My formerly brilliant sleeper (7 til 7 from six months until) has been having night wakings for the past few 3 or 4 months, usually between 2 and 4am. This coincided with starting in a new nursery. I am also just about to give birth to DC2.
She goes to bed really well around 8pm - 3 stories and then we leave, but now needs some lullaby music on and a nightlight.
Then she comes into our room in the middle of the night and basically wants company - will go back to sleep in our bed (but that is not a sustainable option for us as light sleepers) or one of us goes in with her.
We have tried comforting and rapid return but she is a pretty determined kid so that hasn't worked.
So last night we tried a stairgate on her door, as advised by some mumsnetters and having read several books (Ford, Barker and Estivil).
She woke at 4 and got upset because she couldn't get out, we followed the guidelines and reassured her, coming back and forth to the gate at timed intervals.
But she ended up piling up all her toys by the gate to try and climb over.
Eventually, although I thought I had taken every one out, she piled up some teddies, managed to drag something over on the other side and climbed out.
Just after 6am, I gave up and got her dressed.
It's only day one, but I feel defeated already.
Of course, we could just put up with it, split it up and DH go in with her in the middle of the night but he doesn't sleep well with her either. And I need to be on night breastfeeding duty soon.
Any advice?
Am I being unrealistic to want her to go back to her formerly great sleeping habits?
Its not just about us, she also seems so knackered when she has broken nights.
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Stairgate/sleep training support needed - 3.25 year old and new baby due
4 replies
Tjuice · 24/10/2011 06:59
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