help - 15mth old waking 3xnight but can't lie herself down

[pregnabrain]

Hello mumsnetters

I read the mumsnet forums all the time but have never had the courage to post much before. Hoping I can join the fun and ask some advice.

My little girl was sleeping through without problems until she got a lovely teething / tonsilitis combo a couple of months ago. Gallons of Medised and antibiotics later, she's well again but is still waking in the night.

The problem is that she wakes up crying and sits up and is then stuck coz she doesn't know how to get back down. The only way she can go back to sleep is if I lie her down again. Then she goes off easily while I lie in bed staring at the ceiling and growling to myself.

What can I do? Please help am desperate - many thanks in advance...

[lua]

HI pregnabrain,
sorry to hear you are having trouble on the sleep front.
I am the worst person to give you help since my DS still wakes up and I don't manage to get him to sleep ! and the little cheeky monkey does know how to lie down....
Your problem seems more solvable.... Can you practice lying down when she is awake? can you put her in a sleeping bag where she won't get up?
I know these seem silly... but can't think of anything else....

Good luck!

[sachkrimbo]

My dd of 10 months has almost exactly the same problem, with her it's standing up. At night I put her in a sleeping bag and that seemed to help. It's a long one (up to 3 years) so theres loads of material, she just can't get up in it. In the hot weather, no sleeping bag and many disturbances with having to lie her back down again. At nursery they can't get her to sleep at lunch time anymore because she just won't lie down. This makes her more tired at night and then there are no disturbances.
So I reckon buy lots of sleeping bags

[pregnabrain]

Our sleeping bag hasn't helped because it is one with poppers, not a zip. I've come in a few times after spending an hour settling her off for the night to find her standing up in the cot, howling, with the sleeping bag in a heap on the floor! Must get one with a zip...

Lua - I'd love to practise lying down but i'm not really sure how to do this. She's not very confident physically (the fact that she can't lie herself down at 15 months is a good indication!) and whenever i try to teach her anything she just doesn't get it. She only ever does stuff of her own accord, as far as i can see.

Thanks for replying! This is fun...I can sense an addiction coming on.