My 13 month old refuses to sleep thru the night...HELP!?

Question

My daughter started sleeping thru the night at about 8 months, however, in the past month, she has started getting up 2-3 times a night ready to be taken out of her crib to play. We have tried taking away her naps (she just gets REALLY crabby), we have tried keeping her up later, everything we can think of. We have a great bedtime ritual and she has no problem falling asleep, she just cannot stay asleep. Any advice??

Answer 1

Your bedtime routine may be too great! Make sure the routine ends with some sort of self soothing. My son has one of those really cool aquarium things from Fisher Price. Turning this on is the final step of his bedtime routine so he falls asleep without my presence. If he wakes during the night he turns it back on and falls back to sleep.

For now though you're going to have a rough week or two getting your daughter to realize that there is no entertainment in the middle of the night. There are two approaches here. I've done both with different children so choose one that seems to fit your daughter and stick to that. The first is to simply let her cry herself back to sleep. This is difficult at first but the crying will get shorter and shorter and within a few days she'll get herself back to sleep without you. The other is to go in her room when she cries. Let her know you're nearby but don't get her out of her crib. Just lay her back down and leave. No talking, no smiling, no hugging!!! Go out for five minutes then come back, lie her down again and leave. Go out, come back in ten minutes, lie her down, leave. Repeat until she's sleeping.

I prefer the second method because I feel like my babies still know I'm there but they get the hint that I'm no fun at night. For my youngest though, seeing me only renewed his efforts tenfold so I had to let him cry it out on his own.

By the way, a sleep deprived baby is less likely to sleep through the night. The more tired a baby is, the more soothing they need to fall asleep. Try putting her to bed earlier if anything.

Good Luck and remember it only lasts a short time you can do it!

Answer 2

My daughter did this also, at about twelve months. It's just a phase. I would take her out of the crib and just hold her, but not turn on lights and play games or anything.

After a few weeks she went back to sleeping longer and longer until it was all night again.

Cruelty to small children is not recommended or warranted. They should never be left to 'cry it out' or otherwise punished for the little things that happen in their lives. They don't understand at all what is happening, either, so why should they be made to cry and be miserable? She's not waking up on purpose to aggravate you.

A pox on people cruel to babies!

Answer 3

Let her cry it out. A lot of kids do this, any stimulation you give her after she wakes up only causes her to be more alert and have a harder time falling asleep.

Dont take her out of her crib, dont play with her, dont fuss over her, just simply let her fall back to sleep.

Stare at the clock, it seems like her crying is going to last all of eternity, but the amazing thing is that babies really will exhuast themselves by crying and just drift back off to sleep. If you watch the clock it will help you calm yourself. What feels to you like an hour is really only 10-15 minuets of crying.

What you've done is allowed this routine to take hold in her. Babies change their sleeping patterns all the time, just like you might one night stay up later than usual, or get up one morning very early, you find yoruself wanting to follow that new routine. By fussing over her when she does wake up, you make that routine more and more solid in her system, to the point that she automatically wakes up and is ready for that stimulation.

Make sure she has a crib soother that has lights and sounds that she can push, (they even have remote ones that you can start from outside the room), and just let her work it out. She wont hurt herself, she wont die of neglect or feel abandoned, and you're not a bad parent.

You have to learn how to get through this now, since its happening now. I promise you that the same thing will happen again when she's a toddler. The game wont change then, it wont be any easier, or any different.

Answer 4

How exhausting!
I would say keep the naps...good sleep begets good sleep...but as far as waking and wanting to play, well, that is going to take a little bit...
When you go in to her, do not turn on anything, just touch her, lay her back down (don't pick her up) and say good night. Keep it brief and loving. You may have to repeat this several times! I did with my son, but he eventually got it.
I have included links to a sleep forum where you can see what other moms have done & tried, as well as a link to an article that ends with advice on how to get the child to stay asleep.
Good luck!!

Answer 5

Leave her in her crib when she want to get out and play. Soon she will realize that night time is for sleeping, not for playing.

Answer 6

My wife used to rock our child to sleep every night. Then one night it didn't work. I told her I would take over. I let her cry herself to sleep. !st night 2 hours. 2nd night, ten minutes. After that, she never had the problem again.
We are talking a healthy kid now. Point is: A kid will push his parents as far as you let them. you can baby them way too much.
Another thing...your winey..."I can't hear you....louder. "They shut up. Now youre in control. Skip the ritual..you are "babying them"......in the crib and WALK AWAY. You gotta get tough.
Or they will play you like a violin.

Answer 7

She knows that if she cries, you're going to get her out of her crib. Don't, just let her cry, it won't hurt her. Otherwise, get used to getting up and being up every night, because she knows she can get away with it.