11 Month Old Waking Nightly

L.,

Try not to feel guilty. (I work and know that is easier said than done). My son (now 3 1/2) went through several stages where we would wake at night. Usually he was teething and/or going through a growth spurt and/or learning a new skill (like walking). I think it is fine to get him up and cuddle/comfort/or even play with him for awhile until he will go back down.

Good Luck.

Let him cry for a few mins and see if he goes back to sleep. It will be tough but you will get through it.
Fyi, this is the fist of many night waking stages.

L.,
I have a 13 month old and we went through the same thing with her waking at night. I read that when they are on the verge of walking that they can start to wake at night. It lasted for about a month. I have also recently returned to work, I am in my 3rd week now. I was off work for 12 month and returned just after her 1st birthday. I have had a terrible time with it and wish there were some way I could stay home. I just keep telling myself that it will get easier with time, I just miss Claire so much. We have put her in Daycare and when I pick her up she is so tired that when we get home she has dinner, a bath and then goes to bed by 6:30 and I don't get to see her before I leave in the morning because she is still sleeping. I would love to share our experiences, sounds like we are going through similar things. My email address is: ____@____.com E.

L.-
I am sure that the recent events in your life are contributing to your son's wake patterns, but unfortunately, the only way to get him to stop is to let him 'cry it out'. I know that there is a great debate about this, but it is the only thing that worked for me. It might take a week or two, but each night he will be up for less time. If he cries and knows that you will come in to comfort him, he will keep crying to get your comfort. Even if nothing bothers him and he just wakes up for a moment, he won't put himself back to sleep, he will want you. It will be very hard to listen to, but in the end it will help both of you. You will both be able to go through these changes on a good night's rest.
-A.

awww he just needs some reassurance.

What do you think of starting nursing again? That would ease some of the night time troubles. And it's STILL the best food for him.

Hi L.~
I'm sorry you are going through this...I know it seems like it will never end. But it will!! Just be consistent and you'll get through it, probably quicker than you think.
Good Luck
~L.

I think this is just a transitional period for all of you. He's working on a lot of new things (teeth, walking, new foods, sippy cup, etc.)! It has been our experience that whenever something new pops up (about every two weeks, right?) our son's sleep patterns are most affected. We were having the same kind of bedtime screaming fits. Unfortunately, what worked for us was the most heartbreaking -- we had to just let him cry. The first time, it took about an hour for him to fall asleep (we went in several times to try to soothe him). The next day, it took about a 45 minutes, the next about a 1/2 hour, and so on. Last night, I read him a story, told him it was time to go to bed and put him in the crib. He cried for about five minutes and then was sound asleep. You've got to be willing to let him be by himself and cry for at least 15 minutes. Most of the things I read said that's about all it takes. It took us about a week and a half to get to that point, but, now he's doing well. Just be patient and consistent and you'll get over this hump!