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19 month old DD not sleeping - again...

1 reply

festivalwidow · 22/11/2011 14:20

Not sure whether this needs to be in Behaviour, but DD's lack of sleep is affecting my brain..
DD does not appear to need to sleep much at all. She is perfectly cheerful and energetic in the day, and will generally sleep from 8:45ish to 5am, when she is ready to start the day with a vengeance. If a daytime nap happens it lasts for 20 minutes tops (20 minutes at nursery, 5 minutes- maybe- at home). She gets loads of exercise, plenty of fresh air and eats well.

DH and I have always eaten fairly late anyway (he doesn't get home until 7:30), and when DD went to bed at 8:15 we usually waited until she was asleep before our evening meal. Now DD is going to bed later and later, DH suggests she should stay up while we eat and go to bed at 9 in the hope she might stay asleep until 6.

When we've tried this before, DD has a) wanted to eat a second dinner with us despite having had her tea earlier, b) charged around like a lunatic until 11, and c) still woken up at 5am. Since it takes a while for me to settle her down, I figure I'd rather have my dinner in peace rather than risk indigestion running after a hyper toddler intent on destroying the house.
Tried settling her earlier, dim lights, the wretched Sleepy Bunnies song, total silence, Go To Sleep Sleepy Ones eight times in succession, TV, no TV, music, no music, PUPD, CC, CIO...

Anyone have any ideas, or thoughts on whether DH or I are right?

OP posts:
bebemoojem · 22/11/2011 18:05

hmmm tough as every child is different...

Does she need to eat earlier? can she eat with you and Dh? Have her biggest/main meal during the day so she only needs a 'snack' in the evening. If you have supper on the table when dh gets home she can have a little to eat with you guys and then have a tuck up in bed with some books. I know with my dd27m she can be quite tired and then go passed her sleeping time in the evening and GOES NUTS, jumping and running and throwing things all over the place and can be up to 11. Very stressful. If you put her to bed does she scream and scream for you? or can she settle herself? We could put dd in bed with a few books and soft toys when she was this age and she'd entertain herself and fall asleep on her own.

Try keeping to routine, and have part of that routine as 'quiet time' or 'resting time' during the day... leave her in her cot or gated bedroom to play. (She can play all she wants but you get a break for a half hour to lay down. :) I do this with dd when she gets bad.

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