And I thought it couldn't get worse

[belindarose]

I've posted about DD (15mo) and her sleep many times. I've read about sleep regressions (thanks, AngelDog) which make a lot of sense, although DD has never come out of the first one. Just wondered if anyone had new light to shed on our problem as last night was horrendous.

About 4 or 5 nights a week she will be awake for around 2 hours in the middle of the night. Last night was a record 3 1/4. She has wide open eyes but mostly wants to sleep, just can't. Any thought of me leaving her at this time leads to violent crying (last night I went to get her a cup of water and she was so upset).

On top of this, she wakes 2 or 3 times and wants BF. I am happy enough with this, as it gets her back to sleep reasonably quickly, just can't cope with the epic awake session.

She wakes for the day between 5.30 and 6.30 am.

At bedtime she falls asleep in her cot (have been using NCSS methods of gradual withdrawal since August) with some help and certainly with me in the room. Can take 2 hours, but improving and sometimes only 20 mins. Occasionally she'll accept DH putting her to sleep as long as he does the whole bedtime routine. No chopping and changing.

She's an erratic napper - I do the best I can to give her daytime naps. Sometimes she's happier in a sling or the car, other times she'll sleep in the pram. Occasionally in her cot.

Walking, very active, very happy and sociable.

She has never really tolerated co-sleeping. When I've tried, she spends just as long awake, rolling around and trying to get comfortable. If she doesn't feel like sleeping she'd be off the bed and away now.

So, what should we try? Thanks.

ds never bloody stops moving when he's awake. The whole house is an assault course as far as he's concerned. But yy, I agree with your methods, and do pretty much the same thing. I think going with the flow is ultimately all we can do.

My DD is definitely a baby who builds tension though crying, we've been teaching her to settle herself the past few weeks and it seems to be working.

Basically, I started doing gradual retreat - so, putting her in cot and sitting other side of room singing/shushing until she settled. This worked after about 2 weeks or so - I would go and feed/rock her again if she got too upset.

Now I put her down and leave the room straight away. If she cries I wait a few seconds (no more than 20 or 30 or she would get worked up) and go back in, lie her down, shush her and walk back out. And it's working! I am amazed but now she mostly drops off after about 1 or 2 resettlings (is that a word?), sometimes even first time. This is major progress for us because before I would be spending at least an hour in the room getting her to sleep.

And I do think that the ability to settle themselves at bedtime makes all the other wakings easier - sometimes she will stir in the night, but more often than not now she will be back asleep before I'm out of bed. I used to have to feed her every time.

I hope that helps and doesn't sound too smug - I'm just really happy to finally have a baby who sleeps!

Yes, mine runs around all day as well. Outside as much as possible.
I've just looked up a few sleep clinics too. I agree, I'm sure there's nothing new we haven't thought of. But, I think I'd like someone to just tell me what to do!

How's it going, Habbibu? Surviving? We had what seemed like a major breakthrough a couple of nights ago and DD went to sleep pretty much as FruitSalad described above (although I was on the chair in her room, rather than out of the room). However, the following two nights she completely refused to let me put her in the cot awake, clinging tightly to my neck and screaming! She pointed to the chair and signed 'sing'. About 15 minutes of cuddling and singing and she was fast asleep. Has just requested the same for naptime. I guess she's telling me how she likes to go to sleep! Even with my rotten cold and sore throat, she still prefers my singing to silence in bed.