My 5 year old and 2 year old don't sleep all night

[Shiraznowplease]

Please please please can someone offer some advice, my 2dc still don't sleep all night. We have tried rewards, punishments, night lights, room guards, pick up put down and controlled crying (both of which worked for my 2yo but never for 5yo). I am exhausted and probably can count on one hand number of full nights sleep I have had in 5 years. It is effecting my job, confidence weight, marriage and social life as I am just so exhausted

Poor you I sympathise as my 2.5 yr old ds still wakes every night - currently we are too tired to tackle it as we have a six month old too so when ds wakes we just take him into our bed not ideal but the way it is right now!

The only thing I can say is what about a sleep consultant - could you afford one? The millpond sleep clinic is very good

Or at the opposite extreme let them both sleep on a mattress in your room?

Try chucking some extra blankets on them as well. My 5 year old was up last night I suspect because he was cold.

It won't answer all your issues but may reduce the number of times they're up. Stick the older one in a sleeping bag with a duvet on top.

Mine are 5 and 18 months, and very rarely sleep through. Dd needs to be covered over and likes a hug and some music on, and then will go back over by herself, but it still means me or DH going to her. DS usually wants a cuddle and will go back to sleep in our bed, he feels the cold. I don't allow them to be up, playing, putting lights on etc, and despite trying to keep them warmer and give rewards it doesn't seem to help. So I've not had a full nights sleep either, but it's not too bad overall as they will resettle, unless ill.

What happens with yours when they wake? There's a big difference between what I describe and them being up playing for half the night. I do also think different people can cope better on less sleep, that's the luck of the draw. Maybe describe a typical night and what you do, what they do, might be able to help more? I just accepted a long time ago that a whole night of sleep wasn't going to come along for a good few years.

What times are they up

I can sympathise, my two the same age as yours have me up in the night still. My 5 year old will generally sleep all night from 7pm but is always up for the day at 5am. My 2 year old will sleep from 7pm but wake for a cuddle/lost duvet/drink/comfort anywhere between 2 and 5 times a night. She will sleep in till 6am though. I've tried ignoring but they share a room so I have to deal with dd or she'll wake ds up! I'm currently pregnant with dc 3 so that's not helping tiredness either!
Do yours wake each other? Do they share a room? The one thing that helps my 2 year old is making sure she isn't over tired, if she's napped in the day she's usually better at night. If she doesn't nap she'll be more unsettled. Works backwards really to what you'd think it would. It is really hard to deal with but for me I've kind of accepted that I'm a walking zombie! Dh helps a lot too, if I've been up a lot at night he'll sort the dc before he goes to work in the morning so I can get an hour extra sleep!