Completely messed up Rapid Return last night...need advice!!

[Ceebee74]

DS1 (2.7) has always been a great sleeper until DS2 arrived 3 months ago!

He settles fine and generally sleeps ok - will maybe wake once and ask for his story CD on (which I don't mind) and then go straight back to sleep.

The problem is that sometime around 4ish EVERY MORNING he will get up, come and ask for his story CD - sometimes he will go straight back to sleep, other times, he will mess around for ages.

I have done RR with him a couple of times and it seemed to work (first night it took over an hour, second night 10 minutes) and things did improve for a while. Last night, it all started again...he got up at 4.30, I put his CD on and he stayed in bed for about 20 minutes then suddenly appeared in my bedroom again...cue 45 minutes of RR which didn't seem to make any difference. By 5.40 I was knackered, cold so I went back to bed and just ignored him - of course he got straight into my bed, snuggled up to me (which was lovely ) and went straight to sleep....aaagh!

So I basically undid all the work I had done for 45 minutes when I should have just let him get into my bed in the first place and we would probably all have been asleep by 4.35!

I think there may be an issue with DS2 still being in our room..DS1 maybe jealous? He has always woken up around 4ish but when he was in his cot, he just used to play with his cot toy (which has music) and eventually go back to sleep - he never ever cried for us.

Would the 'wake to sleep' thing work on a 2.7 year old?

Sorry this is a bit rambly and long - don't really know what to do for the best? Should we just let him in our bed in the early hours - at least until DS2 has moved out of our room?

[nappyaddict]

I think it probably is a jealousy thing. He doesn't understand why DS2 can sleep in your room and he can't. Is he too young to explain that DS2 has to sleep in your room because he's a baby but DS1 is a big boy and has to show DS2 how he can sleep in his own room so when DS2 is old enough to sleep in his own room he can show him what to do.

[ches]

Can you show him how to turn on his CD himself?

[Skimty]

No help here - just sympathy.

DS is also sleeping badly (2.5). I think there is a bit of a sleep regression at this age. We've had lots of early mornings too.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

We had this problem with DD, I downloaded a load of books onto ipod which lasts her all night and touch wood waking up has decreased amazingly, she know wakes up maybe once every 10 days.

[Ceebee74]

Thanks - it does seem quite common at this age.

Fivegomad thanks for the advice - me and DH have wondered about whether to just have his 'Thomas stories' on continuous play all night but I am sure he would just think of another reason to come in....his latest trick is to come in and say he has lost his dummy - only for me to find it slap bang in the middle of the bed (BTW are you still doing WLR - we were wondering where you had got to )

I knew I would be having sleepless nights with a newborn - but I wasn't expecting it to be because of DS1