9 month old goes to bed OK - then wakes 1/2 hour later screaming

[jsmum]

and just won't settle again. It can sometimes take up to two hours before she will go back to sleep. We have tried all sorts of things but this has been going on for weeks now. Usually we end up getting her up and then just trying again every so often until she settles. Would obviously like it to stop though - any ideas?

[7up]

could she be teething?

praps if youre getting her up and out of bed then shes realising that if she cries she gets to come down stairs with mum and dad.

i cant comment on that because im the worst offender ever,i hate hearing young ones cry and give in too easily.

[jsmum]

I have thought about teething but then she has been doing this for weeks. And I can't think of any reason as to why teething would only affect her about 30mins or an hour after she first goes to sleep. It is almost as if she is treating it like another nap !
You are probably right about her wanting to get up but I hate leaving her to scream. The crying also wakes/keeps awake her brother.

[TicTacsMum]

No advice but can sympathise - DD 7 months has started doing the same - hope someone comes along with an answer.

[JessaJam]

same here - ds is 11months and decided to start waking in the night about 3-4 weeks ago...and still is on and off and isn't just a brief wake and needing bit of help settling but proper 2-3-4 hour sessions of being awake ( I got 4 hours sleep last night, in 2 2hour stretches...and am not use dto this anymore!!!)

[Elf1981]

My dd has been doing this (she was 9 months old on the 6th July)

I recently got an email from Pampers saying this...

PAMPERS:
"If you're suddenly experiencing broken nights again, this may be because your little one is developing new anxieties in her daily life. In the past few months, she has probably started to show some shyness towards other people, and become more clingy than usual as a result. This can be a tricky time to handle, but it is a normal and healthy stage in your baby's development. As her social world expands and she learns to move around alone, she gradually starts to fear the prospect of being separated from the principle person who provides her with love and security. She has a naturally strong urge to explore, but doesn't yet feel confident with this new-found freedom. The anxiety your baby might be feeling right now can sometimes affect her sleep. By calling you to her bedside each time she awakens to find herself alone, she is reassuring herself that you're still around. Don't despair, it's only temporary, she will just need a little more patience and encouragement than usual while she passes through this phase of uncertainty. It won't be long before she begins to feel more confident again, and the quiet nights return."


Not very helpful but it gave me something to focus on rather than wondering why!

FFIW I have found that letting her sleep in our bed on a really bad night helps the next few nights. She was awake for 2 hours on Sunday night so I put her in our bed and she slept fine, Monday & Tuesday she slept through in her bed. Prob going to have a bad night tonight though!

[NotAnOtter]

dd4 5 months nearly does this too!!

[MuddlingThru]

When/how long does she nap during the day? What does she do in the final hour or so before bed. I found with ds that if he was really tired he would crash out at bedtime but not into a nice restful sleep. Instead after 1/2 hour he would wake just rested enough to be able to stay awake a couple of hours but still so overtired that he couldn't settle himself. An earlier bedtime on those days when he only had short naps seemed to do the trick.

[JessaJam]

that also explains why he reaches out towards the hallway and cries like heart is breaking - anxiety and wanting to know where his dad is (in f*cking bed, asleep, where I want to be!!)

[jsmum]

Wow - it helps to know I'm not the only one

Elf, dd was also 9 months on the 6th ! and she does sleep with us if she is still awake when we are going to bed. This is happening less these days though. She usually wakes about 5am for a feed - a separate problem which i haven't dealt with yet - and stays in our bed from then on.

JessaJam - we also get the screaming while lying facing the door with her arms stretched out through the cot. She has also just learnt to sit but hasn't yet learnt how to lie back down. That doesn't explain two months of this but does add a twist to the problem.

MuddlingThru - being overtired sounds like a real possiblity so thanks for that. She does have at least two naps a day, usually one in the morning and one early afternoon. Times and length do vary though depending on where we are etc. They are always better if we are at home but thats not always possible.

[jsmum]

She falls asleep herself the first time and I don't stay with her. Sitting with her sometimes works when she wakes but not always. When she finally goes back to sleep she often sleeps for 7 or 8 hours so I don't think that she needs us to be there to settle.

[Mamulka]

Hi! I experience the same problem. Created a thread earlier 2day... Absolutely the same problem. DD 9 month, falls asleep at 9 pm, then wide awake 1 hour later, full of energy, wants to play...We do not!!!! Today we are trying (DH is in charge) complete darkness in the bedroom, because yesterday it helped to settle her (that was just about midnight). Good luck everyone. I have just realised I am not alone in the club