How do I get 13 month old DD to sleep a little later?

[Blatherskite]

DS was an amazing sleeper, 12 hours a night from about 10 weeks, even occasional lie ins! I always said that we were due a nightmare sleeper next time and I was totally right.

In comparison, DD has always been difficult sleep-wise - Not as bad as some I've heard about on here but she was a year old before we got a full nights sleep. We had got to the point where we were getting 7pm till 6am fairly regularly but recently, wake ups have been getting earlier and ealier again and now we're back to 5-5.30am and DH and I are so tired, we're ripping each others heads off.

We've tried moving bedtimes and I'm convinced now that we've got it as late as we can manage without her being over tired (bath at 6.30, bed at 7pm) Naps have always been bad but we've finally managed to get 2 decent sleeps in a day (about an hour from 9.30am and another 30-40 mins from 1.30pm most days. She does regularly refuse an afternoon nap though) She's close to walking so she's having plenty of physical activity. Food was good but recently, she's been refusing meals, especially dinner. I've been so desperate to get her to eat something before bed, that I've even taken to buying in multiple tubs of the only jarred food she'll eat so I can make sure she's had something before she goes down. I'd prefer her to eat home cooked obviously but I was desperate! She has a quiet room and black out blinds - although it's still pitch dark when she wakes anyway.

I know someone's going to say "ha, up at 5.30, mine wake 26 times a night and I never get more than 20 minutes sleep and they're 12, you've got it good" but we're really struggling. We managed to get into such a massive fight over fitting a stairgate today that my wedding ring is off and one of us will be sleeping on the sofa tonight DS (3.9) is also struggling with being up that early and it's affecting his behaviour at pre-school. He's in the room next door to her so when she starts screaming, she wakes him up too.

Does anyone have any advice? Just another hour in the morning would make all the difference to us I think.

Thanks Pavlov. She had masses of dinner again (thank goodness for Butternut Squash Risotto) and did some more walking for Daddy. I noticed that front incisor has broken through now too - stil waiting for a pre-molar that is very close though.

Fingers crossed for both of us tonight.

Got another busy day tomorrow so hoping I can wear her out for another long afternoon nap.

It's all gone wrong today. DS woke himself - and everyone else - up at 5.40am with a nasty cough. Tried resettling DD but she was having non of it and we were all up by 6.

Because of the early monring, she was ready for her nap early so fell asleep on the way back from picking DS up from pre-school and was so zonked, I had no choice but to put her to bed. She slept for an hour and 40 minutes.

So she was mega tired at bedtime again - so am I for that matter!

Hoping for a better day tomorrow

A two hour nap yesterday, followed by being put to bed by DH while I went out for a rare and much needed night out, settled perfectly.

Then proceeded to wake two hourly through the night and up at 5:15am I attempted to put him back to sleep until 5:50am and then gave up and he got more and more upset and woke DD up.

He then, like your DD, napped early this morning, and is now asleep again on me. Who knows what is in store. No teeth visible, but must be teething as despite an increase in apetite again, has gone back to not much interested and being a bit fussy.

we will get there blather.

Today was better. She woke at 6.04 again then resettled till about 20 past. She battled sleep all morning too and held out until 1.30pm even though she'd been rubbing her eyes at Toddler group at 11am! She only had an hours nap though. She ate loads of pasta at dinner time though. Hoping for a good night.

Hope you had a good night last night. You're right, we will get there just hope it's before they're 16

Ooh,a mixed bag for us at the minute too. DD has her zillionth cold and cough so naps and night sleep are up and down. Good luck and hope things keep improving for you

7.13am

Pity she woke up crying at 3.40am and DS woke up coughing at 4.30am and 6.30am else it's have been a good night's sleep!

DH is ill today too. I really hope we don't all get it or else that's going to put us back again

I hope your DD feels better soon mewkins

She's had a 2h 15min nap this afternoon!!

All this rest means she'll be up at 4am tomorrow doesn't it?

DH still really ill and DS cough no better either. This does not bode well