Make me feel better - Almost 2 yrs old & sleep

IceIceSlippyIce · 15/12/2025 21:35

DS1 was days off being 2 when his baby brother arrived.
DH had to take over all night wakings of the toddler, and I got the newborn. I got more sleep with a tiny bf baby than I had in the previous 2 years with his older brother.
He's recently got a fab set of GCSEs and is looking to do decently at A level.
He's a dream to get out of bed in the mornings (he had a "mega lie in" on Sunday - til 9am....)
I promise, the vast vast vast majority either learn to sleep through, or entertain themselves at 3am.

MarymaryquiteC · 15/12/2025 21:39

SundayMay · 15/12/2025 21:18

I need your reassurance that things do get better. Our daughter will be two in February and still wakes up countless times a night. Sometimes just for a cuddle, other times crying, others needing a drink.

We have honestly tried everything and I'm convinced it's just the way she is. Our son was similar and "grew out of it" himself.

Anyone else out there experiencing the same? Or have any miracles perhaps? 😂

Had this, changed immediately after we stopped giving any drinks at all at night. Gave more food and drinks during the day and after about 2/3 nights he realised he wasn't going to get anything he stopped waking.

Original poster

SundayMay · 15/12/2025 21:50

MarymaryquiteC · 15/12/2025 21:39

Had this, changed immediately after we stopped giving any drinks at all at night. Gave more food and drinks during the day and after about 2/3 nights he realised he wasn't going to get anything he stopped waking.

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Did you just handle a few crazy nights refusing drinks? I know our daughter will go mad 😂 but I also know we need to see it through. The problem is, we tried it once and she cried for over 2 hours that then woke up our 3 year old.

OP posts:

Original poster

SundayMay · 15/12/2025 21:51

IceIceSlippyIce · 15/12/2025 21:35

DS1 was days off being 2 when his baby brother arrived.
DH had to take over all night wakings of the toddler, and I got the newborn. I got more sleep with a tiny bf baby than I had in the previous 2 years with his older brother.
He's recently got a fab set of GCSEs and is looking to do decently at A level.
He's a dream to get out of bed in the mornings (he had a "mega lie in" on Sunday - til 9am....)
I promise, the vast vast vast majority either learn to sleep through, or entertain themselves at 3am.

Ahh thanks so much for this! X

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earlymorningriserzz · 15/12/2025 22:11

Is she able to self settle? Does she nap in the day? :)

Superscientist · 15/12/2025 23:35

My daughter didn't sleep through the night until 2. She did it for a week and then went back to waking up. We put her into a bed which did help. She never really slept in her cot.
From 2 she occasionally slept through and we were able to stop her from coming into our bed. I did have to go to her. When this was once or twice a night for 20 minutes it was ok but at 3 she had a massive relapse with her reflux and went to waking every 45 minutes and only sleeping if I was holding her upright! This took over 6 months to resolve and nearly broke me, she went back to sleeping in her bed once or twice a night. At 4 we went to next to the bed holding her hand, at 4y3m next to the bed not touching her, at 4y6m in her room not next to the bed. At this point we set her the challenge that of she slept through the night she could get the high rise bed she wanted for her birthday. She went from waking 5 times a week to twice and then once and since 4y8m she's very rarely woken up. We had tried a few other times but she wasn't ready. She woke up the same frequency being breastfeed, on formula, on oat milk and water and on nothing. It also didn't change with dropping naps. The biggest issue we had was that pain was one of the main reasons she woke and then it became habit once the pain stopped. It was something that went in cycles and if she was ill or was struggling with her reflux or allergies she woke a lot and needed support over night to stay asleep and then when she wasn't doing better picking good days to try being a step further removed. Her reflux has been much better managed since she turned 4 and it had a huge difference in her sleep.

She's a low sleep needs child, she's 5 and at the moment sleep 9.15-7.30 in the week and often 9.15-6.30 at the weekend.

I have a 3 month old and he already is a different baby altogether. My daughter was probably 3 when she was able to sooth herself but he's already able to calm himself at times

I'd look careful about reason for waking, what you are providing overnight and what the step wise changes to reduce the reliance on you for sleep.

Original poster

SundayMay · 16/12/2025 02:58

Superscientist · 15/12/2025 23:35

My daughter didn't sleep through the night until 2. She did it for a week and then went back to waking up. We put her into a bed which did help. She never really slept in her cot.
From 2 she occasionally slept through and we were able to stop her from coming into our bed. I did have to go to her. When this was once or twice a night for 20 minutes it was ok but at 3 she had a massive relapse with her reflux and went to waking every 45 minutes and only sleeping if I was holding her upright! This took over 6 months to resolve and nearly broke me, she went back to sleeping in her bed once or twice a night. At 4 we went to next to the bed holding her hand, at 4y3m next to the bed not touching her, at 4y6m in her room not next to the bed. At this point we set her the challenge that of she slept through the night she could get the high rise bed she wanted for her birthday. She went from waking 5 times a week to twice and then once and since 4y8m she's very rarely woken up. We had tried a few other times but she wasn't ready. She woke up the same frequency being breastfeed, on formula, on oat milk and water and on nothing. It also didn't change with dropping naps. The biggest issue we had was that pain was one of the main reasons she woke and then it became habit once the pain stopped. It was something that went in cycles and if she was ill or was struggling with her reflux or allergies she woke a lot and needed support over night to stay asleep and then when she wasn't doing better picking good days to try being a step further removed. Her reflux has been much better managed since she turned 4 and it had a huge difference in her sleep.

She's a low sleep needs child, she's 5 and at the moment sleep 9.15-7.30 in the week and often 9.15-6.30 at the weekend.

I have a 3 month old and he already is a different baby altogether. My daughter was probably 3 when she was able to sooth herself but he's already able to calm himself at times

I'd look careful about reason for waking, what you are providing overnight and what the step wise changes to reduce the reliance on you for sleep.

Hats off to you 👏🏼, that sounds so tough!! You've made a great point about pain. My daughter is really effected by teething pain. My son (he is 3, almost 4) wasn't as bad when it came to teething, one bad night sort of thing. She can't self soothe so this is something I need to work on for sure.

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Original poster

SundayMay · 16/12/2025 02:58

earlymorningriserzz · 15/12/2025 22:11

Is she able to self settle? Does she nap in the day? :)

Unable to self soothe and yes she does nap. Although we have tried different timings, length of nap etc x

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Make me feel better - Almost 2 yrs old & sleep

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