she used to sleep fine. maybe up once or twice a night and wanted to breast feed but went right back to sleep.
Now she falls right back to sleep in my arms but wakes up when i put her in the crib. she just wants to sleep in our arms, and i am worn out, tired and i have had enough of this. she neeeds to sleep!
she was sick a week or so while we were out of town, so her sleeping aragments were off for a bit. maybe that has something to do with it? but we have been home for over a week now.
it is currently 2pm. and she has refused a nap all day. and just went down briefly, but woke up and wants only to sleep in my arms. and i let her fall asleep aPUT HER BACK (SHE WOKE UP) and is currently screaming in the other room.
please help me.
let her cry it out for a few nights, and then shell sleep fine... stay firm in not getting her when she cries. i had the same problem with my oldest. we did the CIO method, and after three nights, he sleeps all the way through now... good luck!
She might not feel well. She could be teething, have an earache, upset tummy, etc. One night (before my daughter was a year old) she would only sleep when I held her. Turned out she had a bladder infection. My almost 10yr-old son is currently teething and his sleep has definitely been disrupted.
Here are some pointers on sleep issues by Dr. Kyle Pruett with more details at the link below:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2010/01/09/...
Children’s sleep issues are among the more challenging developmental stages for parents to master. But biology is on the parents’ side in this one, because sleep patterns mature over time just like other developmental skills.
* Polls tell us that one-third of American children and their parents sleep together some or most of the time before children start school. Co-sleeping varies hugely by culture and ethnicity. So think about what you want to do, and discuss the pros and cons with your pediatrician.
* Make sure your crib is safe (locking rails), that your older child’s ‘big bed’ has side rails, and if you are co-sleeping, that there is plenty of room.
* The human brain is active during sleep, but the deepest sleep is typically at the beginning of the night. Babies spend more time than older children in stimulating REM sleep, with eye movements and irregular breathing. Don’t worry about all that action in your child’s body – it too is growth.
It sounds like you need to try the Ferber method. The book is Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber, MD. It is the original cry-it-out (CIO) method and actually a compassionate plan. I am very against the extinction CIO method where you just let them cry till they're exhausted and fall asleep. With the Ferber method, you let them cry for about 5 minutes, go in and comfort them (without picking them up) and then leave, next you wait 10 minutes, comfort without picking up, then leave. Cap the crying time at 15 minutes and repeat until she falls asleep. It may take up to three nights before she really gets it, but since she used to be a good sleeper, I bet it will take less. My daughter was a poor sleeper and she got it the first night. With this method, you are teaching them that you will be there for them, but that they must sleep in their bed. It's not easy to listen to them cry, but you are teaching them skills they will use the rest of their life - being able to soothe themselves back to sleep. I highly recommend getting the book. He walks through how you customize it to what works best for you. Good luck. I know how difficult sleep issues are.
