figure out if she had allergies or something to make her wake up. After the 3rd week, I said enough is enough, she had just fallen into a pattern of waking up. I sleep trained her like we did when she was an infant. I just let her cry until she would eventually fall asleep. I put on something that would drown out her noise so I could sleep.
After 4/5 nights (can't remember when I started), I think she got a good nights sleep. She woke up her old time and looked refreshed.

I hope tonight goes well!

MMCH

Fri, May 04 2012, 10:58 am

thanks lizard8! so BH bli ayin rah its 'only' an issue going to bed, not waking up in the middle of the night.
so in the end I went in and gave her a bottle, which is soemthing I reaaallly didnt want to do bc im hoping to get rid of the bottle in the middle of teh day, and like having it to go to sleep I hear is a big no no!!
tonight I will try warm water and try to put her to bed later...
if those two dont work, I think we will have to cry it out Sad

which for some odd reason is ten times saddder when they are older and screaming mommy then when they are little babies no?

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