Sleep Change?! (long!)

Gold Member Joined: Jun 03 2007 Posts: 1942

Help! My DS usually (since as far back as I can remember) loves bed time and his crib. We have a set routine and he b'H has gone into the crib nicely slept 7:30 -7:30 without an issue. Of course with the exception of when he was sick/teething etc. Usually once he'd feel better I needed to either 'retrain' him for a day or so or he'd just go back to normal on his own. (Yes, I was always thankful for this smooth sleep schedule b'H)
Now, I'm tasting the other side of the gate. Sad

He was sick last week and woke up, I took him out as usual and one day I sang to him & back into his crib. Another day he came into my bed. Fine, that was when he was sick, I'm okay with that. But its been a week since he's feeling better and the whole routine has gone haywire (his end of the routine, we do e/t the same)
He REFUSES to go into his crib. Throws a tantrum and even seems scared or upset by it. Last night I sang to him for 45 minutes till he relaxed. At that point I thought he was asleep so I left. He was up and started crying immediately. I did not go into this room and (thank God) within 10 minutes he fell asleep (however bare in mind this is an hr after his usual bedtime, so he was zonked by then) Because the day before I tried to let him cry it out (without the singing) and he was screeching and almost falling out of the crib. Its horrific. He doesn't give up and once he goes into tantrum mode it just gets worse. (Originally I sleep trained him with the method of going in after 10 min, after 15 min etc and that worked) But now he's older and I feel like something is wrong causing this bad night schedule. In addition he wakes up in middle of the night, once he just sat back down & asked me to recover him with his blankie. Then an hour later he through a tantrum and refused to stay in the crib so since I was half asleep I allowed him into my bed. He conked out till the morning.
I've been wanting to transfer him to his own bed (pregnant with #2) and I did mention it a few times. I think he'd love it but right now I need to wait (financial reasons) just a bit till we can complete that process.
But for now I cant go on like this anymore. He goes to sleep late, wakes up in middle of the night and then wakes up 5-6am! (not this morning since he was in my bed, but other nights when hes in his crib he does!)
I'm going insane trying to figure out WHY and trying to know what to do!!!! I'm at a loss about how to tackle this.
I'm taking him to the Dr later today to make sure he's not suffering from earache or strep that could be hidden. (he seems 100% fine during the day)
What else can I do to figure out why? How should I react? How should I handle this?
Is this a stage? A phase? A fear? IDK! Help! Please. (this is a vent too.... Rolling Eyes

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Executive Member Joined: Jan 19 2009 Posts: 322

I'm going thru a very similair thing! busy few times a nights with 3 1/2 yr old. Its soooo hard.
Maybe your dc might have pinworms? they come out only at night?

Gold Member Joined: Jun 03 2007 Posts: 1942

Gold Member Joined: Sep 22 2009 Posts: 1745

Not always, you can somtimes see he moves uncomfortably or tries to stick his hand in his diaper but sometimes nothing. My dd had pinworms a lot and sometimes I saw the area was red sometimes not. Try shmearing a thick layer of vasaline or allovera. when he wakes up crying. That prevents the warms from moving so they wont bother him. We did that 2-3 nights in a row and it usually helped.

Gold Member Joined: Jun 03 2007 Posts: 1942

How would I confirm its that? He just got over a bad diaper rash (we put special cream and it was gone within a few days) He's been fine the past week, besides for the whole sleeping thing...
:/

Gold Member Joined: Sep 22 2009 Posts: 1745

I don't think there is any way to confirm it (besides seeing the actual warms which I never did)
At first we confirmed it by it going away after taking the medicen (soryy I don't remember what its called) but after it happening 3-4 times in about six months I didn't want to give it to her anymore so I switched to the vasaline which worked just as well (but took a few days to go away completely)

Gold Member Joined: Jun 03 2007 Posts: 1942

Okay so since pinworm was suggested I looked out for his specific issues & signs. He never complains about a booboo, never attempts to touch his diaper area. Never seems physically irritated at all. (He's the type to tell me when something is bothering him, even slightly)
The issue starts by bedtime already! He refuses to go to sleep! He begs to sleep in my bed but I dont allow it. Last night I put him on a mattress in his room & he would not even consider the idea unless I lye down with him. He didn't even let me say shema or sing the ritual song I sing before bedtime. He did not want it to be bedtime! He lye next to me while I slept. He spoke to himself, looked around the room and sure enough within the hour he fell asleep. (I'm not sure exactly how long, since I fell asleep)
I woke and went to my bed. A few hours later I hear pitter patter and he crawls into my bed, goes back to sleep. (this was about 12ish) He had no complaints or discomforts. Then at 4am he woke and went out of the bed (before I woke to realize) then he started crying. I woke and told him to come back to bed, he through a tantrum. He did not want to sleep. He started bossing me around 'Mami come down on floor' 'Mami I want cereal' etc First I ignored him and lye in bed...his tantrum got worse. I went with him to his room to calm him down. I told him that when he's ready to sleep he can come to my bed or sleep on the mattress in his room. He can't cry & scream at 4am. He begged for cereal. I didnt know what to do. Frustrated I went with him to the kitchen to give him cereal. He didnt even want any (DUH!) He was so tired and confused he didn't know what he wanted. I asked him what he wanted he said "Mamis bed" Awesome I thought! Back to bed we go. As we get to the bed he starts whimpering and saying 'NO NO!' So to avoid another tantrum I tell him he can take one book into bed if hes quiet. Sure, enough I read him a book in bed and when its done he asks me to read it again (he's stalling) I say, no thats it. He starts to cry. I ignore him and lay down (I'm zonked) Sure enough he lays down and falls asleep. Slept straight till late morning.

Dr checked him out and everything is fine b'H. And with the way he's acting, it seems like something else to me. A fear? A stage? A transition? I just dont know my option of how to handle this!
WHAT IS GOING ON?!?! He refuses his crib and only wants to sleep with me! I'm so frustrated by this. I need my normal sleep back!
(especially I'm pregnant with #2 and want to 'catch up' on sleep before I have no choice! Rolling Eyes

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Please help! Someone suggest something that I can try!