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Original poster

2 year old sleep

11 replies

Yumchips · 13/11/2024 20:51

My daughter likes me to read books in bed with her (she's in a double bed). When she falls asleep I creep out of the room and sleep in my bed ( far more comfortable for me to sleep without her!). I love the comfort and closeness our bedtime routine brings. However she often wakes up at some point in the night looking for me. I get back in until she falls asleep and then I go back to bed again. It's disruptive for my sleep quality. When will she sleep through? Does anyone else have the same issue? Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Yumchips · 13/11/2024 20:52

It wound be a perfect routine if she just slept through until the morning!

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 13/11/2024 21:31

Ds was like that.

When he woke in the night he'd just get in with us. He grew out of it aged around 6yo.

Original poster
Yumchips · 13/11/2024 21:35

Thank you! Though 6 seems like a long time to go with broken sleep!

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Romeiswheretheheartis · 13/11/2024 21:42

Why is she in a double bed, OP? That's a lot of empty space for a 2 year old, making it feel very much like you're 'missing' when she wakes up. Maybe if she was in a smaller bed that you couldn't get into with her she might start to get used to sleeping alone. Although broken sleep during the toddler years is generally quite common.

MargaretThursday · 13/11/2024 21:43

Yumchips · 13/11/2024 21:35

Thank you! Though 6 seems like a long time to go with broken sleep!

You'll find that if she can just come round, and crawl in with you, that you only minorly disturb most of the time. It is much better.

Original poster
Yumchips · 13/11/2024 21:46

We haven't got to the point where she has worked out she can just come visit us. She usually just says mummy repeatedly in a sleepy drowsy voice until I make it back in bed with her. She'll snuggle in and go back to sleep pretty sharpish.

OP posts:
Original poster
Yumchips · 13/11/2024 21:49

@Romeiswheretheheartis understand your point and it's been a bit of a journey to get here. She's outgrown the cot to be quite honest. The room also needs to double as a space where guests can stay so we decided on a double bed to allow us to get in with her if she's sick and we need to be with her. Alternatively grandparents can sleep in the double bed when they come visit (fairly frequently). The room can't take a toddler bed plus a double bed.

OP posts:
MrsPatrickDempsey · 13/11/2024 21:55

She has the association of falling asleep with you there so needs this to be repeated whenever she wakes in the night.
The solution is to break the association so she can fall asleep on her own. There are lots of sleep training methods that can achieve this.

Ihaveoflate · 13/11/2024 22:00

Our 5 year old is in a double and has been since she was 2 because I'd rather get into her bed than have her in ours.

She doesn't get out of bed but just calls for us in the night and we take it in turns to get in. The difference is, we stay in with her for the rest of the night. Everyone gets more sleep that way.

She'll stop calling for us one day and I'll miss it when she does, even though I'd love a bit more unbroken sleep!

ChitterChatter1987 · 13/11/2024 22:11

My DD1 slept through at 2 when I stopped breastfeeding her during the night.DD2 slept through of her own accord at about 2.5 (was still breastfeeding but she just stopped waking) I still feed DD2 to sleep now at 3 (if she is tired enough) but she can also settle herself with an audio book when the feeding to sleep doesn't work.I've tried to balance having the closeness with giving her some gentle encouragement to settle herself and not have us up there all evening until she is asleep every night as I think when they have that, if they stir and you aren't there they will get abit of a shock.I have aalso mostly tried to lie DD2 down drowsy but not fully asleep, so she was aware of me leaving the room which seems to have made her easier to settle herself.Or maybe its just a personality thing...DD1 was a real velcro baby & toddler, and is still a velcro child at 7yo 😅 although it's lovely her wanting such closeness still.

Snugglemonkey · 13/11/2024 23:23

Yumchips · 13/11/2024 20:51

My daughter likes me to read books in bed with her (she's in a double bed). When she falls asleep I creep out of the room and sleep in my bed ( far more comfortable for me to sleep without her!). I love the comfort and closeness our bedtime routine brings. However she often wakes up at some point in the night looking for me. I get back in until she falls asleep and then I go back to bed again. It's disruptive for my sleep quality. When will she sleep through? Does anyone else have the same issue? Thanks

I know it is not for many, but I just did co sleeping for 6 years. Dc1 stopped it as apparently I was irritating tossing and turning and getting up to pee while pregnant with dc2. I was worried about how to transition when dc1 declared me annoying and just went and slept in the v nicely decorated bedroom that had been waiting over a year.

Dc2, is 2 and still a limpet in the night. I feel we have done it all totally wrong from the point of view of my sleep. But then, I love the wee snuggles and I have always breastfed on demand. We still have a wake up between 2 and 4 for a quick snack, bit I can take it because it is literally 5 mins, both back to sleep.

I have forgotten what it feels like to just get into bed and sleep.

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