Still not sleeping thru at 2.5yo...

[lollipopmother]

I think I am slowly being killed off by DD who wakes up at least once a night still, she is 2.5 years now and I have had 1 uninterrupted night since Xmas. Normally she wakes up 2 or 3 times a night, I always go in and she resettled quickly. At this point should I just leave her to moan? She doesn't get out of bed anymore but she used to a lot. Any tips? Do I just leave her or is there another way?? She doesn't nap anymore and sleeps for 10-11 hrs in total a night.

Sorry to say, I think it might be time to get tough and leave her to moan and self-settle at least once or twice in the night (unless she's ill).

My DD is 2.7 and a terrible sleeper. We've got tougher with her since Christmas and things are getting better. If she's just moaning or crying a little bit, I leave her to it. I find that I can tell when she's sitting up and crying just by listening, and then I do sometimes go into her. Sometimes she also says "I want Mummy" and if she says that over and over I will go in after a minute or so.

Just hold off a minute or two and see what happens.

How does she go to sleep at night? Do you have to do anything specific or can you leave her to it? It could be that your bedtime routine is training her to rely on you to get to sleep (whether it's a feed, drink of milk, or a back rub). So you may also have to start withdrawing at bed time and leave her to self-settle then (make up some excuse to leave the room, tell her you'll be back to check on her soon once you've done whatever it is you need to do).

You're being far too nice to her!

At about that age I told mine that they could get up and come to see me if they'd had a nightmare but that if they just woke up in the night and then woke me up to go in to them I'd be a very tired grumpy mummy in the morning!

Seriously - if you ask dd to be kind and not wake you up she may well be fine with it. If she does wake you then comment - 'Oh dear I wish you would just go back to sleep on your own - I feel so tired if you wake me up'.

But perhaps I'm just a bad mother!

ps mine are 15 and 17 and I don't think I traumatised them too much with this approach - I certainly started to get better sleep by the time they were about 3.

I'm sorry I agree; you're being too nice! Either that or I'm being a rubbish mum. My DD1 is 2.2 and does wake up at night. If I get 3 uninterrupted nights out of 7 this is a miracle. I've always used (except when I give in!) controlled crying and still do this now so when she wakes I don't go in until about 10 mins later, unless she is ill or is screaming blue murder. Then I say 'time for sleep', 'you're ok' and go out again. then I wait for 15 mins before going in. Usually she gives up and goes to sleep. I remember when I had my DD1 and thought that after the magic 12 weeks when they apparently 'sleep through' all my problems would be over! Ha ha.

Haha, I know I'm too nice but I'm just taking the easy route really as she goes straight back to sleep if I go in. I will leave her tonight and see what happens, I think she'll get up tbh so I'll be up anyway but you never know. I was rather hoping there would be a miracle cure to make her sleep thru!!

She has always been a crap sleeper but she has generally been good going to sleep, we read 2 stories then bed, no messing around with comforting etc, she rarely gets up or causes any trouble, it's just staying asleep that's the issue!!