I hate this, please help me cope!

[shantishanti]

I know this should probably be in sleep, but it's just as much about how I cope with things, which is why I've posted here.

I have a lovely, happy 16mo DD. She's never been a brilliant sleeper, but for the last few months she's been sleeping till about 5am for about 3 nights out of 4 - which is great.

But for the last few weeks, about once a week she wakes at 1-2ish and just screams and screams for hours. Not ill, not in pain (that we can tell), just really cross that we won't get up, play with her, feed her, whatever.

We normally end up bringing her into our bed and just cuddling her (while she screams) until eventually, after about 2 hours, she exhausts herself and drifts off. I hate this so much. It really, really, really gets to me. I can't bear the crying, and the fact that she just WON'T go to sleep makes me really angry and upset. I end up having arguments with DH, and its just awful.

To top it off we're all tired the next day and irritable with each other - which is what's happening today. She's whingy and irritable, and I'm not at my most patient...trying so hard not to snap at her but its taking all of my strength.

I hate the idea of CC, we've never done it before. But I'm contemplating it because I don't know what else to do.

Any other ideas?

Does she have naps during the day - when and how long for? Make it ealier and shorter.

Top tip we discovered by accident - a dish of ReadyBrek before bed worked like magic to keep ours asleep through the night. Think it just keeps little tummies happy until morning.

Triple check the room for light/noise/ drafts/anything else which could be wakening her - for example, a radiator clanking etc.

REMEMBER:- IT'S ALL A PHASE! It will pass!

She's moved to one nap a day recently, and when she's with her grandparents (2 days a week) they often struggle to time naps well...yesterday she had a morning nap instead of an afternoon one so she was a bit overtired by bedtime. That might have something to do with it maybe. But

She already has a bowl of porridge before bed - that was the breakthrough that got her sleeping more or less through the night a few months ago.

Bad form I know but am going to have to go now...she's clinging to my legs and crying whenever I sit at the computer!
Will be back later though, any advice gratefully received!

My goodness, you poor thing, but also your poor DD. Is she teething - teething always interrupted my little one's sleep and made her extra clingy and irritable during the day. During teething not even Calpol worked and she would only sleep after loads of crying. This was not often, admittedly, but at 16 months all I can think of is teething (or ear ache?)...

My son has started waking up in the middle of the night. We checked his teeth and his back teeth are coming through. It may be that as he was a good sleeper before that

for me personally i'd do controlled crying. its a typical milestone age imo to test boundaries. the worst thing you can do is take her in your bed. my dd did this at various stages.even now at age 7 shes a master of manipulation bless her. its a sign of intelligence,tenacity,and dterermination.thats what i tell myself!lol

I would try making her bed a lovely place to be - lay a snuggly fleece over her covers / put it next to her, favourite / new comfort teddies, perhaps one of those light up ones / a glow worm, maybe try one of those projector things that lights up a wall / one that plays gentle soothing music.

My dd had a little musical thing that was on a ten minute timer and played soothing, tinkly music. She loved it, associated it with rest / sleep, and all I had to do to resettle her at night was stumble into her room, push the button and stroke her head a few times and she drifted off...

She did a lot of night waking when teething too, would get up at 1am and stay awake until around half four in the morning

But it was very shortlived, about a week I think. Nearly killed me though - I love my sleep!