Toddlers sleeping habits.

[ListenLinda]

Hi all, in need of some advice, maybe from people who have been through similar? Or people from the other end of the spectrum who have had no problems!

Anyway, DD is now 21 months old, i’m 6 months pregnant with our second. Until now, we have been co-sleeping (i know, i know!). DD was a reflux baby and it’s the only way we all got any sleep. So, apart from taking her to bed at a similar time every night, not much of a bed time routine.

Then, after mat leave finished, I changed jobs to a job that didn’t have very child friendly hours, so again, never got her into a proper routine which I seriously regret now. Me and DH both agree we made a rod for our own backs, coupled with the fact that DD always wanted to be nursed to sleep and lately bed times have been a battle of wills. This has led to everyone being stressed and possibly why DDs sleep has been broken? (despite her being in our bed).

Anyway, i’m at the end of my tether, can’t keep sharing a bed with a wriggly toddler who really needs to go back to sleeping through the night, and in her own bed.

For a good 6 months DD was able to be put down to sleep in her cot and would sleep from 8pm-5am ish, coming in for a snooze and a cuddle until I had to get up for work.

So what do we do? How do we break these bad sleep habits, or is it too late?

I would love to be able to get my evenings back for a short while and get her sleeping properly again before the new baby comes.

So, sorry for the waffle! And if you made it this far, do you have any advice for a desperate mummy?

Not too late at all. We coslept with DD until 20 months but then we started disturbing each other. I got her a 3/4 double, bought bed guards, child friendly bedding (ASDA has a good range) and moved her into her big girl room. For the first week I slept with her and then on we cuddled her to sleep and left. When needed durring the night one of us hopped in with her. Now at 2.5 yrs old and she usually sleeps through.

Bedtime routine is important for my DD. Bath, nappy and stories and then lights out. A good night too. DD likes her gro clock. If she got out of bed and started to run around I told her if she was silly and got if bed then I would have to go to my room because I was tired.

It used to take her a ridiculous long time to get to sleep (1 hour) but when she started to get faffy with her afternoon nap I dropped her nap and now she is asleep within 10 mins. We did have to bring her bedtime much easier and the first month was tricky until she got used to it.

Thank you for your response. She generally only has one nap, after lunch at nursery. Today she had a much shorter nap and was cranky at tea time, but pushed through until 7.30pm. Took her upstairs with some milk, had a cuddle and laid her down, she rocked her legs a bit and i had to lay her back down twice but she soon went off.
Should this be the kind of thing I do every night? We dont bath every night because of her eczema..

I just know she will be awake again and in the night it’s like she knows she isn’t in our bed. Sometimes it’s easier to lay back down with her, should i give her a cuddle and lay her back down? Or resist picking her up and laying her back down until she goes back off?

I really don’t have the answers. All I know is what worked for us. I do think a routine is good but that does not include a bath. So maybe stories, milk and a particular song. I really don’t think there is a magic routine but a routine is good so a toddler knows what is coming next.

We got DD a big bed so we could cuddle her back to sleep durring the night. Sometimes this meant we fell asleep with her. Eventual she has learnt to self settle durring the night.

If DD wants a cuddle then she get a cuddle.