Toddler waking up at night

tirralirra12

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 11:31 am

My 1.5 year old daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 months old. For over a year, we've enjoyed amazing, continuous sleep. Sometimes she would wake up from teething or if she had a fever, but there was always an identifiable and resolvable issue.

For the past week, she has been waking up every night in the middle of the night and taking an hour or more to go back to sleep. She is not teething. She is not sick. She is happy and healthy. All three of us are exhausted. We tried adding a night light, no change. She is too young to communicate what specifically is wrong and just wails for us. Because she's always been an amazing sleeper, we have no experience dealing with sleep issues.

How do we teach her to self-soothe and go back to sleep by herself? She is in a crib in her own bedroom.

tichellady

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 12:15 pm

What’s her nap schedule?
My kids have sleep issues around the time they have growth spurts and brain development leaps.
What do you do when she wakes up? Is she crying once you are in the room? Have you checked her for m ear infection

amother

Lily

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 12:18 pm

[quote="tirralirra12"]My 1.5 year old daughter started sleeping through the night at 2 months old. For over a year, we've enjoyed amazing, continuous sleep. Sometimes she would wake up from teething or if she had a fever, but there was always an identifiable and resolvable issue.

For the past week, she has been waking up every night in the middle of the night and taking an hour or more to go back to sleep. She is not teething. She is not sick. She is happy and healthy. All three of us are exhausted. We tried adding a night light, no change. She is too young to communicate what specifically is wrong and just wails for us. Because she's always been an amazing sleeper, we have no experience dealing with sleep issues.

How do we teach her to self-soothe and go back to sleep by herself? She is in a crib in her own bedroom.[/quote

Sleep in babies/toddlers is always changing. I know it’s hard getting used to really good sleep and then this, but this sounds normal. Sounds like 18 month sleep regression. Usually separation anxiety. She’s still a baby and it’s normal to need connection (even toddlers need it). Hopefully it’ll just pass fast! Hang in (and lots of coffee). I don’t think she needs to be taught how to self soothe… babies don’t need to be taught. Especially since she’s slept rly well most of her life. I would just wait this out… and give her cuddles.

amother

Lightcyan

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 2:57 pm

tirralirra12 wrote:

Thanks all for the advice. She naps once a day for an hour or so in the early afternoon.

Does she have anything to help self soothe?
My baby had a paci and two teddy bears, her nighttime friends:) She loves cuddling with them
She also has a sippy cup filled with water on a shelf near her bed, where she can reach for it in middle of the night. can it be that your baby is thirsty? Esp now in the winter, with the steam ion & drier environment

amother

Feverfew

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 3:23 pm

I could have written this post 2 weeks ago. I increased the amount of time she was awake during the day from and it has helped. Not 100% but a clear and quick shift. She'd been waking up at 7 and going to bed at 7:30 with a 2 hour nap, now she wakes up at 6:30 and goes to bed at 8. Aiming for 11-11.5 hours of time awake per day. Worth a try!

amother

Lavender

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 5:24 pm

Give her ibuprofen before she goes to bed and see if she still wakes up.
It can also be pinworms or teething.
It's a little early for nightmares.
If she's only sleeping an hour during the day, I would not cut out her nap it doesn't sound like much for an 18 month old.

amother

Lightcyan

Mon, Dec 11 2023, 5:29 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

Who drugs up their child for no valid medical reason??