14 month old still waking at night

[annobal]

DS2 has never needed as much sleep as ds1. However sleeping through the night has become the exception rather than the rule. He goes to bed at around 6.30-7pm and will usually wake at sometime between 3am-5.30. If it is earlier, he can usually be settled quite quickly with some water and a cuddle - he may wake again and he may not. This morning it was 5.30 and he then refuses to go back to sleep. He is in the same room as ds1 so we haven't ever really tried controlled crying. He does have a dummy. He is quite happily watching teletubbies now but will be really tired by about 10am, have an hour sleep then not sleep again for the rest of the day. Does anyone have any suggestions?

So tricky when they're in with a sibling. You're so wary of waking the other child that you don't try all the possible ways of getting him back to sleep. I know it's difficult without the space, but is there no way that you could move one of them into another room temporarily while you try some controlled crying? I find if my dd (13 months) wakes early, she will lie there talking and singing to herself for 20 minutes and then it suddenly goes quiet. I don't go into her until seven unless I can hear that she's really getting upset.When you say he refuses to go back to sleep, is he getting really upset and demanding to get up? Sorry not offering any easy answers but something might help.

He doesn't seem to do the lying in bed thing very well and seems to cry the moment he wakes up. I think that we will have to find a way to get him used to not getting up til 7 - ds1 has always been such a good sleeper and will amuse himself in bed (sorry - just read that back!). He does really get himself worked up and screams until someone comes in if we try controlled crying.