Really struggling with one year old and lack of sleep.

[readyforno2]

Ds has never really been a good sleeper, but its getting worse. We have just come back from holiday where he was a nightmare (I blamed it on the heat, not eating enough etc)
Anyway tonight I decided to try to leave him for a couple of mins to see if he would cry it out or whatever and the next thing I know he has managed to climb out the cot landed on the floor. He seems fine, no bumps or anything but I am at my wits end.. Help

[StitchAteMySleep]

1 year is tough, walking, teething, developmental spurt = less sleep.

It gets easier, my 16 month old now sleeps up to 5.5 hours in one stretch (when not cutting a tooth). At 12 months she was waking every 2-3 hours on average, every hour at the worst points.

What is your bedtime routine? My kids are going to bed later and getting up earlier because of the light. Dd2 is having a longer daytime nap to make up for it.

If he is able to get out of the cot it is time to consider taking the side off or putting the mattress on the floor. He will leap out of bed at first, because he can, but if you put him back in each time, he will eventually stay, better than injuring himself falling from the cot.

Some people try just offering water between midnight and 6am. Worked for me when dd1 was 20 months. Come on over to the misery loves company thread part 2 in the sleep section, you will find several posters in your position. It has been a great support to me when I couldn't take it anymore.

[readyforno2]

He's waking every two hours.
Bedtime routine is, bath or clean with a facecloth, jammies, story then bf to sleep. Usually around 6:45. He then wakes around 9 and then every two-three hours. Wakes up properly around 6:30-7.

I've tried keeping him up later but it makes no difference.
He has two naps per day usually, first one around 9:30-11 and afternoon one anywhere between 1:30-3 depending on how long he's slept in the morning.

I don't think he's hungry, I try to give him porridge before I start bedtime routine, but the only way I can get him back to sleep is to bf (unless I can catch him early enough and shush him)

He can't walk yet although I think it's not going to be long, I don't know how he managed to get out the cot. I can only presume he used one of the teddies as a step or something.

Thanks I'll have a read through the thread tomorrow. It's really difficult, ds1 was and still is a great sleeper. I really hope he does grow out of it soon

[StitchAteMySleep]

Yep, sounds like how both of mine were at that age. They would only feed back to sleep on the breast too.

My first dd was worst than my second, waking 3 hourly right up until I night weaned onto water at 20 months. I still don't know how I managed.

Once they start walking more they tire themselves out, but that bit just before and just after they learn was bad sleep-wise. When they drop a nap and get over the frustration/excitement of learning to walk it improves too.

[sharond101]

We had sleep issues with DS who is now 13 months. He was a nightmare to go to sleep, needing feeding or rocking, then woke after a few hours and wanted to play and wouldn't go back to sleep for two hours after that then wanted up for the day at 5-6am. I got so stressed out about him going to sleep and now things could not be different. We used gradual retreat to wean him off feeding to sleep and he now goes into his cot awake and self settles if he wakes through the night sleeping to anywhere between 7am and 9am from between 7-8pm the night before.