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Split nights with 13 month old - going insane!

3 replies

mintgreensoftlilac · 14/04/2025 15:30

My baby has just turned 13 months and until now has always slept fairly well, going 7-7 with some occasional wake ups, all great. no issues.

fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and all hell seems to have broken loose! She is very hard to settle to sleep despite having the same routine as always (bottle, bath, book, cuddles, bed). But the main issue is that most nights she is now WIDE awake for HOURS every night! DH and I basically take it in one-hour shifts to sit with her/do whatever we can to soothe her until she eventually decides to go back to sleep. This can be up to 4 hours! Nothing we try seems to work. Giving milk, rocking, patting, singing, holding, bringing her into our bed. Nothing, she’s just awake. In the end we can sometimes end up just sitting her between us in our bed and putting the tv on for her so she will at least sit still and then she will eventually fall asleep in our bed. We’re both well aware that this is a terrible habit to get into, but when we both have work in the morning we’re just doing whatever we can to try to get a few hours sleep.

I suppose I’m just wondering if anyone else has had any similar experiences or has any advice/words of wisdom as to what could be going on and what we could try? For context she has just started walking and she seems to be rapidly developing lots of skills so it could be developmental, but it does seem to be a bit extreme! She naps ok in the day, between 1-2 hours a day. She might also be having a growth spurt as she’s eating so much too! We have started giving her porridge and banana before bed plus her usual milk just in case she was hungry.

send help!

thanks ☺️

OP posts:
Mrsttcno1 · 14/04/2025 16:01

No real advice but solidarity, we are going through the same with our 1 year old🥲 she goes down to sleep fine but then wakes up between midnight-1am and it’s party time for at least a few hours!

Ilovemyshed · 14/04/2025 16:05

Is she having daytime naps? Maybe curtail those. Also when she wakes in the night, is she crying much? Just keep it dark and very quiet, give a quick cuddle but leave her in the cot and say night night quiet time for mummy/ daddy and leave her be to self soothe for a bit.

mindutopia · 14/04/2025 22:25

It’s just she’s doing a lot of development. I would do longer than 1 hour shifts so you each get proper sleep, not just a doze. Also if she’s going to bed at 7pm and you have no other children, go to bed! No couple time, no watching tv, leave the kitchen in a state and go to bed. Sleep is more important than the rest of it.

I personally found that co-sleeping but doing it straight away, no shushing and patting for an hour first. What about milk? Will she take milk? A feed and then into bed with you straight away is infinitely better than 4 hours of no sleep and falling asleep with the tv on.

But these phases do happen when they are just awake. You kinda do just need to plan life around going to bed early and having a nap whe you can. It won’t last forever.

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