Toddler will only sleep in a swing. HELP!!!?

Question

Our DD is 14 mo and was diagnosed with reflux when she was only a couple of months old. She was on meds and would only sleep in an upright position. She woke every two hours until she was 8 months old. Since 8 months old, she has slept 11 hours most nights. The problem is that she will only sleep in her swing. She cannot stand to be horizontal. So, she's growing out of her swing. I am so afraid to start her on a mattress again. I am a stay at home mom and my husband works 80 hours a week. So, when she doesn't sleep, I don't sleep and I have no one to help me the next day. There have nights that I've tried to tough it out and get her to stay on her mattress, but she is tougher than me. When she is determined, she won't sleep no matter how tired she is if she doesn't like where she is. She has stayed up all night and into the next afternoon before. I cannot be a competent mom if I am up for 36 hours straight. First, we tried to ditch the crib and get her a toddler bed. No go. Any ideas?

BTW, I've spoken to her ped and he said to let her cry it out. I am against crying it out but like her doctor aside from that. The truth is that she woudln't stay in the crib and she won't stay on a bed. She'll only sleep sitting up and as far as I know-- with some motion. She'll nap in the car and her stroller. I'm going to put her in the stroller tomorrow night to see if she'll sleep through in it...

silly girl-- i know, i know. the truth is. she didn't crash the next day. she would sleep in two hour intervals the next night and was absolutely beside herself with tantrums and injuries from falling on her face from exhaustion. You are right that I need to deal.

And if you read my post, she woke every two hours to nurse the first 8 months, meaning...I never slept more than 1.5 hours for the first 8 months of her life. So, I am not wimping out really. I am being realistic as to the difficulty of chasing around a totally wired toddler for 36 hours straight.

brat!! thank you! can you recommend a glider to us? I found one that looks just like the one that I have in her room for me. Is that the kind that you mean?

Answer 1

OH!! I KNOW JUST WHAT YOUR GOING THOUGH!!!! My daughter was the same way! She had a swing with the open top,she slept in there until she was 2 years old!!! She was pumping the swing herself and getting in and out of it all by herself! It was x-mas time..Santa brought a glider rocking chair and took the baby swing to a baby that needed it! It worked great! I put the rocking chair in her room,She has a little tv and vcr and I play a 30 min movie and she is sleeping by the time it is over.She rocks herself in the chair.I put a pillow next to 1 side over laping the arm of the chair,after she is sleeping,I move her to her bed.As she is use to the arms of the chair next to her..Her bed has rails that I put a pillow next to and lay her in the bed against the pillow that is against the rail.She is 4 now and she goes to bed in her bed most nights,when a little to hyper...she will rock. It has to do with a sensery problem. (motion)Good luck!

Answer 2

Swing For Toddlers To Sleep

Answer 3

you can get a wedge to tilt up her mattress...but the bottom line is you're dealing with a battle of wills here...and you may think she's "tougher than you" but if you start whimping out now...you're just setting yourself up for disaster.

If she can stay up for 36 hours straight...I bet she crashed pretty hard the next day...don't let her...get her on a proper schedule and make her sleep in a regular bed or crib. It will only take a few days and it will be hard...but you absolutley can do it...you may be a basket case for a week...but if you say she's growing out of the swing..you really don't have a choice anyway do you?

It's going to happen sooner or later...because she simply won't fit in it for much longer.

Sack up mom...do what you have to do...even though it may seem "tough". She can't have you beat already.

Answer 4

Honey, you need to tough it out. You need to let her know that you are the mom. My daughter slept in her swing until it wouldn't swing she was so heavy. But after a few nights of crying her self to sleep she got the idea. Try it on the weekend when you don't have to work the next day, and just be tough. Otherwise she will learn that she can walk all over you, and she will take advantage of that. As far as the reflux, any suggestion that has her propped up should work. Just figure out which one she prefers. All my daughter need was an extra pillow or too.

Answer 5

Ok, I'm only 16 so you may or may not take this but I promise it's good advice. Get a toddler bed with the bars on the outside. Get a pillow that sits like a chair and position her so that she's not fully upright but will be upright enough to help with the reflux but still laying down enough to be able to sleep.

Answer 6

.Have you tried letting her sleep with you in your bed? Maybe being beside mommy would help a little and even putting on a t.v. or some music. The other thing you could try is just pitch the swing! You could tell her it broke. Some thing I might try is buying her a baby doll and its own swing, after you pitch hers, and tell her shes a mommy now and mommies don't sleep in swings! It's worth a try. Hope I was of some help.
GOOD LUCK ! !

Answer 7

Raise the head of the bed -- put a couple of bricks, or the like, under one end.

Arrange pillows at the head of the bed so she can sleep in a more upright position.

But -- care must be taken to avoid placing continuous strain on the neck.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Through a variety of circumstances you have taught your child that her bedtime routine (how to fall asleep) is dependent on the swing. We all have a little dance we do to go to sleep. Mine is right side, left side, stomach and back to right side and I go to sleep.
The problem with the baby swing is that besides for the obvious, is that it is not safe to put a child in a swing made for babies. It is too easy for them to tip it over getting in and out of it. It will be impossible for her to awaken in the middle of the night to go potty (later), get out of the swing without it being dangerous...read on...
You will do her a great diservice by buying her a glider rocker. She has to find out how to put herself to sleep without the help of outside motion. Otherwise, she will be unable to go on vacation with you, to a grandparents house for the weekend, or sleepovers. Parents make this same mistake by always playing music for their babies, or rocking/walking them to sleep, in their arms. Unless they are put in their beds, alone, they will not make up their own routine.
Babies with reflux do need the head of their crib elevated so help them not have the heartburn. (I too used a swing on my baby for months because of reflux (he was on meds, too), but I also put him in an elevated crib at bedtime, so he didn't mind either and he did teach himself how to go to sleep on his own. I know this is terrible for you, I am so sorry.
THROW THE SWING AWAY. Buy her one of those "sit up in bed" pillows, the ones for adults reading in bed. She is old enough that you don't have to worry about it being a danger. Tell her it is her big girl pillow and will help her go to sleep. Let it in the corner of her bed or crib and show her how to sit up. This will only work if you throw the swing away. If she knows it is in the house, she will never go for it. Tell her the swing fairy took it for a little baby that needed it.
Tough it out for the three days. Give her some tylenol 30min-1hour before you put her so bed. Helps make kids sleepy. Sit by her bed after putting her in there. Do not look at her or talk to her. At first she may get up. Gently put her back in bed, don't talk while doing it. Repeat it as many times as you must. (Wear ear plugs if she is crys. Read a book to yourself with a small book light.) After she learns to go to sleep with you right there, start moving further away each night until you are out the door. Start on a friday night and it should be well on its way to being cleared up by the time the weekend is over. The other thing that you can do if she is in a crib is all of the above and buy one of those crib vibrators. The movement will help and then when she is well used to all of that you can "lose" the vibrator. The movement is smaller and she wouldn't miss it as much when it is gone.

Answer 10

Get a wedge and put it under her matress to keep it up. I had to do this with my son as he had reflux too. He sleeps propped up on his boppy pillow still.