Can’t keep waking at nights!

[kleew1]

So my LO has decided to start waking at 2am for a few hours to have a play, sit in the living room & watch peppa.

I’ve had enough and I’m currently at stalemate with LO not letting her out of bed and lying next to it. Repeating it’s bedtime and handing back dummies. To which she is getting upset but more in anger than anything else.

Anyone else had similar and eventually will the not letting out of bed work?

What age? They go through these little phases when they're very little. I usually get up with him and it passes after a week or so. Have you tried offering water or milk as she might be hungry or thirsty.

Sorry thought I’d put her age - 2.5.

She’s had milk (I always offer but she refuses it for a while then will eventually take it).

I do normally just get up but this has honestly been well over a month and is getting progressively worse and now like clockwork it’s the 2am waking up wide awake.

The broken sleep is slowly but surely getting to me! As in slowly over the last 2.5 years...

And does she nap during the day at all? What's her routine like?

She’s starting to drop her nap so it is very give or take. Since Saturday she hasn’t taken a nap.

Same routine every night, bath, bed milk always around 7-8 depending on how she is. With her witching hour parties, she can wake anytime between 7 or 9 (I normally wake her around 8.30/8.45 if she is still sleeping though)

I know every child is different but we found that being there in the room with LO, lying next to the cot making soothing noises is actually too stimulating and is contributing to the wakefulness. we thought we were being kind and comforting but actually we were just helping keep sleep at bay.

pat and soothe and reassure then leave the room. if upset, return after 1 minute then return for no more than 30 seconds to pat, soothe, reassure (but "grade 2 attention" ie not picking up, cuddling etc) re-assert it is sleep time, and leave. gradually stretch absence from room minute by minute if still upset but make sure your visits are brief, boring and unstimulating and not worth making a fuss in order to attract a visit.

it worked for us but was very difficult to start implementing as we only had one bedroom so there was nowhere to sit comfortably while waiting through this. memories of hours spent sitting on the floor at the top of the stairs and getting up every few minutes. when it finally clicked it was somewhat amusing though as LO could go from shouting "no sleep not tired no no no" one minute to being deeply asleep and snoring literally the next breath when the fight to stay awake was finally lost.

Do not let her watch anything. Make the time she is awake as boring as possible I.e. don’t engage her, let her watch anything, play with toys

I think Christmas Day is possibly the wrong time to put your foot down. Agree with op who said no engagement and definitely no tv. I implemented this from day 1... kept lights off when they woke, fed, changed in silence and back to bed, worked well