Is she just the way she is? Nothing we can do to solve it?

[ROARmeow]

I have a 4 year old DS and 20 month old DD. Had a few of the usual sleep and naptime niggles was DS, but overall he was a decent sleeper, and is fine now. No worries.

When DD was born I assumed she'd follow her brother's pattern, but she is the opposite to him in so many ways. She's a terrible sleeper, always has been, and all our tricks and techniques DO NOT WORK.

It was always a fight to get her to nap in daytime. Always took up to an hour for her to have a nap of any length - sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes 2 hours. She dropped her nap altogether at 16 months and that's just fine with her. Seriously she just doesn't seem to need it (?) and will refuse. Even if I drive for an hour she will not even rest her eyes.

She's also either awake or asleep. Doesn't seem to be a middle stage where she's yawning and giving tired signals. Sometimes she'll be a bit whingy but not every day and it doesn't actually mean she's tired.

For the first year of her life she woke up pretty much hourly. Every fucking hour. I breastfed her for a year (same as I did with DS) and even when weaned she still wasn't a great sleeper.

For a while a few months ago she did sleep 12 hours a night and DH and I were laughing with glee.... But now she's just getting worse and I'm feeling so lost.

Because she doesn't nap she goes to bed at 6pm. Wakes up around 6:30am which is fine. It's the bits in the middle that are the issue. For example last night she woke up at 7:30pm for a few moments crying, then again at 8:30pm, then up for a longer crying spell at 9:45pm. At 11pm she walked into our room and wanted to co-sleep with me. Only I will do, DH just makes her scream her head off, even though he isn't doing anything different than I am.

It's just like she wants me me me, and needs attention even if it's nighttime.

I think I'm starting to ramble now, and I'm sorry.

Can someone please comfort me, make me feel like I'm not the only sinner with a child who just doesn't need to sleep much?

Need

[Cakeismymaster]

Just wanted to send sympathy! My ds was the same, unfortunately i just had to ride it out and he slept a lot of the time in our bed up until age 3 or so...now at age 9 he still doesn't seem to need a lot of sleep and is regularly still awake at 10pm (bedtime at 8.15 but just lies there awake!) I think it's true that some children need more sleep than others, just like adults really. I blame my genes though as I'm a 6 hrs is more than enough kind of pers

[Cakeismymaster]

Person! Sorry hit send too early

[ROARmeow]

Sadly I love sleeping and could sleep 12 hours nightly... fat chance of that though!

I do agree that she just isn't a sleepy person and it could be here character.

but don't know anyone in RL with similar child so struggle to feel normal/content.

[SunnyRandall]

Very similar to my dd, now 5. I have made many rods for my back over the last 5yrs in an attempt to get her to sleep longer and/or better. It is just about bearable now but I still dream of a 7-7 child like ds but she seems happy with 9-7 or 8-6. Still wakes at least once a night and I often end up in her bed as dh won't let her in ours.

Sorry no help at all! But I sympathise.

[ROARmeow]

had 30 min nap in car today and is now singing dancing partying like a loon at 8.30pm.

bloody better hope she sleeps thru tonight but doubt it