Ready to pack her bags

[loutyre]

I am exhausted! My little girl is 20 months and has never slept through the night. She wakes up every night at least 3 times and we are always up at 5am. She has a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day, she has a bedtime milk then when she's finished I just take her upstairs and lay her down and she goes to sleep. She doesn't have a dummy or comforter. When she wakes sometimes it's for milk, sometimes it's nothing obvious like too hot/cold. She just sits with me for a while then points to go back in her cot where she will go back down. I'm probably really lucky that she doesn't wake for long and doesn't scream the place down. Tried ignoring her, tried laying her back down, tried giving her water during the night. Both me and partner clearly weren't ready to have a baby because non of us are pleasant on disrupted sleep. We have got the point where we are snapping at each other and making nasty comments.

Please if you have any tips I would really appreciate it

Hi, sleep deprivation is like torture! I wouldn’t give her milk in the night I would give her water incase she’s thirsty, as water is boring compared to milk. Do you think she just needs to see you in the night? As I’m wondering if it’s separation anxiety, my son has been really affected by this and still is. If so he has a comforter which helps and sometimes I know it’s not ideal but I sleep with him that way he gets sleep and so do we. Not sure if I’ve helped but didn’t want to ignore your post.

Not popular on mumanet.. But I suggest using controlled crying. NOT the same as cry it out, but teaching them to sleep through. Sleep is a skill that needs to be taught and learnt imo, and your sleep needs are not to be undervalued.