Sleep

[Slink]

Help this is my first time on the chat. I have a beautiful 2year old (when she agrees with me and sleeps). I won't bore you with my life details, but gave up work a year ago thinking life is too short blah blah. So things have been great getting to meet new mums and going to all the kiddie activites that i never new exsisted. I digress so sorry, well my two yr old has always been a good sleeper, bottle bed sleep, 7.30pm till 7am. Then bam three weeks ago stars screaming " need a hug mummy"on and on, so i have done serveral things. I started to hug her thinking bad dreams, scared, then thought no not working i'm up there for three hours, then did the scream for two mins and i will return....held her breath, then put a tape in her room so she could listen to stories as she wanted them all night. Then she wanted me to stay in the room, so i did fool that i am and yep played, so i decided that i would stay for a while then slowly leave the room, this can take from one -three hours a night, in which time i don't want ot speak to anyone grunt at my partner. So what can i do i am back to the let you cry but boy am i getting tired. Ontop of all this i am in a tizz as to have another child if i can find the energy to have sex, or return to work. arhhhhhhhhhhhh i do feel better having got that of my chest a little, but tomorrows another night. Answers please.

Hi Slink, much sympathy from me on the sleep front. We've definitely been there, done that withh dd2 who is almost 3 1/2 now. It does seem to be a 2yr old thing, maybe it's control, maybe they just have too much going on in their heads at bedtime to settle so well. My dds playing up did happen at the time when her imaginary play took off, so I do think they have more "fears" and worries at bedtime. But, it is a matter of choosing your routine and sticking to it and they will get the message eventually!!! Much easier said than done I know!! We went from one end of the spectrum to the other with dd2 and both struggled alot along the way! As you do anything to get some sleep in the end. Hope that helps a bit, keep us posted.

I just used to keep the light off cuddle her and refuse to utter a word - it worked and meant that even if I could not go to sleep until she had (who am I kidding) - I at least got close in the lying down on the bed sense. Putting a night light in her room might work and a clock - she can have 30 minutes of stories before she goes to bed and then light out and you will lie down with her.

As Batey said just stick to whatever you decide to do.

Check out Telletubbies thread on controlled crying in a bed. Wishing you luck.

Agree with you batey about it being a 2 yo thing. My dd was the same and I did all the wrong things, sitting with her, extra stories, letting her come back downstairs but in the end its a short fix as youn ever sort it, you just end up sitting in the chair longer and longer each night or reading more and more stories. Teletubbies thread is all about this but I would recommend putting her to bed and leaving her - harsh I now but it has worked for me twice now.

Hi thanks to all for the words of wisdom. No todays are the same though wow, today she had her Hib Booster slept three hours during the day then straight to sleep at 9.30pm, late i know.

I am going to carry on stick to my routine, bed 7.30-8pm one of us has to give in but i think i'll place the chair out side the room and catch up on some reading that way she will know i am there.