My 2.5 DS has REGRESSED his sleeping habits - I think I'm going to go mad!!

[Elsie123]

Can anyone help? My DS has never been a good sleeper - and always an early riser. But now, after being able to go through the night, he has started waking at least two times during the night, usually crying, before starting a whine for 'muummyy', which, much as I love him, makes me want to rip my own ears off. I am working, almost full time, and, owing to the fact that he still wakes up at 5.45, regardless of how many times I have been summoned during the night, we are all exhausted. I am finding my patience at an all time low, both at night and during the day, and I feel awful. When I go in, he usually says nothing and just lies down again. I am starting to dread the nights again - and grateful for any advice..

No advice but my dd (2.6) started this at 2.5 too. Is blooming awful and you have my every sympathy. Managed to tame it a little by giving her a sticker in the morning if she didn't have a tantrum when she woke up (as she then gets so would up she can't get back to sleep again). Was feeling pretty smug about it as it worked for a while but now she wakes up every day at 5:30 demanding stickers . So don't know what the answer is but am glad I am not the only one with this!

No advice but my dd (2.6) started this at 2.5 too. Is blooming awful and you have my every sympathy. Managed to tame it a little by giving her a sticker in the morning if she didn't have a tantrum when she woke up (as she then gets so would up she can't get back to sleep again). Was feeling pretty smug about it as it worked for a while but now she wakes up every day at 5:30 demanding stickers . So don't know what the answer is but am glad I am not the only one with this!

bugger.sorry its there twice...

My DD1, 2.10 goes through phases of this.Both my DD's are early risers too, and its hellish juggling dealing with that and work as well.I am very familiar with that charming half dead feeling..my sympathies..

My DD wont go back to sleep when she wakes up so when she does I cave now, in a bid to get some sleep and put her in with us..but it doesnt stop me from being woken up in the first place, and obv that wont work if you dont want to share your bed with a wriggling kicking child all night.

Dont think there is much to be done except struggle through..hope you have a better night tonight..

does he still nap during the day? if so, i'd cut it out! we ut out ds's around about this time and it did improve his early rises. he does still get up through the night for a cuddle, but i found the early rises more of a problem.

alternatively, could he have a sore tummy or something that is causing him to wake?

Hi - Thanks. At least I know we are not alone! What is it with 5.30..? It's like a witching hour! I quite like the idea of stickers - I haven't used them for anything yet, although have always thought they sounded like a positive thing. mamaolivia - have you tried the bunny alarm clock? It's a clock which you can set to 'tell' your dd when it's morning.. we use this, and it does, usually, get ds quiet, if not sleeping, until it goes off. Perhaps staying in bed until then might be included in the sticker rules (so to speak). We have MIL over this weekend, so I think I will wait and start on Sun eve.. while I secretly hope for that ol' mantra - it's just a phase - to be true!

Here goes nothing..

RaggedRobin - I do worry about this, if I'm honest. He had severe reflux as a baby, prescription formula, investigations and dieticians etc etc. We only started him on cows milk when he was just over 2years old, and he does complain of a sore tummy quite a lot. It's really hard, because he does know that saying this gets Mummy's attention. I have spoken to a doctor who suggests we don't take away the milk and dairy products, so keeping on with those. I was worried it might be pain, or nightmares that were waking him, but I am starting to think he just finds it a bit of a game now - god that sounds cruel, I'm very confused ( and exhausted!!)

Elsie123 our DS as been a great sleeper... until just after his 2nd birthday in Aug. Shortly after his b/day getting him to go to bed at his usual 7pm became a nightmare of hysterical crying for hours (even with me right next to him the whole time).

I cut his daytime nap and this did the trick until mid sept... then he started waking in the wee small hours doing the 'muuuummy' 'sob,sob'. He said he wasn't sore (my thought was teeth as the last of his molars were coming through), wasn't thirsty or hungry. He just seemed to want to get up and play... which I tried to explain wasn't possible as it was night time much to his dismay. It was taking about 1/1.5 hrs to get him to go back to sleep and then like your DS he was up at the usual time full of beans! arrgh...

My next idea was that he could be getting cold as he does have a tendency to throw of his duvet and it did get colder in sept... even with the heavy curtains his room can get cool overnight. I bought a thick padded kind of sleep suit which he didn't want to wear but we dressed him in it anyway.

It did the trick well made a huge difference... he is occasionally (once or twice a fortnight) waking now and I think now it's bad dreams. I fished out a night light from when he was a baby. If he wakes up and doesn't want to settle we pop the night light on, do a short story/cuddle to help relax him and he's then quite happy to go back to bed... dreams forgotten all within 30mins. It's not a complete cure but It's definitely better.

Forgot to ask what time your central heating comes on in the am? or if there could be anything else making a noise at 5.30 disturbing his sleep?

My DS has just turned 2 and has suddenly become a bedtime nightmare. Please can someone tell me this is just another blooming phase and that our normal perfect sleeper will return?

Hi MillieMummy - I think it must be - or at least that's what I'm telling myself. We had a better night last night - but I take the point about dropping daytime naps, he hasn't wanted one for the last couple of days anyway. He just gets so tired, and then I read somewhere that the more tired they are, the more their sleep can be affected, so I'm still a little reluctant to lose them altogether. i think I will see how that pans out over the next few days or so. i wonder if it might be teeth - tbh I hadn't even thought of that.. Or am I just making excuses for him..??!!

can't think of anything that comes on in the am to wake him - we haven't set our heating to come on yet - although will be now it's turned really cold!

Our DS is at the stage that he does get quite grumpy mid afternoon and prob should have had a sleep earlier in the day, but he won't give into it... he then gets a second wind after a snack and he's ok again. I read the same thing about them not sleeping if they don't get enough sleep. I eventually found an article saying the hours of sleep a 2yr old needs changes at this time... hence the dropping of the daytime nap.

If we're out in the car pm he may have 40 winks on the way somewhere or nods off in his pram if really wiped out. As long as he doesn't sleep for more than an hour and wakes up before 3.30pm it doesn't seem to affect his bedtime.

same here fikelly. i'd REALLY recommend cutting the nap. he might seem sleepy come 4 o'clock, but they really do get a second wind.

we spent way too long fighting ds to go for naps and then fighting him again to get to bed at night time and then wondering why he didn't sleep much at night. when a friend suggested cutting his nap, i had a real "doh!" moment and wondered why i hadn't done it months sooner.

he seems to sleep much more naturally now and doesn't fight it all the time like he used to.

i think tbh his nap is probably going to drop as we are just about to put him into a big bed - so I can see how that goes. I ust say, naps never affect him at bedtime - he honestly goes down like a dream (now I've blown it!) and he usually goes for his nap with no probs as well.. I think I know the nap should go though so will see how that works - thanks everyone!

elsie you can but try and the odd daytime nap may well be still needed. it's all trial and error anyway