Sleeping Troubles for my Guy, HELP!

[New York Jen]

Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but he
had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to relax, so
it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up around
2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us, but I
cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and wiggles
the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that I'm 4
+ months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put him
back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.

I know what my pediatrician's office would say. They will tell me to let
him cry it out for a few nights, that he was sleeping fine for so
long...he's not sick, no especially new teeth coming in (that I can tell),
and nothing else has changed around here YET. I live in an apartment and
the wall that Laszlo sleeps against is shared by my neighbor who is a school
teacher and has to be up early to go to work. I know that he wakes her up,
but she's been cool about it so far. I don't want to subject her to his
screaming, let alone subject myself to it. I just don't know what to do.
I've tried just about everything I can think of...giving him some Motrin (in
case it IS some teeth I can't see), giving him some milk, cuddling him in
his room, reading to him, putting on his TV (yes, he's spoiled and I'm a
horrible mother because he has a TV in his room), and just sitting on his
chair while he's in his crib and talking quietly to him, rubbing his back
too.

What else can I do? I really need to sleep, and until now he's had NO
problem with his crib. He's actually had quite the love affair with his
crib and smiles and giggles when I put him in there for naps because he
loves it so much. I have an air mattress I've contemplated setting up in
his room for a few nights to see if my presence alone would do the trick.

Any suggestions? I love snuggling with him but I really need my rest...I'm
no good to him when I'm a zombie for all his waking hours. I also want this
stage over by the time the new critter comes along.

HELP!

Thanks!

- Jen, momma to the amazingly good boy - barring sleep - Laszlo Cooper, 20
months. Pez due March 13, 2004.

[Mary W.]

New York Jen wrote:

> Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
> until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but he
> had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to relax, so
> it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up around
> 2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us, but I
> cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and wiggles
> the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that I'm 4
> + months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put him
> back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
> screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.

My DD goes through periods like this (and has been lately, she's 26 months).
At 18 months we moved her to a big girl bed (double futon). She wasn't
sleeping well in her crib - I think because of all her squirming she'd wake
herself up. So we'd cosleep, but then I'd be up because of the squirming.
The big girl bed really helped. Additionally, if she wakes up, one of us will
go lie down with her until she falls back asleep (usually my husband, he's
alot less disturbed by her wiggliness).

Good luck!

Mary

[hobbes]

"New York Jen" > wrote in message
et...
> Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
> until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but he
> had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to relax,
so
> it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up around
> 2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us, but
I
> cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and
wiggles
> the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that I'm
4
> + months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put
him
> back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
> screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.
>

Do you have a DH/DP (I'm thinking I remember you do, but don't want to
offend if not)? We were in the exact same situation when I was pregnant,
and we knew we had to make a change. What worked for us was to put a single
bed mattress in DS's room, and when he would wake up, DH would go and lie
down with him on that bed. Sometimes DH would stay there the rest of the
night; sometimes he'd come back to our bed. Eventually, DS stopped waking up
most night and now he never asks to come to our bed.

Sometimes DS would cry for me and wouldn't settle until he came to our bed
or I came to his, but I really felt like it helped him to have DH be the one
to come to him at night. And that really became valuable once DD was born
and I *couldn't* be the one to get to DS all the time.

Now we're trying to transition him from crib to big bed, and I think his
comfort level with the big bed is helping that work.

--
Jodi
SAHM to Oliver (2 years, 7 months) & Arwen (5 months)

[New York Jen]

"hobbes" > wrote in message
...
>
> "New York Jen" > wrote in message
> et...
> > Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
> > until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but
he
> > had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to
relax,
> so
> > it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up
around
> > 2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us,
but
> I
> > cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and
> wiggles
> > the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that
I'm
> 4
> > + months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put
> him
> > back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
> > screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.
> >
>
> Do you have a DH/DP (I'm thinking I remember you do, but don't want to
> offend if not)? We were in the exact same situation when I was pregnant,
> and we knew we had to make a change. What worked for us was to put a
single
> bed mattress in DS's room, and when he would wake up, DH would go and lie
> down with him on that bed. Sometimes DH would stay there the rest of the
> night; sometimes he'd come back to our bed. Eventually, DS stopped waking
up
> most night and now he never asks to come to our bed.
>
> Sometimes DS would cry for me and wouldn't settle until he came to our bed
> or I came to his, but I really felt like it helped him to have DH be the
one
> to come to him at night. And that really became valuable once DD was born
> and I *couldn't* be the one to get to DS all the time.
>
> Now we're trying to transition him from crib to big bed, and I think his
> comfort level with the big bed is helping that work.
>
> --
> Jodi
> SAHM to Oliver (2 years, 7 months) & Arwen (5 months)


Yep, I have a hubby, but he wakes up at 4:30 am for work and we agreed that
he wouldn't have to be the parent waking up in the middle of the night to
get the baby. It made more sense to me when I was nursing! (It was
actually my idea, I'm very grateful that I get to stay home with my son, and
I saw waking up with him as part of my job description).

I think I'll try the air mattress on his floor and see how that goes. If he
falls off of it, it's only a few inches onto his floor, so he won't get hurt
if he rumbles around. It's not as if I'm sleeping through anyway, so I'd
get up and stay in his room.

I'm taking him for a flu shot tomorrow, so I'll ask the doctors again what
they think, although I know their philosophy on this one.

Thanks,

Jen

[Sue]

Gosh Jen, I have no clue. Could he be hungry or thirsty? I wish sleeping
vibes for you. (((Hugs))
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

New York Jen > wrote in message
et...
> Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
> until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but he
> had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to relax,
so
> it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up around
> 2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us, but
I
> cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and
wiggles
> the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that I'm
4
> + months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put
him
> back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
> screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.
>
> I know what my pediatrician's office would say. They will tell me to let
> him cry it out for a few nights, that he was sleeping fine for so
> long...he's not sick, no especially new teeth coming in (that I can tell),
> and nothing else has changed around here YET. I live in an apartment and
> the wall that Laszlo sleeps against is shared by my neighbor who is a
school
> teacher and has to be up early to go to work. I know that he wakes her
up,
> but she's been cool about it so far. I don't want to subject her to his
> screaming, let alone subject myself to it. I just don't know what to do.
> I've tried just about everything I can think of...giving him some Motrin
(in
> case it IS some teeth I can't see), giving him some milk, cuddling him in
> his room, reading to him, putting on his TV (yes, he's spoiled and I'm a
> horrible mother because he has a TV in his room), and just sitting on his
> chair while he's in his crib and talking quietly to him, rubbing his back
> too.
>
> What else can I do? I really need to sleep, and until now he's had NO
> problem with his crib. He's actually had quite the love affair with his
> crib and smiles and giggles when I put him in there for naps because he
> loves it so much. I have an air mattress I've contemplated setting up in
> his room for a few nights to see if my presence alone would do the trick.
>
> Any suggestions? I love snuggling with him but I really need my
rest...I'm
> no good to him when I'm a zombie for all his waking hours. I also want
this
> stage over by the time the new critter comes along.
>
> HELP!
>
> Thanks!
>
> - Jen, momma to the amazingly good boy - barring sleep - Laszlo Cooper, 20
> months. Pez due March 13, 2004.
>
>

[Sharon]

"Mary W." > wrote in message >...
> New York Jen wrote:
>
> > Mister Laszlo has been pretty good about sleeping for a very long time,
> > until the last month or so. I should say that we tried to cosleep, but he
> > had always considered our bed more of a playground than a place to relax, so
> > it was not happening. The last several weeks, he's been getting up around
> > 2-3 am and only wants to be in bed with us. Now he can sleep with us, but I
> > cannot sleep with him there because he's very restless and kicks and wiggles
> > the whole night. I have been EXHAUSTED and add to that the fact that I'm 4
> > + months pregnant and it just ain't a pretty picture. Last night I put him
> > back in his crib once he was sound asleep only to be awakened by his
> > screaming another hour later. I had to get up again and bring him in.
>
> My DD goes through periods like this (and has been lately, she's 26 months).
> At 18 months we moved her to a big girl bed (double futon). She wasn't
> sleeping well in her crib - I think because of all her squirming she'd wake
> herself up. So we'd cosleep, but then I'd be up because of the squirming.
> The big girl bed really helped. Additionally, if she wakes up, one of us will
> go lie down with her until she falls back asleep (usually my husband, he's
> alot less disturbed by her wiggliness).
>
> Good luck!
>
> Mary


We did the exact same thing with James, although he was a bit younger
(12 months). He had always hated sleeping in his crib and was too big
and squirmy to sleep with us (DH is 6'4" and I am 5'8" and we have a
double bed). We got a double futon for James and put it on the floor
next to our bed. I could nurse him to sleep, and if he woke up at
night, I could lay down next to him and we would have plenty of room -
half the time I would fall asleep on his bed and not wake until the
next morning.

When he turned 2 we moved into a new house and put the futon in his
own room. Same thing applied as before - he kept waking up at least
once a night until he turned 3 - I was lucky because by that time I
was 3-4 months pregnant, and the night waking was really getting to me
- so I understand completely Jen how you feel.

He is also a thrashy sleeper, so the extra room was good for him (I
can't imagine him in a twin, for example). And I hate to say it, but
his bed is much more comfortable than mine! :) I really need a new
bed, LOL!

Sharon
Mom to James 6.2.00
EDD #2 5 December