We've been having problems with Tabitha sleeping ever since we got home with her. At first we blamed it on jet lag, then on her getting adjusted, but it's still going on 3 months later. Every night she wakes up crying (3 or more times), comes to her door (which is gated) and stands there screaming until we come to get her. If we take too long she sometimes goes to sleep on the floor by the door, but then she wakes up cold and starts the crying all over again. Now, being the "Babywise" parents that we are . . . we have this strange concept that a 2 year old should be able to sleep all night! We worked hard on training our boys to sleep through the night within their first few months. And Tabitha slept great in the hotels in China and only started this once we got home. At the beach house in December she was in a crib and in the same room as us (just like the arrangement in China) but that didn't fix the problem. So we've been at our wit's end trying to figure this out.
Two nights ago we implemented a brilliant idea which I think might have fixed the problem! Ready for this amazing technique? We put her back into a crib, instead of the toddler bed she'd been in. The past two nights she's still waken up a couple times crying, but since she couldn't get out of bed she was back to sleep within 5 minutes all on her own, without us doing anything. I can't tell you what a relief that is! I'm fully confident that soon she'll not even bother crying and will have successfully learned to manage progressing through the sleep cycles on her own. Why oh why didn't we just put her in the crib from the start?!?
Oh well . . . you live, you learn. And I have a feeling we're all soon going to be a whole lot happier with full nights of sleep and a well-rested toddler. Hallelujah!
I'm guessing that the close quarters of the crib feel safer to her than do the open ends/sides of a bed? If all she's known up to your home is a smaller, closer, more physical environment then being alone in her bed, in her own room, etc. might be triggering some fear or insecurity.
ReplyDeleteI have some thoughts and suggestions, should you feel the desire for another "set of eyes" on the situation . . . some things that might help make her feel safer and more connected even when she can't see or feel you. If not, feel free to happily ignore me :)