Calling all parents of "bad sleepers"... When did they finally sleep through?

[Nickname1980]

My LO is 8.5 months and is up every two hours at night. I think I need to hear other stories to make myself feel better... When did yours start sleeping through??

[heymammy]

Ds was Horrendous, he finally started sleeping reliably through the night every night at maybe 18 months. Then at exactly 2 he gave up his daytime nap so had a few weeks of crappy nights again, but now, at 2.6 we seem to have hit a smooth streak again.

However, it doesn't take much 'encouragement' for him to have a restless night so just before, during and after he has a cold , if he's cold, or has a tooth coming, or just wants us etc etc...

I remember 8.5 months being a particularly awful time so I completely feel for you. We tried everything, as I'm sure you have already, it just seemed to gradually get better from around 14 months.

[DanceToJoyDivision]

hollow laugh My DD is 3 and still waking once a night. This is, however, a massive improvement on the up-every-hour-and-a-half I 'enjoyed' until she was 2.

[hollie84]

DS1 slept 10 hours a night from 2.5 years, and then once 3 and at full time nursery and not napping started doing 12 hours and not waking for anything.

[toomanywheeliebins]

My DD2 started sleeping through at 14 months when she started walking. She was utterly horrific before then - pretty much like a newborn. She would often wake at 1 am and stay awake for several hours. I once worked out that I had seen 4 am every day for 16 months. It nearly broke me and at one point I had to stop driving for a month as it was too dangerous. I also had a toddler and never ending building work going on next door which made sleep in day impossible.Dark times. Chin up x

[FelixTitling]

Sorry, no good news here. Ds was a terrible sleeper, not helped by regular croup and night terrors.

He first slept through aged 7.

Good luck

[FelixTitling]

Otoh, dd slept through, 12 hrs every night from 7 months.

[DrMcDreamysWife]

My daughter woke every 2 hours till 18 months when started occasionally to sleep through. By her second birthday she was waking 4 times a night again and at 2 and a half sleeps through about once a month but rarely wakes more than once or twice now ;)

[BaronessBomburst]

About three. Years.
Still climbs into our bed sometimes and he's nearly five.
I am still alive though; you will survive it. ;)

[geekaMaxima]

12 months. But it took long-haul travel!

Late bedtime on the first night followed by jet lag (we stuck to local time straightaway) meant he went from waking up 3+ times a night to sleeping through. It was sheer tiredness at first, I think, but it also helped we were away from home and familiar surroundings to break his usual habits. He woke up once on the odd night, but was happy to go back.

On return home, we moved him to his own room (had been in bedside cot) to keep the old habits broken. No problems. Months later, he still sleeps through for about 11 hours most if the time, waking up once if he's teething or has a cold or is just a bit loco and wants to play at 3am. We hardly know ourselves!

[Mummyonthehill]

12 months. Went from waking every 2 hours to sleeping through in only a month. He had woken every 2 hours for 11 solid months. For 5 of those months he only napped on me. Everyone told me to do controlled crying / gradual retreat / hire a maternity nurse / sleep consultant etc. I did nothing at all. It got completely better all on it's own. I believe it's a development thing and they get it in their own time. He was the worst sleeper day and night, and now is sleeping through and napping in his cot in the day.
It will get better.

[LizzieMint]

2.5 and 4.

[RigglinJigglin]

I know your pain OP

DD had a stretch from 5-8mths of waking every 45mins/1hr EVERY night. I postponed my return to work due to sleep deprivation.

Will keep my eye on this cos at 18mths she's still up 3 times a night, like clockwork at 8.30pm, 10.30/11pm and then 4am. And thats a good night

[DreamsOfFreddieInTheNight]

Four. If I had known I had to survive that long I probably would have laid down and died.

Sleep is for the weak, that was DS's motto.

[Bobbingalongnicelyalmost]

DD1 age 7
DD2 age 21 months which was about 2 weeks ago when we moved her from cot to bed!

[Bicnod]

DS1, 2 years.

DS2, 2 years 3 months.

But we usually have one of them up in the night or up ridiculously early at least three or four times a week now.

Hoping DC3 due in December will be a sleeper but not likely given our track record!

[toptomatoes]

DS1 started sleeping through at about 11 months, DS2 is 4, has slept through a handful of times but usually wakes once or twice. DC3 is 20 months and probably sleeps through once a week but is more often up once or twice. All the wake ups are usually brief now though but all bets are off if they are ill!

[NormHonal]

DC1 around 2.5yo
DC2 3yo although with a recent regression

[LizzieMint]

Don't give up hope bicnod, as well as my two appalling sleepers, I also managed to have one who slept through from 10 weeks old!

[RubyrooUK]

DS1 is four, at school and first slept through at....oh no, hang on, we're still waiting.

DS2 is 20mo and still loves a breastfeed every few hours during the night. No sleeping through here.

I just can't imagine what on earth will ever make the buggers sleep.

[Tigercake]

When they started school, but at age 7 still comes through some nights.

[flagnogbagnog]

DS 1 - 3 ish but went from every one to two hours to one wake up a night at about 18 months
DD - 12 months
Ds2 - 12 months
Ds3 is still waking once a night at 2.5yrs old. But again he was about 12 months when things improved.
I hope things improve for you soon x

[NightLark]

The worst sleeper? Age five, half way through reception year at school. Before that, up every couple of hours, every night. The others, by the time they were about two.

It is completely life altering, dealing with long term sleep deprivation to that level, not just appearance but temperament, ability to think, plan, work, maintain friendships... I wouldn't wish it on anyone, though my parents cheerfully wished it on me in revenge for my own poor sleep as an infant.

[mawbroon]

DS1 - 5yo not long after he started school.

DS2 - around 2.5yo but for the last god knows how long, he's been sneaking through and cuddling in with me at some unknown time of the night. I don't notice he's there until the morning!

[YouAreMyBread]

My 20 month old DD still wakes almost every hour sometimes for hours on end and will not nap in the day unless on my boob. She is obsessed with breastfeeding.

[wibblywobblytummytumtum]

No good news here either. DS is 9.5 years old and we're still waiting...
DD who is 3.5 years old has slept through since 6 months old (3 months corrected)..