help needed with 15mth old

[tots2ten]

dd4 has taken to not sleeping (saying that she has never ever slept a full night solid) The last week has been the worst, I am running on less than 4 hours sleep a night and I am now really snappy. I have decided I really dont like DH (irrational as he is great usually) but last night, he was being a prize prat.

His usual answer to dd4 waking at stupid o'clock is to put her in the play pen downstairs and one of us sleeps on the sofa. I knew that it would be me who had to sleep on the sofa as he is working earlies today. But the night before we were playing the dummy game (she throws it I go fetch it) for 4 hours, and I ended up with only 3 hours sleep before the dummy game started again.

I want (NEED) her to sleep through the night, or at least until a sane time of the morning.

It makes no difference what she eats during the day. Although if she eats potatoes I have noticed she will sleep until at least 3am.

dd4 goes to bed at 7pm, it was a routine that she fell into, if she goes to bed later she wont sleep at all, she gets too over tired. Normally she wakes from midnight and then wont go back to sleep in her cot. I am no longer breastfeeding in the night, she has a bottle of cows milk before bed, and this made a difference to begin with.

When she does wake, she justs screams (not cries) a sort of AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH then a short break to breathe then it starts again.

She is down to one nap a day agian in the hope that it would make her sleep better during the night but it hasnt made any difference at all.

First of all my sympathies. My nearly 16 month old is a terrible sleeper although improving.

Second of all, don't take her out of the cot and into the playpen. Keep her in the room. Tell her it's bedtime. After a few times, don't say anything and keep resettling - pick up andcuddle then lie down, maybe keep a hand in her. Be boring. This works quite well with DS unless somethings wrong like teeth (so we give calpol) or he's got bum wind.

Make sure there's nothing wrong and she's not hungry. DS still feeds once at night. Give her big lunches and not so big dinners because indigestion might be waking her.

DS has just started sleeping through randomly for the last two nights after NEVER doing it. I don't expect it to last. Only thing I've done is not made night times a game and tries to fix any discomfort he has.

Oh and DS has two naps - he especially needs two of he's been up at night. So I'd suggest you try reintroducing two naps because she could be a bit sleep deprived which makes things worse.

Thank you. My others were all sleeping through before they were 6mths old, so its a shock to the system to still be up and down several times a night.

She slept a bit better last night, the only thing that was different is that she didnt drink her bottle of milk before bed.

So I am not going to give her a bottle tonight and see if that makes a difference.

Maybe the cows milk upsets her tummy or gives her wind?

Well since I last posted I have not been giving dd4 cows milk for bed, and she has slept through the night and she is a lot happier during the days too and eating more of her food