Toddler sleep regression

[NoMoreWineForMeThen]

2 year old DD has slept for at least 12 hours through the night since around 7 months. However for the last month or so she wakes up 3 or 4 times calling for Mummy or Daddy. She often just wants a cuddle or to have her back patted for a minute or 2 and will go back to sleep. In addition, her day is starting much earlier. Previously I would have to go and wake her at 7.30am but she's waking at 6am now, even though her bedtime is still 7-7.30pm.

She seems very tired during the day and prone to meltdowns at the slightest thing because she's exhausted.

Help!

We're exhausted too as we have 6 month old twins so the combined wakes of all 3 means we are not getting any sleep at all really.

Should I ignore when she calls for us in the night? Any advice as to how we can encourage her to sleep through again?

I am fine with the early starts btw but they are a killer when combined with the wake ups.

Hi there. Sounds like things are pretty intense for you right now! I had twins then a single 22months later so I know a little of your pain. I'm not a sleep expert but it did seem to me that we went through various phases when everything just seemed to go a bit crazy for no apparent reason. My own theory is that their imagination and ability to remember dreams etc developes a lot during that age. I tried to avoid making the midnight interludes too attractive (to avoid habit forming) but wasn't hardass enough to avoid comforting at all. I simply stumbled in, patted a bit and said "its ok, sleepy time now" and then left. After a while it seemed to pass. Hope this helps.

Forgot to ask about daytime naps. If still doing could you cut down?

My 2 year old DD is an excellent sleeper and has been from a young age. She has episodes normally in 2-3 weeks periods where she has really interrupted sleep, and calls out for me and needs comforting but it's always for a reason, either she's coming down with something or more normally teeth are moving around! I find it worse when the teeth are starting to move right under the gums. Is she at the age when her back ones are starting to come through? Maybe it's that? My friends 2 year old DD went through the same for 11 weeks of interrupted sleep and then her back teeth popped through. She's gone back to sleeping fine again now. Good luck!

Thanks. I really do hope it's just a stage and she'll go back to sleeping through again. It's funny because I've always thought to myself that although the twins are hard work and its exhausting, at least DD sleeps through (hollow laugh).

When DD is at nursery (4 days a wk) she doesn't nap properly at all whereas when she's at home she'll nap for 2 hrs after lunch. I do wonder whether the lack of naps at nursery could be part of the issue?

I could have written this myself! DS1 is 2 yrs 10 mths and since 7 weeks has slept through the night. DS2 is 4.5 mths and is a terrible sleeper. This is something that DH and I talk about in front of DS1 a lot but we have always said that at least we could rely on DS1 to sleep through all nocturnal dramas. Not so now as for the last 2 weeks he has decided to join the night time party and has started waking shouting for me at least once a night. Initially we engaged with him because it was so unusual and out of character, but now I just stumble in, pat his back and continually repeat 'shh, shh sleepy time' and he seems to resettle fairly quickly.

I read in one of the many sleep books that I have read recently that this is quite a common occurrence with toddlers where there's a new baby in the house but that it should pass [crosses all fingers and toes and says a quick prayer to the god of sleep].