Please just tell me what to do

[UmuLuxury]

My 5 and 2.5 yos are just such terrible sleepers. I have been by the book since they were born. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've done any 'rod for my own back' type stuff. Probably wouldn't even fill one hand.

I'm starting to worry about their health tbh. A really amazing night for them would be nine hours (which NEVER happens). And that is clearly not enough for them as they are obviously so fraught.

2 yo wakes up all the time. Also often will wake up somewhere between 3 and 5 and then that's it for the day.

They are NOT:
Hungry, cold, uncomfortable, being woken by light or sound etc.

I am desperate for advice. No one in RL will believe that I have tried everything, that I am consistent etc, or that it's possible that they are this bad. So I can't bear to talk about it to friends.

Google Baby Tech Support. She's an online / phone sleep consultant who will work with you to solve your issues. I used her to sort out my early waking toddler and she was amazing.

She starts with a questionnaire / interview to establish your family life / routines etc then writes a tailored sleep plan which you work on for the next couple of weeks. She's there to support you through the whole thing, will cheerless you through it and will tweak the plan as you go if you need it.

She will also make sure that you are 100% consistent and give you the confidence to stick with something even if it, at first, doesn't seem to be working.

Good luck

To sleep, young children, toddlers and babies need to feel comforted. It is that safe, secure, contended, snuggly feeling. They grow out of needing this around school age, but until then they need thing a that help them feel comforted. Some examples of ways to encourage this self comforting would be:

• dummy or thumb sucking
• comforter toy
• blankie, muslin snuggled
• cosleeping and cuddling up to you
• your presence as they go to sleep
• rhythmic movements - rocking, patting, tickling either to self or by someone else.

In your quest to avoid The Rod For Your Back, have you not taught any comforting mechanisms?

Thanks for advice everyone. fate yes younger has a teddy and blanket. Older used to but not interested any more.

I'm loathe to use sleep coach as I just can't believe it will work but it probably is a good idea!

I would do rapid return. Just keep returning back to bed. A million times if needed. As soon as child gets up, return to bed, tuck in, say nan night and leave. Repeat over and over again.