Full time working, single mum two year old sleep is a nightmare!

[supertato32]

I am a solo parent and I work full time in a stressful and demanding role! My child does not sleep. She has just turned two. She used to go down ok and wake at 11, but now she doesn't go down until 8pm. Then she wakes at 11pm, then throughout the night. In desperation I just give her milk. My job is so demanding and I need to be able to work in the evenings but I can't and the work load is piling up. I have zero support, my parents don't live near and are early 70s so can't expect them to help. Her dad lives an hour away and has her one night at the weekend. I would actually quit my job and get something less stressful, but I am looking to sell my flat and move out of London to buy a bigger property (first world problems) so can't think of leaving until I've done that. My mental and physical health is suffering. I eat crap food when I can and never have dinner as I'm so exhausted by the time I put her down to bed, so have toast or frozen food. I have zero chance or time to do any exercise. I'm not really sure of this post, but find this place a fantastic outlet when everything feels so overwhelming and shit! Xxxx

@WednesdaysChild11 no but my insides must be rotting! I can't remember the last time I had food that wasn't beige! It's my own fault but I just go for the comfort food!

So my daughter is medicated for her reflux and had a barium swallow at the hospital to be diagnosed. She has some allergies too so can make her reflux worse if she has a accidental exposure.

Propping her up on pillows helped, not having acidic foods or drink before bed. We actually had to stop her prescription milk at one and went to just water for during the day and bedtimes because the milks were all just too thin and made it worse.

When she gets ill her reflux gets worse and she ends up in bed with me. I prop myself up and she rests her head on my chest so we both end up sleeping pretty much sitting up.🙈

It's not fun and it's exhausting being at work and college all day to then have max 5 hrs sleep but having a meal and supper before bed has really helped.

She tells me on a morning or in the night she's been sick in her mouth that's how I know her reflux isn't under control xx

Beige?! Lol. Like bread?! Pasta? Brown rice? 😂 I'm struggling to think of beige foods. Or do you mean beige like bland?

@WednesdaysChild11 bread, oven chips and today I had scampi! 😂 lazy eating

@supertato32 ooh scampi! Haven't had that in a while! I do like seafood..

Don't know if it's your thing but you can live so cheap on fruits and veg from the local market..and the best part is it's so good for you! Stick the fruits in a blender = less energy spent digesting. As for the vegetables make a soup! Stick it all in a pot and get one of them blitzer things..so nourishing and again less energy spent breaking down and digesting everything. I really need to start practicing what I preach lol especially with the fruit smoothie...you know this has actually inspired me to do that, I think I'll get some stuff tomorrow 😄 x

@WednesdaysChild11 love all your advice and believe me when I have more energy I can be really healthy! But when I'm tired and rundown I just go for carbs and feel crappy! Just scoffed two apples and a litre of water to make me feel a bit better! I love a good smoothie, totally agree everything is much better blended! Xxxx maybe we need to start and fruit and veg eating thread ❤️

If she sleeps better in be with you, go for it.

If she previously went to bed ok and bedtimes are now difficult then it might be time to drop daytime nap.. That was the sign with both of mine and it was about age 2 for both of them. They were then exhausted and grumpy in the afternoon for a while but went to bed better. I knew people who kept the nap but their children went to bed much later - that suited them but it wouldn't have worked for me. I actually think she's now old enough to understand 'at daddy's house you do x but with mummy we do y'. In the same way that some things might be a bit different at nursery than at home. So personally I wouldn't agonise too much about what her dad is doing (especially if he's unlikely to change). Good luck, hope things get better.