We already sleep trained our little one, but she just got really sick, what now?
Finally feeling like you have a your nights to yourself? Thinking you have this whole sleep thing all figured out? Every time we think we have it all figured out, those kids go and change on us, right? We can expect our child’ sleep to change a whole lot in the first 5 years of life, but it’s hard to know exactly how to handle it.
Let’s say you have been through lots of changes and your toddler is now sleeping wonderfully with the occasional bad dream. You start to think, this is it. This is the sweet spot. I have this whole thing down and I know how to talk to my child about sleep and the importance. And then BAM! It’s suddenly winter and everyone is getting the next virus. One sickness after another can really put a damper on a good sleeper.
Some children sleep so much more when they are sick, and that’s okay! Others have a harder time sleeping because of either a stuffy nose, or maybe all those meds kicking in and leaving them wired. Every sickness can feel different even in the same kid. The method on how to deal with each sickness can vary as well. Depending on how long ago you have sleep trained and how severe the illness is will help choose how to handle this. If you just finished sleep training recently and that included getting your child out of your bed and into their own room, the method of help for a very sick child would include going into their room with an air mattress for a few nights and then retraining as needed when the sickness ends. Babies and toddlers may have a hard time understanding why they would have just been trained out of your bed but then end up back in bed with you when they have a fever. It is much easier to be next to them in their room and then slowly ease off as the improve symptoms than it is to then cold turkey co-sleeping in your bed.
Children that have slept well for years can sometimes do well staying in bed with parents for a few nights or on an air mattress in your room. Then once they are better it may take some coaxing but getting them back in their room is a firm boundary and they go back easily.
Sticking to the loving but firm boundaries is always the hardest job, but when you know you are doing what’s best for everyone, it feels easier. Just like saying yes to ice cream at bedtime could be disastrous for you, it could make you feel bad to say no. But it must be done, or you pay for the consequences later.
I always tell families to be lenient when they are sick, do what puts you at ease, and then go back to the basics when needed. Huge life changes can cause this as well. Do what needs to be done during the tough times, and be aware of the lines you need to draw later.
You got this! You can do hard things. And so can your child.
If you are struggling to get those boundaries back, let’s chat, I can help!
Click here to see how I can help you break those habits.
Xo Melanie
