18mo - persistent night-waking leading to co-sleeping (leading to us being kicked in the head all night) <wail>

[HeroShrew]

DS is 18mo and usually goes off to sleep pretty easily around 7.30pm after a simple routine.

For the last month or so he's been waking in the small hours and we find standing in his cot, wide awake and no matter what detemination we use to get him back off in his cot again he will not and yells his head off until we give in and bring him in with us.

I'm not averse to co-sleeping but he wriggles, punches and kicks so much that DP ends up on the sofa most nights :(

For the last week this has been going on from midnight. Urgh.

He naps OK in the day (about 1 - 1.5 hrs after lunch)

He just doesn't seem to want to be in his cot when he wakes at night. We try putting him back once asleep in our bed and he wakes the instant his head hits his cot pillow and it all starts again.

what to do...??

[trixie123]

is anything unusual happening in your lives, like you going back to work or anything like that? Will you leave him to cry? If so, do time how long it is because it seems like forever but if you look at a clock its usually not very long before they settle

[WannabeNigella]

Hi Hero, you must be exhausted!

I haven't personally had this problem but have two friends who have who have both used the Supernanny technique.

Here

This is an example of almost the exact same problem.

My friends both did this and it took about 4-5 nights but if you're not consistent even once, which is hard ion the middle of the night when you're shattered, it will set you right back to the beginning. They tried it over a weekend so at least they had a couple of nights of not having to get up for work.

Good luck!

[WannabeNigella]

Try again

[MrsVidic]

I would second the supernanny technique.

Ensure he's active during the day- take him swimming, run around with him etc.

Also try to put him down a little earlier, my dd often wakes if she's over tired.

[HeroShrew]

thanks very much folks, v much appreciate the responses.

trixie, nothing particularly unusual happening in our lives, although come to think of it he's actually seeing more of me than less as I'm not working now after a short contract finished.

wannabe - the link was still broken but I'll have a google around for the Supernanny technique. I'm quite fond of her and her ways.

mrsvidic - he gets lots of activity in the morning but could probably do with more in the afternoons. swimming is a good idea.

I think DP and I need to steel ourselves to leave him to cry, but he's kept it up for a good couple of hours before which has reduced us to gibbering fools (more so than usual )

[HeroShrew]

nigella I've just found that supernanny article, it could have been written about us! Deffo going to try it.

[olivo]

we've got the same thing with our DD who is a couple of months younger. it has gone on fro over 3 weeks now and i'm shattered.

have looked in my supernanny book but cant find anything that applies to babies this young - can you point me in the right direction please?

[HeroShrew]

here's the link to the supernanny article olivo. not sure about the 'moving the cushion a bit further away each night' concept as DS's room is about six foot squared so it wouldn't be a long process

[olivo]

thanks, but the link isnt working.
had another hellish night last night - 2 1/2 hours of awakeness - I'm just too tired!
( and i was very sharp with her at one point and she cried ) I felt awful and then couldnt sleep!