What Happened to the Sleep Habits? Teething?

My son went through the same thing (he's almost 11 months), but snapped out of it in a few days. I do think it's probably the teething thing. The top ones are especially rough.

I have a 9 month old and we went through this. Do not worry - it will pass.

Our little girl is a great sleeper (we also used the no-cry sleep solution and loved it) but, whenever she is sick, has a tooth coming in, or is on the verge of something developmentally big (crawling, walking, etc), she starts waking up in the night. Usually some ibprofin (if it's teething) and a little cuddling put her back to sleep.

It lasts for a few days if teething, a week or so if it's developmental or a cold. I've used the same tactics I learned in the book to get her back on track once she's feeling better and she usually gets back into the groove of things in a night or two.

Best of luck and don't worry - it gets better!

-K.

I have gone thru almost teh same thing with my 8 month old son. Try the Gentle Naturals Teething Liquid if nothing else works. At bedtime I lay my son in my bed and lay beside him and let him fall asleep drinking his bottle this way. Then I gently put him in his crib. Because of the teething he may just want to be close to you. Don't forget most kids will teeth until they are like 2 years old. I hope whatever you try will work for you.

I have 5 children, 11 oldest to 18 months, they all went through this! Congrats to you for doing the self sooth, lay down and go to sleep, I did that with all of mine but every new milestone that would occur, about two weeks of restlessness would occur. Just before laying him down talk about going to sleep and snuggle him for a little while to help calm him then do your normal routine. If you are giving him ibuprofen, do so an hour before bed to help it start working. Good luck in this time of transition and just be consistent, it will pass with your love and support!

It could be the teething and he is in pain so he cannot settle when you put him down, and there is nothing to distract him so he is focused on the pain of his teeth. We used teething tablets they are homeopathic and seemed to work for our daughter, you can purchase them at CVS or Walgreens. It could also be a stage where he is starting to become active with almost crawling and he is thinking he is missing out on something when he has to go to bed. Be patient with him and keep his routine as close to what you were doing before he will get back into his habits, it just might take a little bit.

Sarah,

I think this is pretty normal. My son and daughter were the same...great sleepers. However, once in awhile they would go through stages of not going down so well. Just when I about hit the point of losing my sanity, they would be back to normal. Hind sight was always teething, growing spurts, or a cold or sickness coming on. Teething was usually the culprit. I found that even my baby being more mobile made it a bit more hard for them to relax at times. Also, they are becoming more aware and independent at this age and their surroundings are a bit more interesting!

I suggest you just hang in there and sooth them with love and care as you have been doing. The stage will pass and your baby will be back in La La Land before you know it.

Good Luck!

T.

Sarah,
My son is 6 months and has been crawling for a month and pulling up for 2 weeks. He has never been the type to self-sooth as we have always had to rock him to sleep but he does have one tooth and he can be fussy. There is an all natural teething solution that Walgreens carries. It is in a green/blue box and costs about 5.00. It does wonders for a fussy baby. Good Luck!

Hi Sarah,

My little girl did this, at just about the same age as your son. She was teething as well. Nap time was easy enough, but one evening she started to resent being put to bed and this went on for several weeks. She has a twin brother who slept peacefully through it all. I usually don't turn to books, but I picked up "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" hoping that I would find something that would help me help her. I finally realized that with all of the new things happening in her life - teething, learning to crawl - she was probably having a tough time getting her active little mind to slow down and allow her to go to sleep - sounds like what may be happening with your little guy. I put her in her crib one night, just as I could tell that she was getting sleepy and I watched her. She crawled around in the crib, and checked out everything, she even stopped to laugh at the colorful design of the headboard pad. Then the screaming began. So I left her in the crib and rubbed her back and whispered that she was all right and that it was okay to go to sleep. I did that for about five minutes and then I sat back in the chair next to her crib until I could tell that she had fallen asleep and left the room. I did that for a couple of nights and by the fourth night she was able to start settling herself down.

Overall I learned to watch for her "sleep signs" and to help her wind down after a long baby day. Fortunately, she has a brother the same age that she can "talk" to before they both fall asleep. Hopefully you, too can find a way to help your son settle his mind and get some sleep. Best of luck!

Hi Sarah,
Although I have always had problems with my 10month old son going to sleep on his own, a few weeks ago he would start crying whenever I would lay him down. We thought that it was his teeth, or the fact that he was starting to walk. Fortunately we had a checkup with his dr and she said that he had an ear infection. He had no others signs for this (ear pulling, sensitivity) and the dr said that sometimes they don't. I believe that his ear would start to hurt when he layed down. We treated the ear infection, and the crying has stopped. This may not be the problem your son's having, but you may want to schedule a dr's appointment just in case. Good luck!! =)

I agree with the other moms that this is probably a phase that will be short-lived, so don't sweat it. However, I do have a suggestion that may help with the teething. At the pharmacy, look for "Teething Tablets" made by Hylands. It comes in a small bottle with a pink and blue label. It's a homeopathic teething medicine that is 100% natural with no side effects, and it disolves instantly. I don't think I could have made it through my daughter's first year if not for those and gas drops!!! They seem to work much better than ibuprofen or gum gel, and they work instantly! If you think teething is the issue, I would definitely give this a try!

Hi Sarah,

I went through the same thing with my daughter who is now 2. A great self soother and sleeper but that would go out the window during teething. I had to go into her room several times during the night and hold her until she fell asleep again. One word of advice, watch for signs that the teething problem (or the cold or whatever) is over and your child is hanging onto the new bedtime routine of rocking and cuddling... my daughter did that and had me fooled for a couple of nights. It took one or two rough (almost CIO) nights to get her back to her old sleeping habits so don't cave in!

Good luck
M.