6mo will not sleep tonight :-(

[exBrightonBell]

My ds is a somewhat rubbish sleeper at night at the best of times but tonight he seems to have decided that he WILL NOT SLEEP. We've been trying since 7pm to get him off and he is still awake. He's dreadfully tired but is just resisting sleep. Just when I think he's dropped off he jerks himself upright and thrashes around. This happens however I try and get him to sleep. I'm currently downstairs watching telly as I was beginning to go mad upstairs in the dark. He's playing happily with a toy whilst sat on my lap. I have run out of ideas...anyone up and got any thoughts?!! What if he never falls asleep again???

No advice but I'm up too! DS has a bit of a cold and just keeps waking himself up. He'll go back to sleep in my arms but will wake again after a few minutes in the cot.

Are you sharing a room with DS? If he's quite happy can you just ignore him or is he too noisy?

DS was like this last night. We ended up letting him play for a bit, and just had to wait till he was too exhausted to fight sleep anymore. We tried

• feeding him to sleep in the dark
• giving him calpol in case it was teething keeping him awake
• lying him in his cot with music on quietly
• walking him around the flat
• leaving him in the cot to wear himself out
• massage
• snuggling him up in a blanket
• giving him a bath
• reading to him
• singing to him

None of the above worked for us unfortunately, but maybe they'll work for you if you haven't already tried them?

He's not happy when he's thrashing around - if I leave him he gets more and more irate.

He only seems to be happy playing, even though he's clearly exhausted. I wish I knew more ways of trying to help him sleep. The longer this goes on the more I worry that tomorrow will be a disaster as well.

Thanks for the reply - I thought I might be on my own at this hour!

I hope he passes out soon for you. We ended up letting DS roll about on some cushions on the floor until he couldn't keep his eyes open.

MurderofGoths (love the name btw) - I could cry, I've done all of your list except the bath. I'm hoping he'll play himself into total exhaustion and be unable to resist. Either that or it'll be time to get up!

When DS does this (thrashing about preventing himself from dropping off, even though he is clearly exhausted), I lie next to him and hold his arms down (gently but firmly) either side of his head in a "surrender" position. That together with white noise and tapping a heartbeat rhythm of his chest helped finally get him off on Christmas Day when he would just. Not. Go. To. Sleep.

Hope he gives up eventually - it's killing, isn't it?

Hiya im up aswel my lil 1 is 7 months and just is awake al nyt its very frustrating drives me up the wall tryd everyfing but she just takes hours to go off any sugestions plz xx

Hi! A nursey friend of mine once told me that they jerk themselves awake when they're overtired, as my 2yr old has always done it! Now when she does it i just wrap a blanket around both of us on the sofa so that she is still, then she seems to give in, then i put her bed wrapped in the same blanket when she eventually drops off. Having said that i'm currently waiting for her to fall asleep in her own bed as i can't sneak her downstairs anymore! She used to be a good sleeper until the cot had to go...

Well he's finally given in. Fell asleep downstairs - I fed him after he played for a while with the lights and tv on. Wonder how long he'll last for? Knowing my luck, about 45 mins. I'm going to try to catch some sleep whilst I can, so good luck to those of you still up!

Yes i heard that to she just unsettles herself n then us wide awake she hates her cot soon as i put her jn ther her eyes ping open n the awful cryin starts reli frustrating so she ends up goin to sleep in her bouncer wich isnt ideal teething doesent help ur lucky yours is older i heard they get easier as they get older lol thanks for ur response :) x