I had no idea separation anxiety was a thing, until now!

Pollyanna has been the best sleeper from the day we took her home. When other parents asked us “How does she sleep” we felt terrible responding with such a positive response knowing they were probably sleep deprived. We joked that it wouldn’t last long, and we were right.

We got Pollyanna into her cot pretty early on, until she reached six months when the separation anxiety hit, although at this point I had no idea that, that is what it was.
Putting her down for the evening became harder. It was taking longer, she simply wanted to be held. As soon as she was placed down she would awake. It was almost like going back to the newborn stage.
Then we got over that and it was the cries throughout the night that began. Pollyanna is now seven months old and it is still happening.

She has an awakening routine. She will typically give out little cries throughout the night, but as soon as 11pm hits the cries get longer and she can’t seem to settle herself.
I’ve noticed she has also started sleeping with her butt in the air and as soon as she falls out of that, that seems to awaken her.

For six nights I refused to take her out of her nursery, trying to settle her back into her cot. Rocking her from five minutes to thirty, tapping her bottom, rubbing her back or singing. All of which worked at some point but in no order or the following evening. If it worked it was simply a fluke. One night it took almost two hours, and once I had succeeded and took my sleep deprived body back to my own bed, I almost felt like it wasn’t worth it. I struggled to get back to sleep, almost lying awake for her to wake up again.

By day seven, she woke up. I half asleep grabbed her from her cot and lay her down in between Adam and myself, to which the crying instantly stopped and she fell back to sleep, sleeping throughout the night.
Therefore, despite myself waking up with what feels like a crippled back and spending my nights hanging off the bed, that is the routine I am taking. Pollyanna is clearly happier and more content being near us. I am positive that this is part of a leap and something she will grow out of once she realises she is not going to be left, and we will always be there.

Have any of you experienced this? What are your tips?

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