Hi, I'm really hoping someone has some tips/advice/been through the same thing as no one I know seems to have gone through it.
My little one has never been a great sleeper with periods of split nights (where she wakes for anywhere between 2-6hours in the night) but we have had brief spells of great sleeping! She's been having one nap a day since she was about 13 months as completely refused the morning nap. Up until recently we would put her in cot after lunch with white noise, curtains shut and leave her to entertain herself in the cot until she fell to sleep by herself. She would then go to bed in the same way at 7ish and fall asleep between 8-9 and sleep through with the odd problem here and there.
About 5 months ago her sleep went awful again, lots of night wakings and split nights and crying at bedtime and would only let me cuddle her to sleep but would still go down happy for nap. I've been finding that hard as I'm now 25 weeks pregnant and exhausted and she's heavy!
Then last week she has started screaming inconsolably at nap time too and has pretty much refused nap all week but is still having the split nights! I have been trying to do the chair retreat method to save my back which works putting her to sleep after no nap as she is exhausted but then after 6-8hours of being asleep she wakes up and is wide awake to start the day! Last night was 1.30-4.30am. I work part time, but I am so exhausted with sleep deprivation and being pregnant I'm finding it really hard to cope! I've contacted the Health Visitor who is coming next week to see if she can offer any help but on the phone she said 'she still needs her day time sleep to stop getting overtired and waking in night'. I have been trying everything I know to get her to nap but she won't! Even after swimming and followed by a car journey she didn't sleep. Screams when I try to get her to nap in her room and wriggles to get down if I cuddle her and screams if I try her in the pushchair!
I keep reading that split nights in toddlers is caused by too much sleep but she's doing it without any day time sleep! Her behaviour is becoming worse and worse which I think is really because she is so sleep deprived! I know I am!
Any advice or to even read that someone else is going through this / been through this is appreciated as everyone I know has never had this problem/ isn't having this problem and it's making me feel like the worse parent in the world!
Thanks xxx