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Sleep

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Going mad due to lack of sleep

11 replies

Historyrepeating1234 · 22/09/2019 22:31

TIA for any responses. I have a 13 month old DD, since she was 9 months sleep has been terrible. She would wake every night between 10 and 12 then just want to be wide awake for 3 hours or more not unhappy, wanting to play. We got her into a strict nap routine about 6 weeks ago (daytime naps had always been a struggle). 2hr nap in the morning, 1 hour in the afternoon. This lead to her being more settled at night, still waking a couple of times but then going back to sleep. The last 3 weeks have been dreadful! We’ve not changed anything but she is now waking again between 9-11 and then wanting to be wide awake. She’s screams blue murder if we lie her back down, sometimes she’ll settle if I cuddle her for hours on end. This can go on for 3 or 4 hours. She then wakes sometimes as early as 5.30. My DH and I are exhausted and at a total loss to know what to do next. She is a very happy and content little girl, who normally eats really well and is very active. She is teething but nothing helps, calpol, ibuprofen, we’ve tried it all. She is now weaned and just has cows milk morning and night. I love her to pieces but I can’t see myself ever having anymore children. Has anyone any suggestions of what else we can try.

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DamnitCharlie · 22/09/2019 22:36

Sounds like a lot daytime sleep? Could you try gradually shortening her naps? I think at that age my daughter had 2 one hour naps went to bed at 7 and still woke up at 5am most days! Or you could try a later bedtime to try and get a longer stretch of sleep? Any changes you make do gradually though eg shorten her nap by 10 mins a day or you'll have an overtired, cranky child.

Sunflower160 · 23/09/2019 09:02

I agree with PP that that sounds like quite a lot of time napping. My 6 month old doesn’t nap for that amount (although I wish he would!). I would gradually try reducing the two hour nap so a shorter one.

NigesFakeWalkingStick · 23/09/2019 09:05

I'd agree with others that it sounds like perhaps that is too much sleep. Could you do a hour in the morning, hour in the afternoon? I remember at 16mth my son was doing 2 hours split into 2 one hour stints, but by around 18mth had managed to go to 1hr just before lunch.

Actaea · 23/09/2019 09:12

That’s a lot of napping! At that age my child had one nap per day after lunch for between 30mins - 2hrs. I also stopped putting him to bed early. It was easier to cope with him all evening then take him to bed at 10 and have a decent nights sleep, than it was to put him to bed at 7 but have to deal with him waking during the night.

Historyrepeating1234 · 23/09/2019 19:48

Thank you for the replies, I’ve was given the nap schedule by a sleep consultant. The idea being that sleep breeds sleep. I know they grow out of phases quickly so it’s probably time for a change. I’ll start cutting down tomorrow. Although I don’t hold out much hope as she doesn’t nap for as long at nursery and still doesn’t sleep those nights 🤦🏻‍♀️.

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sewinginscotland · 23/09/2019 21:17

Could it be the 12 month sleep regression? I have an 11.5 month old and we were having the extended waking overnight. What time is she going to bed? We pushed back bedtime by half an hour and that fixed the problems overnight.

3 hours of naps during the day sounds fine, then 11/12 hours at night.

Historyrepeating1234 · 24/09/2019 09:47

She goes to bed between 7 and 8. Sometimes it can be later if she’s not showing signs of tiredness but she’s normally pretty tired by then. It’s normally easy to put her down it’s just keeping her asleep that’s the hard part

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MotherOfLittlePeople · 24/09/2019 10:06

Similar situation. My DD2 is 14 months and she goes to bed between 6-7:30pm from that time she wakes up 3-5 times till 10pm then continues the same throughout the night screaming every 10 minutes. She ends up in bed with us and either continues to cry or wriggles around constantly, hits and kicks you to try wake you. Yesterday she only napped two hours on the morning and I kept her awake all day. Still woke up 3 times before even 9pm but she only woke twice through the night and stayed in her own cot all night. It's totally exhausting when neither of you are getting no sleep so I feel for you. I'm currently sleeping on a mattress on her floor so my DP can get some sleep.

userabcname · 24/09/2019 10:14

My 2yo didn't start sleeping through consistently until his second birthday...honestly I do know and understand the 'sleep breeds sleep' theory but I've found the much much more effective strategy for us has been to firstly exhaust DS (lots of running around in the day) and then secondly restrict nap time so he is genuinely exhausted at bedtime and asking to go up to bed! I think some kids don't need as much sleep as others - he's never slept 12 hours overnight and he's always napped less than the recommended amount but he's a happy and healthy boy so I guess that's just how he is.

Historyrepeating1234 · 24/09/2019 13:07

Nice to know we’re not alone! All of my friends are sympathetic but don’t understand as their kids all sleep x

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Bronnie2018 · 24/09/2019 14:14

@Historyrepeating1234 Have you tried moving to one nap only? My DD now 14 months was doing the same thing ... waking in the night for a few hours. I dropped to one nap - after lunch for 90mins to 2 hours. Bedtime around 8pm. Sleeps through. Occasional wake up if teething etc. much better than the late night partying!

Good luck! You're doing great! Thanks

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