15 Month Old Waking at Night?

L.,

Is he waking and crying? Or is his waking and just making enough noise you can hear him? My son often wakes up and just needs to wiggle around and adjust himself before going back to sleep. First, I would try letting him settle himself and see what happens.

But, yes it's just a phase. It goes along with the territory of age/stage/phase changes and reacting to the every changing environment and awareness of what's going on around him. I know it seems tedious, but you are doing an amazing job and good for you! I have done the same thing for my son and at 2.5, I still do it if he needs me and that's okay. I don't believe in taking care of your child's needs being a bad habit, or a habit at all. As children go through these phases, they need reassurance and love...that's all you're doing.

If you need to get him away from this for your own sanity, maybe introduce a transition object different from what he has now. Only bring it out when the sleep gets disturbed and make it the comfort object that helps him through this phase and transition him away from Mommy. Start slow and make it consistent. When he wakes, softly say we're going to get 'whatever you want to call it' and 'we're going to hug and love it and keep it safe'...this overtime helped my son get back to sleep after periods of sickness that made it tough to sleep or where he became dependent on Mommy for cuddles to get rest.

Just take a deep breath and keep doing what you're doing...this too shall pass.

1) It may be "night terrors" look it up online
2) is he going through any developmental changes or milestones right now? If so, this is why he is waking. Babies/kids have sleep interruptions when they are changing or having growth spurts. 15 months old is a growth spurt time typically.

3) Ditto Deanna Leigh

My son is a good sleeper. But, at each juncture of change or teething or developmental changes, he woke more. It's normal, its natural and they do this. BUT, my son WOULD be literally hungry and he'd tank a full bottle at these points. Other than that, he could fall back asleep himself.

4) it is a phase... that you have to ride out.

5) just keep to your same nap routines & nap times... and keep to your same bedtime routines and bedtimes. Consistency is important. And when they phase passes, he will go back to his 'usual' sleep ability.
KEEP in mind, that sleep is NOT static in kids....it changes all the time, per their development and age-set. You are lucky your son has been a pretty stable sleeper. So, understandably this is a bit tiring for the Parent.

It will pass though. I went through all versions of this with my 2 kids too.

It seems your son is a developing well. So that's good.

Take care,
Susan

I like all the advice you already have gotten but just so you know it could be his eye teeth. I was having the exact (and I mean exact) problem with my daughter who is turning 15 months next week and the minute I put some oragjel on her teeth before bed, she slept all the way through. For the past couple of days she opens her mouth wide and smiles for the orajel and nods right off to sleep for the night. I thought it was early for the eye teeth too and I still don't see them all the way at the top of the gum but remember teeth have to move through the gum until they break through and that hurts more than when they come through. My daughters teeth come in very, very slowly so we are in for a month or two of this...Good luck.

I think it is likely over-stimulation. Consider it in yourself - when your life is full and there is lots to process, adults frequently have night wakings. Make sure the daily routine is consistent and predictable, that activities are quiet and soothing for an hour before bedtime. Try putting him to bed a bit earlier, as well - yes, even though he has a three hour nap - he is working so hard at all he is learning.

When he wakes, quietly tell him it is still night time and that you are close by. Hand him his lovey, kiss his head and leave his room with confidence. Go back in five minutes if he isn't quieting and repeat the same procedure, don't pick him up. Extend to ten minutes and so on. Calm confidence is key.

Good luck.

It is probably that he needs to learn how to soothe himself back to sleep. How does he go to sleep in the first place? How do you put him down for naps? I would try the CIO idea again- he has to learn how to soothe himself when he wakes up during the night (a naturally occurring thing). This usually makes the baby protest by crying... but is a necessary life skill and will benefit you all for years. He should be getting around 12-14 hours of sleep a day (includes the nap), if he cries a lot or throws temper tantrums... he may need more sleep- behavior is a good indicator of sleep need. Check out this post on sleep in general: http://www.lullabyluna.com/2008/12/happy-new-year.html

C., sleep consultant, sleep blog writer www.lullabyluna.com, mother of 3

I would stop picking him up. Go in there, make sure he is ok, and then leave. Sounds like it is just a habit, so you need to change it. You have to make it so that it is no longer worth waking up.
Alot of babies "wake up", but are not actually awake. Have you ever tried not go in his room to see what happens?
Good luck to you!

My son did/does the same thing, at 10:30pm every night. All I have to do is go in and give him his pacifier (even if it is already in his hand!), and he lies right back down to sleep for the rest of the night. The ped said it is just part of his sleep/wake cycle, so I don't worry about it or try to change it. Sometimes I pick him up to get extra snuggles since he is too busy now for snuggles any other time. At 22 months now I'd say he only does it once every couple of weeks, he just outgrew it on his own!

Hey L.-
One more thing to consider is your neighbors. Does anyone have a pet that gets out for a walk at that time? does anyone come or go from work at that time? Car alarm or slamming door? Good luck!

J.

Hi L., I would say habit, as long as he knows you will go in an pick him up he will keep waking up during the night. J. L. One more thing, my friend and I were both pregnant at the same time (our sons are 25 now) but her baby always woke up during the night so a friend of hers told her to put a fish tank in her sons room with a blue light that would also serve as a night light, she told her the movement of the water and the fish would be very soothing to her son, and that when he wakes up he will see the fish, and won't cry, it worked. Although my son slept through the night from 6 weeks on I put a 10 gallon aqarium
in my sons room and he loved it, it's good for children also who have anger issues at a very young age. J. L.