I need extreme non-sleeper success stories!

[Queendedede]

DS2 is 18mo and HAD been waking 1 - 3 times a night but quite easy to settle. Cue two weeks ago when he escalated the waking to 5 times and being harder to settle down, I presume it is the 18m regression. He still goes to bed fine and self settles on his own, he just can't stay asleep! Add into that a cold that started yesterday which resulted in him walking every half an hour last night. This was the worst night we have EVER had with him. Will this get better? Should I take him to the drs as I'm sure this frequent waking is not 'normal'. He has a 2hr nap in the day, bed at 7pm and up around 6.30am. Sleeps in his own cot in his own room.

*waking, not walking!

Ah, well I'd take this as a temporary setback due to the cold. He's probably feeling a little bit uncomfortable - you know how colds can rumble on for a few days or weeks before they actually erupt, perhaps that's what's happened here.

Try vicks or snuffle babe rubbed into his feet, and if you have a humidifier it might be worth putting that in his room to ease the dry air a little bit.

But he has always been a rubbish sleeper, it bad been improving very slowly but now I virtually have a newborn. We are supposed to be going on holiday next week. I'm so not looking forward to it!

I think 1-3 times a night but easy to settle is pretty normal for an 18mo! And it is again normal for them to be unsettled when they're not well. So I'm not sure there is much you can do about it unless you want to take shortcuts to make the night wakings easier on you, like bringing him into your bed which you might not want to do.

Holidays, I'm afraid to say are not massively relaxing with a child this age :(

I think very likely the 18 month sleep regression (I'm currently on week 3 of the 2 year sleep regression - joy!!).

The cold will be adding to it but my guess is it's the regression.

It's a shame that this has started prior to your holiday (personally I feel my DD's poor sleep at present is as a result of our holiday as it started 2 days after we got back!).

Try not to focus on what MIGHT be as you want to enjoy your family holiday. Aid your LO has a routine then just accept that they'll be out of it on holiday and go with it. The priority should be enjoying your holiday. Deal with the 'after' after.

My only advice would be (where possible) not to create any new short term sleep associations that will affect the long term. So for example if your child currently sleeps in their own bed, don't bring them into bed with you.

We have gone down the controlled crying route. It's HORRIBLE and I feel like the worst mummy but honestly feel it's the right thing.

I keep telling myself that it'll pass. I know it will, as I'm sure you do. But when you are living it, it feels like it'll never end! Sleep deprivation is just the worst thing!!

Thanks for your advice taler could I ask how the controlled crying is going? Seen improvements? We will see what situation we have after holiday and take it from there!

The first night it lasted 40 minutes from when she went to bed. It was so horrible and so upsetting. Never heard screams like it! Second night 5 minutes. Third night nothing :) that was about a week and a half ago.

I realised it wasn't necessarily going to go in a straight line and unfortunately the past few nights she's not settling well at bedtime again.

Also we weren't really doing the controlled crying with the night wakings at first but are now.

The key is consistency. With everything.

Good luck