Sleep problems in the new home

M

mintycat

Registered User
Hi everyone, it's my first time posting here.

My daugther is 23 months now. Ever since she was 5 months old, she slept through the night. I know how lucky we are with her sleeping. We had a month of night waking when she was teething around 8-9 months but we used the controlled crying method and she learned to fall asleep on her own. Every now and then she will wake up in the middle of the night, most of the time, she will go back to sleep on her own. If her crying becomes intense, we will go in and soothe her and at most, it will take about 30 mins and she will go back to sleep.

The problems started last month when we moved to a new place. She'd suddenly start screaming (piercing and loud) in the middle of the night. At first we thought she was scared of the dark because her new room has darker curtains than the old room, so we added a little night light. She is still waking up in the middle of the night at least 4-5 times a night. Then we thought she needed time to adjust to the new place but it's been a month already. Then we thought maybe she has nightmares so we always go in to soothe her. But now it seems like she is testing us and just want us to go in and hold her to sleep. Hubby and I have no sleep as a result. I am 27 weeks pregnant so I really need the sleep and I am afraid if we don't resolve this before the new baby comes, everyone will not sleep well.

She is still sleeping in her crib, but we are looking to transition her to a big girl bed very soon, before the new one arrives. When she wakes up in the middle of the night, and we hold her, she refuses to go back to her crib, preferring to either sleep in our arms or sleep in the big girl bed with us lying besides her (it's right next to her crib). We have been so tired that we took her to our bed for the last 2 nights and she just plays there and doesn't sleep go back to sleep for 2 hours.

Any suggestions? We are at wit's end! Thanks.
 
omg mintycat, you could have just been describing my 21 month old. we haven't moved to a new place, but this night waking has just been going on the past month, constantly, every single night. won't even sleep after we gave her milk. and if we bring her to our bed, she just plays there. several times, after we've been up for 2 hours, i had to ask the helper to take over, as both of us need to get rest for the work day.

any solutions on your side so far? seems like some 2 year olds are falling back into night wakings after being able to sleep through? I also don't know what to do. if we ignore her, she just keeps crying for me standing in her crib.
 
My 19 month has been doing exactly the same thing!
She'll sleep fine if my husband or I sleep in the same room. After the usual bedtime routine, I'll lay her down and she'll grab onto my arm and not want to let go. As soon as I leave the room, she screams...and doesn't stop.

I was hoping it's just a phase-perhaps some separation anxiety.
 
i'm hoping it's just a phase too.. sigh. kashimum, how do you deal with that with smaller baby in the house? i can't imagine how you divide your sleep(lessness) between them. i have second on the way now, so nervous about that...
 
Actually, the baby sleeps through!! And they're in the next room.
I was very nervous at first, but when I realised he just doesn't wake up, I relaxed.

My husband is responsible for seeing to my toddler at night, although I do wake up of course. I do manage to steal back some sleep in the morning after the 7am feed and I ask my helper to look after them both!

Without meaning to state the obvious, nerves are a state of mind! We mothers are far more resilient than we're given credit for. I used to enjoy 8-10 hours of sleep a night B.K. (before kids) but I'm suprised how well I cope on so much less. I work too. And, it will pass all too soon.

Try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.
 
Since I posted that, my LO has been sleeping through again. If I remember correctly, it took her about 2 weeks to adjust to the new home and after that, she went back to sleeping through the night. There have been occasions where she would wake up and talk or call for us and we hear her on the monitor, but most of the time she got quiet after a few minutes so we didn't have to go in. Sometimes after going out a lot, she would cry and we would go in and comfort her.

For us, I really think it was adjusting to a new home and once she was used to it, she went back to her normal sleeping pattern. Even when we transitioned her to the single bed back in April, she had no problems.

Good luck and I hope it's also a phase for your kids as well.
 
kellyst, I have a 2 week old at home now and luckily her cries at night does not wake up my 2 year old. Their rooms are next to each other (although the 2 week old actually sleeps in our room across the corridor in a basket at night). If my 2 year old wakes up, my husband goes to her and I care for the infant since I breastfeed.
 
thanks for the feedback. we are in a small place as well, so the kids will be in rooms next to each other. so it's very nice to hear other firsthand experience. hopefully, i'm over-reacting, but i'm still planning on serious soundproofing :p but sometimes i wonder if things like that would make them 'too' sensitive to any noise.
 
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