13 month old baby doesn’t need sleep?

[ElyElyOy]

My 13 month old isn’t sleeping. He never really has. It was midnight before he settled last night, and he was awake again at 6am. He only napped for 2 hours this lunch so I thought tonight might be different, but no: wide awake climbing up and down the sofa (no toys are out, all go away after tea time). Laughing and shouting, while I’m sobbing.

People say it gets better but it doesn’t. I’ve tried routines, increasing naps, deacreasing naps, altering his diet, but it doesn’t make a difference. My DH thinks he has ADHD or something (he is on the go all day, it’s relentless) but surely he’s too young? I mean he’s clearly tired (falling over, putting his head down, rubbing his ears) but just won’t go.

Do sleep consultantions work? Do some babies just not need the same sleep as others? I know Margaret Thatcher only needed 5 hours a night, but surely that doesn’t start from birth?!

What is yojr daily routine? How do yojr evenings go in the run up to bedtime?

What would he do if you just put him in his cot and left him to it? Instead of letting him crawl around the living room.

He doesn’t play after tea time. Then has a walk (it is fine, if not plays with DH something like bricks), gets ready for bed, has a story and then a bottle (he is CMPA and underweight so we still have to give him formula). Baths at bedtime are a no no - he screams and gets more woken up.

If we leave him in his cot he screams and cries.

I should add I can usually get him to nap in the day either in the car seat or in his pushchair: although some days even that’s a disaster! If he wants to sleep he will go within a few minutes and last 1-2 hours (depending if it’s a 1 or 2 nap day), other days you could walk half way around the world and he would still be awake.

I swore by a snooze shade for the pram for naps on the go.

I don't mean just abandon him in the cot but what about quite an early bedtime (7pm at latest if only one nap) and he doesn't leave the cot after that? Keep the room dark and quiet, no talking, comfort with patting or cuddling in cot?

Mine get quite "wired" if they are over tired and seem like they are hyper but they really need to sleep.

We use a snuz shade, one of the first things I brought when it became obvious he was a bad sleeper.

We’ve tried early bed times and late bed times. We do the dark/quiet/calm/patting/no talking thing, but haven’t tried leaving him in the cot so I could try that :)

I genuinely think he just doesn’t need sleep. My DH never needs much sleep, and neither do I in comparison to other people: 6 solid hours is about enough, but as baby wakes a few times in the night (settles relatively ok some times or comes in my bed) I’m lucky to get 5 hours of broken sleep.

I know different people need different amounts of sleep but it seems like hardly any for such a wee one. for you!