Really quick advice needed...

[LittleStars]

I have a mindee 9mnths with me at the moment who is a real screecher...and I mean never sobs or cries she sceams blue murder....I have been having her for 3 weeks (3 days a week) now according to mum she needs 3 hours a day sleep and goes in the cot for 2 hours in the morning and for 1 hour in the afternoon. However I have been having real sleep issues with her. She wont sleep in my cot and to get her to sleep I have been having to walk for miles in the buggy with her, then she sleeps for 20-30mins. The second the buggy stops she wakes up!!

Now today she slept this morning in the buggy for 30mins and is tired now, I can't go out as mindee 2 is sleeping and my ds is resting on the sofa so I have popped her in the cot.

I have given her a dummy on a dummy clip, her fav teddy, her sleeping bag from home and put her in the cot. I have been going in every 5 minutes and laying her back down. But its been 15mins and she is still screeching blue murder (my poor neighbours!!)... my question is how long should I do this for before I give up and just put up with her being foul and grumpy all afternoon and then her mum having a go at me because AGAIN she has only had 30mins sleep.....

I have tried over the past 2 weeks rocking her to sleep, shusshing her, rubbing her back, rocking her in the buggy EVERYTHING. For mum apparently she just goes off and never cries and she couldn't offer me any advice!! But seriously Im at my wits end with her....the only way to get her to sleep is to walk for miles and I just can't do that in the afternoons......

Actually now it is going quiet for a few minutes and then there is the odd scream so hopefully she is dropping off....

How long is it fair to go on like this?

[LittleStars]

OHHHH its gone quiet.....

Now I know how to get her to sleep, come and post on here for 10mins so Im not disturbing her when I go back in to lay her down. :rolleyes:

Please please please let her sleep for more than 10 minutes....

Its a good question though.....how long should you leave a little one to cry themselves to sleep?

[Rubybubbles]

aww bless her!! she must be so tired

At 9 months she must be very confused!

I have just started looking after a 20 month old, who according to mum never sleeps during the day:eek: with me he has maybe an hour in the morning (if needed) and 2 in the afternoon. At first he screamed on and off for about 20 mins:o I went in every 10 laid him down and reasured him. Now after lunch he is grabbing his stuff ready to go:clapping:

Ypu ahve said she has gone off now, fingers crossed for you this is the start of her getting used to the idea. As for mum:mad: it's not your fault her dd is upset and not wanting asleep, I hate going to sleep in different places! at 28 I can't take my teddy with me:blush: and takes me ages to go to sleep, sometimes I wish I could cry at bedtime lol

[Pipsqueak]

ssshhhh hopefully she is sleeping????

Poor little mite - sometimes they get themselves so over tired don't they. Think you have found the "knack" just stick to what you have done today and she will soon learn from this routine.

[LittleStars]

awake now...so had 20mins sleep :(

[Pipsqueak]

keep to the routine that you have set today - you have done the first step of getting her to sleep in the cot.... so thats a step forward - thats good.

she will learn

[katickles]

You have done the right thing. I would say that start by letting her cry for 5 mins, then go & reasure her, then leave it 10 mins & go back then 15 mins etc she will go off its just so so hard to hear them breaking there little hearts sometimes isn't it. x

Its then a case of lo getting used to the sleep & she will start to sleep for longer. If possible do as mum says, a sleep in morning (In the cot to get her used to it) & in the afternoon. She will soon learn the pattern & be more comfortable doing so.

Good luck x x

[LittleStars]

Thanks Pipsqueak

Its sooooo hard!

I want her to be happy here, I don't want to have to listen to her scream herself to sleep for 20mins just to sleep for 20mins....doesn't seem any point in it, shes more tired now that she was when she went to bed!!

I need to talk again to mum about her not sleeping in the morning, I think if I didn't actively try to get her to sleep in the morning (she doesn't seem tired to me in the mornings and has never just 'nodded' off and she will only sleep and only for around 30mins if you push her for miles). If she didn't sleep then she would be so shattered by lunch time that she would have a good sleep after lunch...

[Mollymop]

Glad you asked this question, now I know I am not alone.

I look after a 15 month old and mum says she should sleep in afternoon for a few hours. The only way I can get her to sleep is by taking her for a walk in the buggy. SHe only sleeps for as long as the buggy is moving!! About 30 to 40 mins tops

[brillminder]

children often sleep when ready not when the parent says lol good luck

[Nicki L]

You say you have only been having her for 3 days a week for 3 weeks? - thats still a short space of time for her to get used to you, after all she is still a baby. Of course she is going to sleep for her mum she will feel more relaxed round her mum.

Sounds like you are doing a great job and doing all the right things hun, all you can do is stick with it and hope it improves. I know thats not much help as a screamer is not easy!


Good luck x

[LisaH]

You have done the right thing. I would say that start by letting her cry for 5 mins, then go & reasure her, then leave it 10 mins & go back then 15 mins etc she will go off its just so so hard to hear them breaking there little hearts sometimes isn't it. x

Its then a case of lo getting used to the sleep & she will start to sleep for longer. If possible do as mum says, a sleep in morning (In the cot to get her used to it) & in the afternoon. She will soon learn the pattern & be more comfortable doing so.

Good luck x x

I did this with my own ds when he was about a year old cos he never slept at night unless rocked. Had two bad nights and on the 3rd he slept through no probs and has ever since!!
Pesevere with it, hopefully it will work for you fairly quickly!! Failing that get some ear plugs. Lol

[Pudding Girl]

keep to the routine that you have set today - you have done the first step of getting her to sleep in the cot.... so thats a step forward - thats good.

she will learn

Bit late now but ^^^^ I agree :) consistency will help rather than trying every trick in the book. It's still early days yet though :) just keep up with what you did today and she'll understand this is what happens at your house.

[LittleStars]

Thanks so much for all your ever so sensible replies :)

I love this place. Perfect when you get in a fix and are pulling your hair out that there are people who know exactly what you are going through!

I had a chat with mum at pickup and she somewhat reluctantly agreed that I could try just the one sleep after lunch and see if it helped with the length of sleep at all...so fingers crossed. Tbh she couldn't sleep any less than she is at the moment lol

[berkschick]

Keep at it!

I had a 8 month old who was a nightmare! Only ever slept if I rocked him in the buggy and would then only do 15 mins, 30 at the most yet at home he would do 2 hours am and 1 hour pm!

It was actually Mum who said to me to put him in the cot at 9.30am and again at 4pm and leave him to it to mirror what she did at home.

It has taken 4 weeks but this week we have cracked it! He is now sleeping 2 hours am and 1 hour pm here too.

I did also move the travel cot into my sons room as there is a blackout blind in there, I think that helped too.

Good luck with it!