Sleep Issues

Ever since 5 Jan 08, you have been waking up a few times every night. Its not the usual kinda waking up, where a bit of patting or carrying or soothing can put you right back to sleep. You wake up crying pitifully, as if you have had a terrible nightmare. But when we tried to carry you, you will swipe our hands away and resist us. Sometimes with eyes closed, sometimes opened a bit. Many times, we can only stand there helplessly waiting for you to be conscious or calm enough for us to carry you up. We feel so helpless.

And even after carrying you, feeding water, or rocking, its very very hard for you to fall asleep again. On 5 Jan 08, you woke up 3 times. Daddy came home late that day at 2plus am, and you woke us up at 3am plus, 4 am plus and 5am plus. all crying and both of us couldn't put you back to sleep fitfully. you will sense we have stopped patting you and cry again.

The following night, abit better but you still woke up this way.

On Monday night, Mommy not feeling well so slept at a record time of 10.30pm, only to have you wake up at 11pm crying the same way. The rest of the night, you woke up 2 more times again.

We feel so helpless as we do not know whats wrong. Sometimes you stop right after Daddy bring you out of the bedroom and switched on the outside lights. Sometimes it doesn't work. Mommy checked with her group of Mommy kakis, and this are some thoughts after the discussion.

• MOmmy feel sure its not over stimulation coz since we know you are affected by that, we have not been overstimulating you right before bedtime. we make sure the env is calm and quiet. And during nights of overstimulating evenings, your crying is not like this.
• Mommy also suspected it could be me scolding you before you slept coz you kept pulling my hair very very cheekily, and sometimes hitting me on the face. Even after scolding you in a fierce tone, you still grinning cheekily at me. But on Friday 11 Jan Mommy tried another method of responding to your hair pulling and hitting(i can bun up my hair, and i refused to get angry when you still do it). But you still woke up crying.
• Mommy friends suggested that it could be teething pains. I initially did not thought of it coz you have never known to be so affected by teething at night. But Auntie Grace informed me that the first molars usually comes in between 14-16mths, and you are 15months 3 weeks old now. So its very likely! coz in the morning you are not grouchy at all.
• Ah Gong suggested it could be tummy upset coz you tend to overeat at certain times. But the mommy friends I asked said it should not be coz if its indigestion or tummy hurt by overeating, you would have vomited out the meal, grouchy throughout the day, or not eating well. But the sympthoms are not thus. In any case, Daddy on Sat 12 Jan applied ru yi oil on you, but you still woke up 2 times during the night. However, Daddy said these 2 times of waking up is slightly different from the past few nights....lets cross fingers.
• When playing with you tonight (14 Jan Sunday), Mommy thought I spotted a white spot in your right lower gum! But on attempts at closer checks, you refused to open your mouth and I cannot confirm. Is your first molar coming out Jovann darling?
• Or could it be a case of teething, thats why you put things in your mouth, and end up with more bacteria in your gut, thus leading to mild stomach upset which was somewhat soothed by the ru yi oil? Which means you are disturbed at night by both things i.e. teething pains and tummy aches...poor boy. :(
  

All in all, this period is not easy. BUt then, this is part and parcel of parenthood isn't it? No matter how tired Mommy and Daddy is during the night wakings, all tiredness (or rather, frustrations) evaporated when you give us your first smile the next morning.

Let's hope things get better soon .....