Getting My Son to Go Back to Sleep in the MIDDLE of the NIGHT!

Try not picking him up, Soothe him by rubbing his back or giving him a drink of water in a cup. Then after a few minutes tell him Mommy is going night night too, time for Logan to go night night. Quietly walk out of room and close the door. Too much conversation will stimulate him for wanting more. Good luck. E

My son wakes up in the middle of the night. Have you tried just laying him back down and rubbing his back and singing to him? That seems to work most of the time for my son. for a while I was pulling him out of bed and holding him, but I found that I had trained him to NEED to get out of bed and be held. I was not getting very much sleep. My hubby started getting up (after me getting up 3-4 times) and he would just sit on the floor in my son's room and stare at him. He wouldn't say anything, just look at him. He would pretty much stop crying and just look back. So, I started doing the same thing. I would get a blanket and sit on the floor, then when I got tired I would lie down on the floor next to the crib and fall asleep (not very comfy, but at least I got to sleep). After a while my son would lie down and go to sleep. I think it confused him that we would just sit there and watch him. Anyway, the more you get him out of bed, the more he will need to get out of bed, and the more CRAZY you will become. It's hard with having people in your basement, hopefully they will be understanding. Maybe you can talk to them and let them know what you are going to try so they will be expecting it. Maybe you can buy them ear plugs;o) I understand the ones for hunters or shooting range are the best, they'll block out everything. Anyway, that seems to be working for us. We only had to sit in his room a few times. I think he got used to the fact that we were not going to pull him out, all I have to do now is lay him down (most of the time I don't say a word) and put his blanket back over him.
Good lulck with it. I know I was going nuts when I had the same problem (my son is 21 months...I hope he starts sleeping through the night soon).

Your son knows that you are going to keep picking him up. That is exactly what he wants. He is just waking up in the night because it has become habit. We had this problem with my son and we had to let him cry it out. We would go make sure he was ok (Without picking him up) and then we would leave the room. Each night got shorter and shorter until he slept through the night. (It lasted less than a week)
I would just talk with the people who are living in your basement. They might not even hear him crying

Just keep trying different things...I know this isn't fun and I've experienced similar in the past, but if it's any relief to hear, this won't last forever...it will pass. The most recent thing for me that worked for my youngest daughter was to go in to her room, not pick her up but lay her down and say, "No, no...night, night time." She would fight and get made for a bit, but she eventually got the message and I did it every naptime and at night, so I guess she figured out she wasn't going to get whatever it was she was looking for (of course I always checked her diaper, etc., I just didn't pick her up).

He is already manipulating you into doing what he wants you to do. And yes a child this young can do that. You started out by saying there is no apparent reason for him to be waking up---so there is no apparent reason for you to continue to pick him up Unfortunately you have taught him to do this, and now you have to unteach it.

Go in the room and don't pick him up but tell him its time to go to sleep. Maybe rub his back, but don't pick him up. Then leave the room. If he is still crying after a few minutes go in and tell him again. Then just let him be after that. This will likely take several nights.

My daughter is not one of those "cry it out" either. Your child may be going through a growth spurt, is he getting enough food during the day? We added a cracker or two with my daughters last glass of milk/formula at night. He may also be teething and the pressure may bother him when laying flat. That is why he probably sleeps well when upright. You may want to try teething tablets or baby orajel at this time. However, dont turn on many lights or talk, just hmmms & shoooshs, worked for me. Also while getting them to fall back asleep you may want to keep their blanket close to them so when you lay them back down its not so obviuos your gone. You may also need to pat their back or leave your hand on them softly for just a minute once you lay them back down. My daughter had this problem quite often. She is 15mons and has most of her teeth already. Good Luck i am sure you will figure out what he is telling you.

no mom likes to do it, but you probably need to let him cry. At 11 months, he is old enough to understand that it's bedtime. It'll be a rough few nights of crying but he will then understand that night time is time for sleep, not play.

I agree with Natalie. He has made this a habit and he is more then old enough to go all night. Do let him cry it out, explain to whomever is in the basement it is just for a while but it has to be done. You shouldn't have to drive him in the car at his age and you are reinforcing the behavior. Plus he isn't getting good restful sleep as he needs nor are you. Just do it over a weekend where you can make up for the lost sleep, be tough, the first time softly whisper it is time for sleeping and walk away. He will lay himself down and fall asleep and in a few days the habit will probably be broken.

Hi A.,
Your son has you wrapped around his little finger!

Doing the "cry it out" method sucks, but in my opinion, it's necessary. My daughter started doing the same thing around that age, and we just had to outlast her. The first night she SCREAMED for 2 and a half hours, with out stopping. It was AWFUL. We thought we were going to lose our minds! I was certain that I was the worst mother EVER!

But, we stuck to our guns. The second night she SCREAMED for over an hour. The third night was 45 minutes. The fourth night was about 20 minutes. The fifth night she let out a single "wah!" and that was it. We never had another problem. We were living in a trailer park and the time, so I understand your concern for your tenants. Can you tell them what's going on, and explain what you're trying to do?

One thing is for sure, you can't keep doing what you're doing now, for every. (Unless you have an unlimited gas supply, and if so, what's your address?? I'll be right over! teeheehee!) But seriously, he is old enough to understand that it's bedtime, and it's time to be quiet and sleep.

Each night I made sure that I checked on her and comforted her ONCE. I gave her a hug and a kiss, told her I loved her, told her it was nigh-night time and that she should go to sleep. But ONLY ONCE. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it totally worked.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

If you fell asleep in your bed and woke up in the living room wouldn't that freak you out? And if you went back to bed and then woke up a second time in the living room you'd be super freaked out, right? He's falling asleep in your arms and waking up in his crib, repeatedly--of course he's freaked out about that. If you are going to rock him to sleep in your arms than you should hold him while he sleeps all night. And since that is not an option than it sounds like its time he learned to fall asleep on his own. And he might cry a lot while he's learning. This lesson doesn't start in the middle of the night. It starts at nap time and bed time and continues in the middle of the night. As much fun as it is to rock him to sleep you can't keep doing it all of his life. Explain to your basement neighbors that he's going to be crying a lot and then put him to bed without going back in there. I don't believe going in to rub his back, talk to him, or take him for a car ride is helpful. It only confuses him about what he should be doing and then causes him to cry harder. Lovingly, gently put him down then get out and stay out. When he wakes up in the middle of the night don't get out of bed yourself. He might cry through nap time for a few days and he might cry at bedtime and he might cry in the middle of the night but if you leave him alone so he can learn that he's suppose to go to sleep himself the crying won't last long. If that seems cruel to you I can promise you that he won't hold it against you in the morning. He'll still love you and he'll learn to sleep better and you'll both be healthier because of it. It usually takes about 3 days. With an 11 month old who's not yet learned that it might take double or triple that but then the madness will done. And when he wakes up in the middle of the night (because that's what EVERYONE does--we just don't know it because we've all learned to put ourselves back to sleep very quickly) then he'll be able to put himself back to sleep quickly too. Chances are your basement neighbors will like it more than the wake up-cry-hush-cry-hush-cry-hush-cry-leave the house pattern that you are already subjecting them to right now.