17 month old very light sleeper, can I do anything?

[bigfishlittlefishtupperwarebox]

Hi all

I'm just wondering if anyone has managed to get their light sleeping DC to sleep more soundly? Currently our DD goes to bed at 7 and settles herself to sleep. She'll then wake approximately 3/4 times until we go to bed (by 11 usually), only rarely will she wake after that.

We end up creeping around if we need to go upstairs to the loo or for a bath etc as the slightest thing can wake her (stairs creaking, opening our bedroom door etc). The strange thing is, if we go for a walk and she falls asleep in the buggy, I can leave her to sleep outside for her nap and she will sleep through dogs barking, traffic noise etc.

Also, when she does wake, she will go right back down usually if we go and put her dummy back in. She rarely grabs it and goes back down herself, although we don't leave her too long as are worried she will wake up too much and not go back down!

Does anyone have any advice please?

Do you use white noise at all? Our DS is a little older but we had terrible trouble even getting out of his bedroom when he was that age as he would stir at the slightest thing - we use a free white noise app and find that very helpful for muffling household noise while he sleeps.

Do you leave that running all night @BewareOfTheToddler? We use a "Ewan" sheep but it only plays for 10 minutes or something so just switch it on when we go in the room...? Not tried leaving anything running!

Both of mine did this until they were 2 and then it just got better.
I wouldn’t worry too much as long as she’s not actually disturbing you when you’re asleep!

Ds1 was like this until he was about 2/3. Now I can literally go into his room when he's sleeping and put washing away, bang about as much as I want. And he's slept through 7 months of ds2 waking all hours of the night...

That being said, if the waking only happens until you go to bed (have I read that right?) then you could have white noise on for that time? I think you can get some apps with a timer.

Have you tried putting multiple dummies in the cot so she can feel around for one and put it back in herself before she really stirs. Made a big difference to our ds.

I might try that too @Eeeeek2 , thanks. Although sometimes it's right in front of her! Think she just wants settled back down. Fingers crossed the two together will help!

Thanks all for your advice!

We do use white noise all night long - not sure if that's recommended . I suspect it's most necessary when we're pottering around - we used to live in a flat and it was more of an issue then because of the layout.