Does anyone else have a 13 month old who won't sleep in the day or go to bed early?!

[ChocolateGirl]

Please someone tell me your child is like this? Our dd hasn't been the best sleeper ever since she was born - although having said that I do acknowledge that she is not bad, certainly excellent compared to some.

She usually has an hour or an hour and half in her cot at lunchtime. However, in the last week, she has started staying awake up there, chatting to herself and crying for up to an hour, at which point I get her up because I can't stand it anymore.

The really odd thing is that this hasn't changed her bedtime. She is really unpredictable in the evenings and just screams in her cot if we have put her there too early. That is too early in her opinion - not ours! We aim for a 7.30pm bedtime but she usually doesn't agree to go until 8.30pm, sometimes later. We have tried earlier but she won't have that either.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? She is starting to drive me crazy because she obviously needs my attention (cuddling, playing etc.) in the evening and I'm not getting anything done or getting much time on my own. In fact, I'm beginning to feel like she's the boss here and pretty soon we'll be on one of those "Call in the Nanny" shows on tv!! Yikes!!

Any sympathy/suggestions gratefully appreciated.

[TracyK]

what is her bedtime routine?
my ds is 13mo and has 2 hours at lunchtime and is usually asleep for 7pm.

[marne]

Hi,
My dd is 15 months, rarely sleeps during the day and doesnt go to sleep till gone 9pm.
She slept through for the first time two nights ago and today she had a nap for half an hour and shes just gone to sleep. Sure it will get beter soon.

[ChocolateGirl]

Thank you both for posting.

Marne, that sounds familiar, but I think your dd is a naughtier monkey even than mine! Hope she does get better for you soon. Is she grumpy or happy? My dd does have her grumpy moments during the day but on the whole is really happy. We got her in bed before 8.30pm tonight but she was full of beans till she was put in her cot.

TracyK, we have a reasonable bedtime routine - she has bath and milk, etc. It just falls apart a bit after that because if she is screaming and showing no signs of settling we generally bring her down again and offer some food, more milk etc. in case she's hungry. On the whole though it just seems that she wants to be up. We try and encourage her to cuddle, watch a video but she usually likes to be bouncing around and playing!

We have two older children so it's not always possible to stick to an exact routine or for things to revolve totally around dd.

[collision]

If she has 3 meals plus milk in the day then I doubt she is hungry.

I speak as a former Nanny (and not as a mother as it seems to have gone to pot since I have had kids and I am such a wuss and spoil them at every opportunity!! )

I think I would be tougher about bedtime. If you can cope during the day with her without her sleeping then you really need some 'me-time' in the evening or with DH. I really would not bring her down in the evening as that is what she wants. I would do the evening routine and include about 10-15 mins of storytime with her. With ds who is now 3, we dont say bedtime but storytime and he goes to bed like a dream. He has 3 small stories plus one made-up one, 2 songs and then a story tape.

Once she is down tell her it is sleepy time and leave the room. If she screams, leave her for 5 mins and go back in, reassure her and leave. It is controlled crying but should work eventually.

[TracyK]

I would maybe set aside a couple of nights when you can try and dedicate bedtime to your dd. Maybe farm out other los to gp's? What is she like after her dinner - does she get grumpy at all? I'd prob bring bedtime routine forward a bit and just stay with her till she falls asleep - upstairs.
But if you do a wind down from dinner onwards. Quiet bath, dimmed lights, quiet milk and stories. all warm and snuggly. Then pop her in her cot and stroke her face or back to get her sleepy. Even if you have to stay in her room to reassure her but not play with her - would she eventually get sleepy?