sleep deprivation 22 months on, help!!!

[Shelli08]

Hi, i remember this website from being pregnant and i found it so reassuring, so i thought id return and seek advice. My little boy is now 22 months old, he goes to bed at 7.30pm and wakes up between 4.30-5.30 am every morning, i cant understand why he wont sleep any longer. I give him a nightly routine, he is active throughout the day, what am i doing wrong? all my friends babies of similiar ages sleep until at least 7.30. I am exhausted, i am due to finish my teacher training at the end of september for a year and i really dont know how am i going to do it?

there's a book in our local library called teach your child to sleep by millpond sleep clinic - it has various case studies in it and i found it really useful for my DD2 who is a terrible sleeper compared to DD1 - it might offer you some help

there's also a webiste run by durham univeristy sleep lab (google it) - one of the ladies did a chat on mumsnet a few weeks ago - might throw up some useful info

i sympathise been there and sometimes still...

could it be light getting into his room at that time?

when he wakes is he crying? do you go straight to him? maybe wait a while and see if he'll get himself back down?

we ended up leaving our ds to self settle at that time (after giving milk, dummy, cuddles etc) and seems to have worked! fx!

good luck
x

Teacher training is knackering anyway so you must be doubly tired and needing your Zzzz's

Try using total blackout blinds at windows and curtains with blackout too - ie a double layer so no light gets in.

When DC wakes, dont go in for a while even if crying. He she may need to 'self-soothe' for a while. If you do have to go in, try go in later and later each morning. Then only put on a dim night light and offer the milk or water and leave again (I left it in the cot and just popped dim light on making no eye-contact). Hopefully DC will realise there's a period of being alone in the morning. Your'e no use to them a zombie, so be strong, it's not in the least bit cruel and good luck.

P.S By 6.30 or 7am all children are usually awake so sadly you have to go in then. But when mine where 5 and 7 I told them that they couldn't come in until 8am at the weekends and it's been that way ever since - a lie-in bliss!

If it makes you feel any better, my dd is 23 mnths old, goes to sleep at 7, wakes at 9, 11, 3, 5 etc etc.....

I have tried all sleep training methods but to no avail. I'm waiting for her to grow out of it.

True story

My dear friend has 4 children - with the first she let him into her bed at whatever hour every night for an easy life. He still comes into them most nights and he's now 9 years old. He's still the worst sleeper of the 4.

By total contrast they got wiser and firmer as parents as time went on until the last child who's now 3, has had a very strict 'back to bed you go' policy with no messing, and lo' he sleeps the best of the 4!!! The other 2 being one slightly worse than the other depending on the firmness with which their sleep patterns was dealt with.

My friend often says she wishes they'd known right from the start that they could call the shots and in the end have an easier life that way.

thank you will order it on amazon, i will try anything thank you x

when he wakes i leave him for a few mins until the cry gets unbearable, i reassure & explain that its dark and its time to sleep etc but he just asks for bot bot (bottle) and points to the door to go downstairs & then i feel guikty cos i think he is hungry, just dont know what to do anymore x

rycie sorry to hear that ur worse off, i feel for you, hope u find a solution x

Shellie08, may be try to wait for 15-20 minutes when he wakes up before you go in? Just put a watch next to you, tell yourself that you will come to him in 20 min sharp and then just wait it off. Chances are, he'll fall asleep. If not, bring him water/milk/dummy, then leave again, without making eye contact. He has to get his sleep- and so do you. Good luck!