I have a sleep thief

[IHaveASleepThief]

DD is 1, and is a nightmare to get to sleep.
Currently she has her own bed next to ours, as she hated her cot. Point blank had a meltdown as soon as she saw it. After four months of it, I relented and got her her own toddler bed.

Now we have a set routine but the past three weeks she refuses to sleep. Tea and bath would be at 7.30, with a story and cuddles and in bed at eight fast asleep.
Now its a miracle if she's asleep by eleven, she cries constantly, climbs out of her bed, trying to engage our attention and I'm at my wits end. Both me and dp work full time, I'm shattered as getting a maximum of four hours sleep each night, dp the same. She has two 30 mins nap in the day, that's all.
She's not ill, not teething, I just don't know if this is a phase she's going through?
I refuse to use cc, she gets her self into such a state that she makes herself sick, does none of us any good.

I saw your post and didn't want to leave it unanswered. I really hope that you had a better night last night.

I have a 2 year old sleep thief. Actually he's doing well at the moment, but he periodically stops sleeping. We've now come to realise that he has these phases and that they do pass. We have found that the very thing to to is to stick to our routines as much as possible. Also grabbing our own sleep whenever we can is important. I don't lnow if this will be helpful at all, but I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone. Your DD is still very little; she'll come right in the end. Good luck x

You have a one year old (12 months?) in a bed - this is far, far too young.

She hated and refused the cot. She also now appears to be refusing the bed at night too. So the bed had achieved nothing. Therefore go back to the cot, she should be in the cot for at least another year.

She'll not like it, but she also doesn't like the bed and teaching her to sleep and stay in a cot will be much easier than a bed.

Now its a miracle if she's asleep by eleven, she cries constantly, climbs out of her bed, trying to engage our attention and I'm at my wits end.

I think that very much sounds like she's crying for a long, long, time anyway so I am not sure how different controlled crying would be.

This is not a phase she is going through, she 'should' be sleeping better than this.

Have you looked into Shush Pat? Or Pick Up Put Down? Both are sleep training methods.

And put the sides back on that cot.

She slept like a dream last night, it was much appreciated

Fate Destiny, she's been sleeping in a bed for a good ten weeks now, its only after she was admitted into hospital she's having problems sleeping at night.
I do understand that its not the recommended age for her, but she is able to climb up and out of it on her own. There is no chance of her falling when she's asleep, trust me, I didn't sleep properly for the first week she was in it, I just watched how she was In it.
Like I say, the routine I had with her was amazing for both of us, its trying to break her back into it now that's the problem and was generally asking if anyone elses dc went through phases.

Great news. Good luck