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If you had a strong willed toddler....

5 replies

MooMa83 · 13/05/2024 20:16

...what helped them to sleep?. Our nearly 20 month DD has always been a nightmare sleeper. She has slept through a handful of times in her life. At the moment things are particularly awful with fighting going to bed and multiple wake ups a night taking ages and multiple attempts to resettle. Me and my husband are back to doing shifts, but are both shattered with jobs that require lots of driving. On top of that we have an older DD with SEN.

When she was younger we did a version of PUPD which had some success...but this won't work now! She has a solid bedtime routine, naps well for 1-1.5 hours in the day, eats well and lots of daytime activity and fresh air.

I'm reluctant to do any sleep training that involves long periods of crying, as when we've tried this before she goes nuclear and starts banging her head against the cot bars...it just doesn't feel right! She still has a dummy, sometimes settles with shushing in the cot but most likely a cuddle and some water or very watered down milk (in our attempts to nightwean as she'sa milk addict!). She's so strong willed and we're so sleep deprived I just don't know where to turn.

I have tried bringing her into bed when we've been desperate but this doesn't seem to settle her or reduce the wakings and she seems to want to lie 'on' me rather than next to me....so my sleep is even worse 🙃

Hope someone can help! TIA

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MooMa83 · 14/05/2024 06:37

Hopeful bump!

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Therageisreal · 14/05/2024 06:38

What are the timings of sleep and bedtime?

MooMa83 · 14/05/2024 06:47

Therageisreal · 14/05/2024 06:38

What are the timings of sleep and bedtime?

So nap tends to after lunch so 12.30 is and awake around 2pm. If she naps later I always wake her by 3pm. If the night has been terrible sometimes she'll nap before lunch. Bedtime around 7pm, but we've tried to push a bit later 7.30. However she does seem really tired at 7pm.

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MooMa83 · 15/05/2024 19:01

Another desperate bump to see if anyone out there can help!

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elevens24 · 15/05/2024 19:38

Have you tried putting her to bed earlier? When kids are over tired they're over stimulated so it's more difficult for them to settle to sleep.
Have you tried sitting in with her until she falls asleep, sitting on the floor with your back to her and minimal interaction only to put back into bed calmly saying 'it's bedtime sweetheart' (or whatever).

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