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Sleep

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Original poster

How often do/did your toddlers wake during the night?

49 replies

Queendedede · 02/11/2015 12:20

I'm sure the amount my 18mo wakes is abnormal now. I'm thinking Something Must Be Done before we all expire or lose the threads of sanity that we still have. Problem is that the 'something' will be either CC of CIO, both of which make me feel sick at the thought, but then so does continuing how we are!

OP posts:

JuniorMint · 02/11/2015 20:58

Queen How does ds go down initially? Are there any stretches he tends to do longer? DD goes down fine at 7.45/ 8pm and will usually sleep until around midnight so a good 4 hour stretch. Annoying though- that is not when I'm in bed! I'm a teacher so am busy doing my work after she goes to bed. Then it's the early hours she's more unsettled.
Are you like me- each night when I put DD down I cross my fingers that tonight will be the night she magically sleeps through and it will all click into place...

Kim82 · 02/11/2015 21:05

My 15 month old wakes once a night at the most, some nights she doesn't wake at all. 6 weeks ago she was waking every 30-60 minutes so as I have 3 other kids to look after too I took matters into my own hands, took away the dummy (gave a teddy in it's place for comfort) and only offered water when she woke instead of milk. We had 1 horrendous night of me sitting next to her cot for 30-40 mins each time she woke either patting her back or cuddling her until she went back to sleep. The second night she woke 3 times but settled within a minute or two and since then she has woken once a night for a quick sip of water, cuddle of her teddy then back to sleep. It's bliss!

We was ill with croup last week so was up a lot through the night which is to be expected but has gone straight back to sleeping well as soon as she felt better.

Ragwort · 02/11/2015 21:06

My DS never woke at night - apart from one very quick night feed up until 8 months - but I was very, very strict about bed time routines (GF follower ) etc etc. I honestly think it will be very, very difficult to start a sleep training regime for an 18 month baby- particularly if he is so attached to you.

I appreciate that a huge amount of my DS's ability to sleep so well was just sheer good luck.

kinkytoes · 02/11/2015 21:18

Mine never wakes now unless he's ill. But we did sleep training before he turned one (CC). Couldn't have carried on losing all that sleep.

curlyLJ · 02/11/2015 22:17

I was just coming on here for exactly the same issue!

DD can and has slept through (7-7) in the past, from say 10 months to about 14 months, then we had the occasional night waking for a bit but easily settled most of the time... Over the last 2-3 months however, it has got progressively worse (DD now 18m) and is currently waking at least twice a night
Not sure if we have made the problem worse by offering her a bit of milk when she wakes, but 99% of the time it gets her back off quickly, although now I wonder if she is waking for the milk and is becoming a habit. The last time she slept a full night with no wakings was about 3 weeks ago and I am exhausted. These nights are few and far between. She only has 6 teeth so I guess there has to be more on the way, but she is not really crying in pain or anything when she wakes
Am seriously considering a bit of sleep training again as it worked at 10 months. Will be interested to see how you get on and what others are saying on this thread.

Rinceoir · 02/11/2015 22:30

Mine wakes once usually (18months). We've just come through weeks of waking 3+ times a night, constant breastfeeding and best of all wanting to sleep on top of me, with her cheek on mine. Sweet yes, but comfortable no! She's smart though, she seems to sense when I'm at breaking point and about to try out sleep training and then she sleeps through of her own accord for a night or two just to give me hope! I honestly don't think I have the stomach for it anyway. My colleague has a 17month old who also wakes a lot.

Queenhoneybee · 02/11/2015 22:53

My DS1 is now 4 & a half & still doesn't sleep through the night. Doesn't fall asleep till 8pm & raring to go before 6am. Believe me I've tried everything. He just doesn't need much sleep, I swear he's a machine. Whilst DS2, although he's only just turned 1, has sleep more in his short life than his brother has in total. Same routine etc etc. In fact DS1 had a much stricter routine, complete luck of the drawer I reckon.

IrritableBitchSyndrome · 02/11/2015 22:59

DD 2.5 wakes 3 or 4 times most nights, has only recently started to fall asleep in her own bed then come in to us later rather than starting in our bed, and still can only fall asleep on the boob. Totally different to both her older siblings. DD1 just went to bed and slept through from about 6 months, DS appeared to need very little sleep and was up and down all night long for many many years. Might account for the very long gap between him and little DD

SweetAdeline · 02/11/2015 23:11

Dd (3.5) seems to wake from nightmares pretty much every night atm. She also bounces into our room as soon as her gro clock allows her (7am) but I often hear her in her room awake earlier. Ds (nearly 2) sleeps 13hrs a night straight through and has a 2hr nap in the afternoon. At the weekend when we have no preschool run he often sleeps 7pm-9am.

SweetAdeline · 02/11/2015 23:14

Same as Queen, I was much stricter about sleep and routine with dd for all the good it did me. Ds slept on my chest for the first three months (only way he would sleep at all), then was rocked to sleep in pushchair until older than 1 for every nap.

yorkshirejo · 03/11/2015 00:32

Same! 15 month old DS wakes 5/6 times a night for last 6 months crying out as if in pain...We cosleep which I'm fine with, but we're beyond, just beyond shattered...

Original poster

Queendedede · 03/11/2015 07:37

I am very strict about the bedtime the bedtime routine and we have no issues with that. He goes down for the night like a beauty as a result. He does a 3+ hour stretch at some point in the night but usually in the last half more than the beginning. Last night it was 2.30am until 6.30am, which was great as it means I get to appreciate it!

OP posts:

Rinceoir · 03/11/2015 08:37

Isn't it really annoying how you can sort bedtime but they still wake! I read every sleep book out there but they all said once baby is self settling at bedtime they will self settle all night- well it makes no difference how mine goes to sleep, she will still want a cuddle/milk at night if she wakes.

trilbydoll · 03/11/2015 08:40

DD1 wakes once to come in with us about 70% of the time, she does sometimes sleep through.

Last Xmas, when she was 20m, we tried to get her to stay in her bed. It was awful, we ended up with hourly waking, DH was getting ill he was so tired. We kept at it for 6w, but eventually admitted defeat!

Joneseygirl77 · 03/11/2015 14:28

My dd is 19mo next week and for the past 3 weeks she's been waking anywhere between 2-6 times per night. We've had whimpering cries which sounded like bad dreams to shouting mummy or daddy. Her naps have got shorter and she's waking up in the middle of them and we've had earlier wakings. We had a sleep consultant helping us last year so we're quite strict on bedtime. She can self settle unless she's ill and we can tell her poorly cry from her moaning cries.

She's had a cold over past week or so and her second molars are on the move as she's got huge bumps on her bottom gums. I'm putting all the disruption down to illness/ teeth and the 18mo sleep regression.

Hoping the end is in sight soon as I'm knackered with all the broken sleep!!

Sorry to hijack your post OP but has anyone got any idea of how long 18mo regression will last?

JuniorMint · 03/11/2015 21:50

I am now wondering about back molars as DD has been very upset/crying a lot today. It's very upsetting and wearing!

When I read threads like this I swing between relief that others are in the same boat, and horror at how much longer this could go on for...

mummalumma · 03/11/2015 21:54

DD1 woke at least 3 times per night until the age of 2.5 yrs when I plucked up the courage to night wean her off the breast. She was a hideous sleeper and the only reason I BF her for so loong was because it helped to settle her more quickly when she woke so frequently in the night. Interestingly, after about 3 weeks of night-weaning her she started doing about 6 hour chunks of sleep. Amazing!!

Joneseygirl77 · 04/11/2015 14:57

Juniormint I'm assuming teeth must be playing a part for us but it could be anything! My DD is horrendous with teething- she had 16 teeth by 16mo and we always have a bad run before they cut.

I know these back molars are bad too as they move around for ages and take a long time to cut. I apply anbesol at bedtime when I think she's teething and I can feel her gums are swollen but hard at the same time so guess we're in for a few more weeks of hell till they cut!

Original poster

Queendedede · 04/11/2015 17:34

Jonesey my DS is the same - had 16 teeth at 17 months, waking every hour each time he had one cutting! He is nearly 19 months now, presumed the last set of molars wouldn't make an appearance for a few months yet so ruled that out as a cause. He also doesn't seem painful on wake ups but maybe he is better at dealing with it now he is older?

Anyway, I'm just feeling like a really bad parent right now, I almost regret having him - I have a 6yr old DS too and I can't help but thinking how different out lives would be right now if I weren't so sleep deprived and down all the time. I just want him to improve a little but without having to hardcore sleep train because I know I couldn't see it through. But maybe that would be best for all, including him?

OP posts:

Joneseygirl77 · 04/11/2015 19:48

Tbh I'm just assuming the teeth must be playing a part as my dd has generally had her teeth arrive 2 month earlier than teeth eruption guides. So lower back molars start at 23m so figure we've got 2mo to go plus her gums are so swollen that I can feel the teeth underneath!

Re sleep training it's a bloody hard decision to make but we felt we had to do it. It's such a personal decision for you and your family and only one that you can make. I found lack of sleep and constant broken sleep so hard to deal with so I do sympathise. We knew we weren't strong enough to do it on our own so got help from a great sleep consultant who'd come recommended to me by a friend.

My dd still isn't great with daytime naps and I'll often take her for a drive at the weekend to ensure she naps. But I'm fine with that...also know she'll be one of those that drops her nap by 2 unlike my godson who still does 2hrs at 3.5 !

I honestly haven't got any advice as it is a decision only you can make. I do know what you mean about wanting them to improve on their own without you having to get involved. I often think you could cope with it better if someone said right this will all get better in 3 months...unfortunately we all know parenting and these phases aren't like that though!

Joneseygirl77 · 04/11/2015 19:52

Actually just one other thought I've started cutting out cheese after lunch with my DD. She was having a babybel or some cheddar at afternoon snack or with dinner and I'm
convinced it was giving her nightmares! I often have strange dreams if I have cheese in the evening. Random I know but I honestly think it was affecting her

Original poster

Queendedede · 04/11/2015 20:50

He hasn't had any dairy since 8mo other than goats milk formula as I was convinced it was a cause of bad sleep.... Now too scared to reintroduce in case sleep gets worse than it is!

OP posts:

Joneseygirl77 · 04/11/2015 21:05

Hmm well my sleep consultant did advise me to try and always give a protein rich meal at dinner time. It helps fill their tummies and helps to rule out waking through hunger. Sweet potatoes and Turkey are also supposed to help with releasing sleep hormone (I read that on millpond clinic guide...I read a lot of sleep guides!)

Might be worth checking that you give your ds protein in his evening meal...sure you do but just trying to think of anything to help!

Needaninsight · 04/11/2015 21:08

Never. Unless they're poorly. Sorry!! They both love their beds!

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