Im loosing my mind.
My 22 month old daughter keeps waking in the night. She started sleeping through at 6 weeks but since 6 months when we got rid of the dummy (fed up of waking to re-insert) we have had nothing but problems. Initially she would sleep through for 3/4 weeks and then we'd have a week or so of sleepless nights, but recently its getting to the point where we seem to have 4/5 days sleeping through followed by 4/5 days of not. We stupidly got into the bad habbit of letting her take milk to bed to drink to go to sleep which was ok for a while until she started waking for milk, which to start with we did as it was easy to get it and her go straight back off, until she'd down 9oz and cry for more then wake as she was wet due to amout of fluids. So about April this year we got rid of the bottle and this is when things have got worse. She is now still waking crying for bot bot after almost 9 months. There isnt a pattern of what time she wakes, but whatever time she wakes she will be awake for 1.5-2 hours.
Things weve tried:
Leaving her, if she isnt screaming (sometimes just shouts)
She switches light on in her room (because shes in box room only other place we can fit cot, is under window and she pulls curtain pole down), so tried just standing outside her door and as soon as she switches light on I go in switch it off, lie her down, and this is repeated upto 10 times until she takes the hint and lies down, but still wont go back to sleep.
Tried more food/less food
More clothes/less clothes
Earlier/later bed times
She isnt thristy as offer water but just throws on floor.
Ive never rewarded her waking with cuddles etc.
I feel like im loosing my mind, I work almost full time, hubby works nights and when he is on days he does 60 hours a weeks, plus gets up at 5, and he doesnt seem to hear her, so although he'll say wake me and ill help by the time ive woke him im awake anyway.
She has the loudest cry ever, and I feel bad for the neighbours. Luckily my DS who is 4 is a heavy sleeper so she doesnt always wake him.
She also intermittently wants to start the day at 5am, but ive noticed this tends to happen when she has a later night for whatever reason (usually asleep by 6-6.30)
She is also on the boarder between dropping sleeps, she will still have a nap but have to make sure she doesnt sleep past mid-day or else cant get her to bed.
I feel awful saying this but im starting to hate her when she wakes, shes beautiful and so clever, but god i wish she'd just sleep.
Any tips. Just to say weve done exactly same with DD as we did with DS and hes a great sleeper, always has been.
Shes still in cot and think over xmas whilst im off work ill change it to the bed, but tbh I dont see this making any difference.