Expert: Mary Pat, R.N. - 11/6/2009

Question
Hi,
I have a 13 month old daughter who has previously slept very well but over the last month she's started fussing through the night every half an hour or less.  She has a bath, night feed and goes to bed at about 8pm and the fussing usually starts about 12pm.  She's whimpering in her sleep and then wakes and cries until we go to her.  She's previously slept very well and has always been able to pop her soother back in and go to sleep but now she won't do this.  We take her to bed asleep but this has never been a problem before as I said, she's always slept very well.  My husband and I are so tired that we've started giving in about 4:30 and bringing her into our bed and the second she gets in with us she's fast asleep and won't wake until we wake her.
Any help would be massively appreciated.

Answer
Dear Michelle:

Sleep patterns change in young children Michelle and the worst thing you can do is to bring her into your bed.  She will train herself to awaken every night to get into your bed.  Stop the practice now.  When she awakens, pat her, kiss her, say nothing and leave her in her crib.  She will cry and cry but ignore it.  I know it hard to do that but this is the only way to break the pattern.  It may take 3 or 4 nights of ignoring her cries in the night before the behavior to break.

Another thing that may have started this sleep change is cutting her molar teeth in the back of her mouth.  They are more painful erupting than the front teeth.  If you can get a look into the back of each side of her mouth and determine if they are cutting through then you may have found your answer.  She can have a little acetaminophen at bedtime for discomfort for a few nights unti the teeth are through.

Mary Pat