About to snap, taking 3hrs+ to get 16mo to sleep at night

[Starch1e]

I'm utterly fed-up and close to breaking point. Need to rant, not sure anyone has solutions to the rod I've made for myself...

DD has been a rubbish sleeper since 9 months when we moved her into cotbed and she started being able to stand and pull herself up. Everything has gone backwards, prior to that it took 15-20mins to get her to sleep and she slept for 11-12 hours with minimal need for re-settling.

Because she wouldn't lie down in the cotbed I started cuddling her to sleep and then transferring to cotbed. Now its taking longer and longer for her to fall asleep and most evenings I can't transfer her to cotbed without her waking up. She's still awake now and running around because I got fed up with: rocking/cuddling till apparently asleep, transferring to cotbed, awake & screaming and going through the cycle again and again and again...

Eventually she will get so exhausted I can put her in cotbed without it waking her up, at least for a few hours. We co-sleep from about 1am once she wakes up again which is OK because I get a few hours sleep. But I need my evenings! I have so many things to do which aren't getting done because by the time she is asleep I'm exhausted, hungry & fed-up and angry with her.

So, how do I get her to like cotbed so I can put her down drowsy and it not cause immediate outrage & screaming fit? Also, how to get her drowsy without need to have hand stuffed down my top?

Starch I'm in the same position with my 17 month old son. So I'm watching with interest. Only difference is when I finally get him asleep he doesn't stay that way for more than a couple of hours.

Is she napping during the day for too long? Just wondering if she's not actually tired enough to go straight to sleep ...

Nodney lets hope someone can help! DD quite often wakes after only a few hours too, sometimes I can resettle her but that's why by 1am I give up and co-sleep.

theprodigalmum She naps for 1-2 hours during day and I try to make sure doesn't nap later than 3pm so should be tired by 7pm...

I'm in the same boat with my 15 month old.

One thing - DD needs 6 hours from her nap before she's tired again. So waking at 3 would be way too late. To go down at 7 DD would need to be awake by 1.

Watching with interest. In the same boat with my 18 month old. Currently waiting for her to go asleep beside me before transferring her to her cot. It could be another hour. I am so tired and fed up of this. It has been going on for two months.

I can only tell you what I would do - read her a story, tuck her up in bed, kiss her goodnight and leave. If she's still crying after 5-10 minutes, give her a cuddle, tuck her in again and leave.

At 17mo DD developed a violent dislike of the cot bed and it was impossible to keep her lying down.

So we took the side off she has fallen out a few times but we have a low bed guard from Ikea that keeps her in. Also a stair gate on her door.

Bedtime just means sitting on the end of the bed / the floor and every time she tries to get up, swipe her legs out. So much easier than bending over the side of the cot. We have now got to the point where we can sit on the other side of the room.