Having a hard night

[newnamewhosthis]

My 2 year old daughter broke her arm last Saturday by climbing out of her cot. She had never attempted this before so we were not anticipating it. Since then she has not slept without me lying beside her.

For the past week I have been going to bed with her at 7:30 where we roll about her cot bed half sleeping until she finally fully drops off at 10pm. I then sneak out until she cry's about 3:30/4:00am where I then sleep in her cot bed with her until morning.

I know she is still young and clearly upset with her injury, but I'm just exhausted. My back is killing me from being curled up in a ball. DP is annoying the life out of by trying to be helpful but everything he does is grating on me.

I'm currently top and tailing in a cot scared to leave encase the flooring squeaks and we descend into chaos

Have you a full size single bed that you can use?

@Wildorchidz we don't as her cot turns into a bed and the plan was to move her into that but because of her broken arm I'm too scared to remove the side encase she rolls out and hurts her arm.

If this keeps up into next week though I think we will need to purchase a cheap one

Would the cot fit in your room with the side off? It’s probably time for a cot bed or to lower the cot again if you can. We had to do this for my daughter around 2 years and 2 months and remove anything she could use to attempt to climb the gate. Luckily we got away with a bump on the head.

Good luck.

Can’t she sleep in your bed with you?

I just seen your response to a pp, you can get bed guards do about £20 in Argos, pillows on the floor next to the bed she will be fine.

We have tried to get her to sleep in our bed especially if it's the middle of the night. she does the same, rolls about for hours but because she's bumping off more people wakes up more and starts stroking your face, picking your nose, singing you songs or ticking under your arms until you react.

It's hard to be stern with a little face that's tickling your elbow instead of your armpit

Will bed guards work on a cot bed? Do they come in different sizes or all the same?

Oh you have my upmost sympathy! You sound like a lovely mum. I know it’s hard to believe now but it won’t last forever. This is a short term problem, it will get better. Mine are all 8 plus, I miss the snuggly cot days! X

Bed guard. Will fit. Or roll a large bath towel into a sausage and put under the edge of the mattress. So the mattress is slightly tilted up.

Failing that put her cot bed mattress on the floor by your bed.

Thanks for the advice everybody. Feeing a bit more positive as DP ended up taking charge last night and packed me off to bed. She was much better behaved for Dad, we're unsure if it was because she was shattered or I'm a push over We're going to brave turning the cot into a bed today.

Plan is too purchase a lamp as the nightlight we have isn't very bright and a bed guard. We're also going to try doing the bedtime routine in her room so she's in bed for stories and cuddles rather than in the living room. Fingers crossed this will at least help with the initial going to sleep if we can "fix" that we can start working on the night time wakings.

Just as an aside, some children (I was one of them) need darkness to stay asleep/in bed rather than try to get up or waken fully.

Even now, the slightest bit of light wakes me - which is great when it means I can get up as the sunrise clock switches on/before the audible alarm switches on and sleep through him going to the toilet then coming back to bed - but pretty shit if he switches the landing or bathroom light on without making sure the bedroom door is closed first.