How do I get my bed back?

[5hrssleepaverage]

My daughter will be three in October! She has always been a terrible sleeper. I am a single mother who works full time! When me and her father split she was in a good routine and I never brought her into my bed. When my ex moved out he rented a one bedroom flat and they always co slept! Through the tiredness and stress of going back to full time work I ended up doing this too. And also if she wanted milk giving her milk. Fast forward and she has slept through the night once. She goes down fine but wakes around 11pm to come to my bed and then uses a bottle (full of water for comfort) if she wakes in the night. This result in me waking up falling off the bed and often having to change her nappy at 2-3am or risk waking up in a large wet patch. After nearly three years of no proper sleep, I want to regain control and get her to sleep in her own bed! Im tired and exhausted and want to know there is a possibility of me getting over 5hrs sleep every night. How do I regain my bed, my sleep and my sanity?

I would start by every night reducing the amount of water in the bottle a bit and then after a few nights replacing that with a cup and saying no more bottle now she's a big girl. Fine for them to have a drink at night but she is likely reliant on the sucking to get back to sleep.

There is a book by a lady called Lucy Wolfe. It's very good, it helps you to get them falling asleep independently in their room and staying there.

Maybe change her room a little bit so perhaps let her choose some new bedding doesn't have to be expensive. Get a reward chart and explain she gets a sticker when she stays in her own bed etc xx

we did a sticker chart. 5 stickers and she got a toy. Got a sticker if she stayed in her bed all night. First week was a lot of waking and tears, taking her back every 20 mins. I was exhausted. But by week 3 (so 3 toys down as we have her a sticker if she went back into her bed) it clicked and we have sleeping through.

Maybe not long term, but in the meantime, are there comforts you can give her to sleep through the night? Would she take a dummy to help her get off? Then you'd not need to change the nappy in the night and she can have it with her all the time?

Can you stay with her in her room and gently start sitting further away? A very gentle separation until you're sat in the doorway, and then just out of sight? I can't remember where I saw this but it was really effective!