# 15 mo. old won't sleep through night and need help fast :)



## cleobaby74 (Aug 24, 2008)

HI there,
This is my first post here, and I apologize if this issue has been covered before. I have read through the forums on many occasions and have seen many similar posts.

Anyway, I have a 15 month old little girl and am expecting another baby in March of 2009. I have breastfed my daughter her whole life so far and she is used to falling asleep with me laying next to her (she never dug the bassinet or crib). She is still waking up at least 4 times a night to nurse back to sleep. Some nights, it's many more (basically 5 minutes after I sneak out she wakes up when she rolls over and i'm not there). Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much sleep in over a year. If I weren't pregnant, I could deal with that and just wait her out, but I can't now. I have to get some quality sleep. Both so I can have a healthier pregnancy and also so I can take care of the new baby when it comes. She cannot be waking up 4 times a night when I also have a newborn to take care of. I would go nuts. Heck, i'm starting to already







. PLUS, through a combo of her starting daycare a month ago and my pregnancy hormones, my milk supply is going bye-bye fast. Most nights she dry nurses which is not fun for me. Last night I had to fix her two bottles to quench her thirst and then also nurse her to sleep.

So, I have searched the internet for "sleep solutions" but no-one knows anything about the special situation of a baby used to co-sleeping and breastfeeding this long. I thought you guys might. Oh, and before it's suggested, her father will not help me in any way, shape or form







. His solution is to just give her whatever she wants so he doesn't have to hear her cry or anything. Oh, and I have repeatedly tried a binkie and she doesn't understand it. It's funny when my son was a baby, he would suck on two at once all day if you let him, but she hates them.

She has both a twin matress on her floor (which we use now) and a crib I just adjusted to it's lowest settings (thinking I might try re-introducing her to it). Right now, when she wakes, she walks over to the door, opens it and begins banging on her baby gate and crying when she wants me. So, I can't ignore that, as much as I might want to. Once she's up and standing, I HAVE to put her back down.

Yesterday I tried putting her in her crib for a nap and she freaked. She ended up not having a nap at all the whole day in protest of Mommy's meanness. I don't know if I should latch her door so she can't open it (just for middle of the night wakings) or if I should really try to push the crib so she can't get up (besides the inevitable standing in the crib). I don't know if "cry it out" would work (I don't think it would work for her but i'm willing to try if needed). I wish I had done all this sooner, like when she was six months old, because now she is so set in her ways







.

Anyway, I need some sleep fast and would love some advice. Even if it's something hard, I am willing to try it. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Best wishes,
Tabitha


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

well...the simplest solution is just to sleep with her. No sneaking out to just have her wake back up, etc. It doesn't address the nightwaking/nursing issue, but it does help you get some sleep in between nursing sessions. Many a mom has had her sanity saved by co-sleeping, in order to get some sleep.
Dr Jay Gordon has a pretty good nightweaning program, have you tried it?
It''s on his website.
Many moms have found that 15 months is a hard age for sleeping..my own dd was waking HOURLY at that point.....I nearly died between 15-18 months...then things were better until closer to 2 years, then the 2 yr molars happened, which through everything off again..and then after 2 yrs, we've had pretty much smooth sailing sleep-wise.


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## cleobaby74 (Aug 24, 2008)

Thanks for replying. Actually, I should have mentioned it, but I do sleep with her 90% of the time. I mainly sneak out if I can't sleep, need to do something, etc. Being preggo, I get thirsty AND have to pee allot at night







I think I have slept more than two hours a night in my bed about 10 times in the past year







. Even if I sleep the whole night with her, she still wakes up incessantly and I don't get any quality sleep.

This is also something I need to put a stop to since when the new baby comes I will HAVE to spend most of my nights in my own room with the baby. Plus, sharing a twin bed with a squirmy 1 year old when you are increasingly pregnant won't work out too well either. She barely gives me room to lay on my side as it is







Another thing is that even as much as she wakes up, I have consistently found she still wakes less if I am not in the room with her ( I don't know if it's cuz she smells me or I make noise or what). If she can get past the first 5-10 minutes of my leaving, she will sleep better in the end. She has just gotten allot needier lately.

I am already working on night weaning her, I just need to be more consistent with it. Maybe once that's completed it will help (I just hate hearing her cry for 20-30 minutes, especially since I am right there with her). I am just going to have to stick with that. I don't know, maybe once that's done, I can work on being with her in the room less. I don't know.

My son was so much easier. Slept through the night by 8 months and never looked back. Of course, he slept in my room until he was five, but at least I got some sleep







.


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## Cujobunny (Aug 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cleobaby74* 
His solution is to just give her whatever she wants so he doesn't have to hear her cry or anything.

There's nothing wrong with that! Your baby still needs a parent to help her get back to sleep and there's nothing wrong with that either. Can your dh sleep with her in the twin bed and just snuggle her back to sleep or offer her a sippy cup of water when she wakes up?


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## Ellen Griswold (Feb 27, 2008)

Just wanted to offer some hugs, mama. I have a 15 month old too and the night waking has been fierce lately. How are her teeth? Molars coming in? I think this is why my dd has been so restless lately. I don't have any suggestions, but stick around. You can get some great advice around here.


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## _betsy_ (Jun 29, 2004)

She's still so little, Mama.

If you're cosleeping, why not make your room more co-sleeping friendly with your mattress and the twin mattress pushed together on the floor, and just sleeping all together? Lots of families do it!

At 15 months, many, many, MANY (MOST?) BF babies aren't sleeping through the night.

What happens if you try to cut back on the night nursing - offering to cuddle instead, or offering water? Not to cut it out entirely, if she's nursing 4 times a night now she obviously still needs it nutritionally, but to cut back to twice a night or something you're more comfortable with?


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## D_McG (Jun 12, 2006)

you might find that when you stop nursing at night she'll sleep better. That was the case for us. DS won't sleep alone though. Well - I guess we haven't really tried (we have a king size bed - room for the 3 of us and his little sister due in 2 months). But you can probably work that out too.

One thing at a time. See if things are better when you are done nightweaning.


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## Jenelle (Mar 12, 2004)

One, you will get no suggestions or support here with "crying it out"... _it is not allowed_ on mothering.com.









Two, there will be no "fast" solution for the situation you're describing. Have you read "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley? Some here will say that it was not helpful to them, but I have also seen many who swear by it. I am one. Any way you can get your hands on a copy, I would, fast.

Also just wanted to say that I don't think there is _anything_ wrong with just wanting a good night's sleep -- even a few hours, undisturbed -- especially when you are pregnant. I have soooo been there, done that. And the thought of nursing a newborn _and_ a toddler all through the night stresses ME out just thinking about it, and I'm not even having any more kids!

Good luck, mama


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