HELP! Last night I was ready to put ds (2.2) onto the balcony! (not that I would do such a thing but...)

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

I'm back again on here...

I'm at the end of my tether. DS has always been a bad sleeper, so finally I've decided as he sleeps badly anyhow I'll 'cancel' his milk bottels throughout the night and give him water in the hope that he'll decide it's not worth waking up for it... so steeled myself for a week or so of very bad nights... well 2 weeks later he's worse than ever... HELP!

Can't really do controlled crying because a) it upsets dd (4) who shares his room something chronic and b) he makes himself sick so we have to get him out anyhow to change him and the bedding.

Thinking of making appointment with GP to get something... don't care whether it's something for me to make me not need sleep and be misearble or something for ds to knock him out cold.

Any input highly appreciated.

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

somebody has to be out there with some pearls of wisdome!

[oliveoil]

dd1 was/is a good sleeper, 7pm-7am, always.

dd2 however was the opposite, she has just turned 2 has always been a bad sleeper, either in our bed or on the sofa of an evening. She used to get VERY upset, and I mean racking, heartbreaking sobs, and I just couldn't leave her, it felt so wrong. I think cc can be a bit mean sometimes but that is just my humble opinion.

Anyway, we got a tad peeved off with the situation, so a couple of weeks ago we decided to sort her out!

All day we told her that she was going to sleep in her cot like a big girl etc, went on an on about it. Got her a new teddy, made huge fuss of her cot.

7pm, cue lots of screeching. I went in every 5 mins or so, picked her up, wiped away her tears and said that her teddy was v tired, lets put him in, oh look he has gone to sleep etc etc. Then I put her in.

Took about 6 days (loooooooooooooooooooooong days and nights of little patience) but now she sleeps through .

At 2 they should understand a bit more imo and you can explain things to them that you can't when they are young babies.

Don't give your son any bottles of anything in the night, pick him up, comfort then put back down (use the teddy ploy, tis worth a go).

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

Thanks olive oil.

at least we don't have the screeching first thing, because he very obligingly marches off to bed (ours) to have story read, with me in the middle and dd on the other side. Then generally he gets marched or carried into his own bed, 2 sulky sobs and he turns over and goes to sleep. Ya'd think, hey great, but then just before midnight hell breaks loose... obviously disturbing dd

As we've already got him on water shall now bravely attempt what you suggest and not give bottle at all.

As for him understanding fuss and teddy ploy... he's smart but he's also VERY stubborn iykwim...

and cc... not really for me either because he does the heart breaking sobby bit and biiig tears very well too.

[danceswiththedevil]

Ds went through a bad patch after being ill (previously he had slept through the night) so we ended up resorting to putting medised in his bedtime bottle for about five nights in a row until he got re-settled. Don't know if your son has ever slept through so that could be cr*p advice (also obviously medication should only be used for the short term)
HTH.

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

nope he's never slept through we tried medised a few desperate nights, but to no avail

[oliveoil]

medised is fine to give you a breather but not in the long run as it doesn't teach them anything, ie to go to bloody sleep!!

dd2 was a shock to the system as we were all smug with dd1 and thought we knew it all, ha ha ha

I think you need to get strict but in a nice way, they are still babies at 2 (albeit big ones). Lots of explaining in the day, today we are going to read the story in your room with dd, maybe an extra story as it is a Special Occasion, big boy in his cot etc etc etc

When he wakes in the night, go in and sooth but no bottles or 'reward' then leave. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Explain to dd that it will not last long and he is learning to sleep but not really upset or hurt. Start on a Friday so you get a couple of nights before school (does she go to school?) so her sleep is not disrupted.

Listen to me, like I know f**k all, lol.

x

[MrsBeDreadingTrickOrTreat]

oliveoil, yep dd just started reception so is knackered at best of times.

Keep having to smile at 'in cot' ... ds has been in normal bed since tender age of 13 months because he kept topling his cot to get out! He's a strong little sod, phisically and stubbornly

dh sometimes 'persuades' ds to go back to sleep by giving him a quick flick on the well padded butt, but that's no solution either, as it won't work for me... argh

[MrsBonfire]

tried some Holicks on ds last night and he slept a bit better. Coincidence or maybe a cure???