One year old broken sleep

[Cait73]

My 14 month old grandson lives with me and normally sleeps well (typical night is 6pm to 7am waking briefly 1-2am but quickly settled) but whenever he's had contact with his parents we have days sometimes a week of broken sleep.

He goes down fine at 6pm but he's up at 10pm and can keep going on/off 'till 3/4am it's exhausting and I'm only getting about 2 hours sleep.

Any suggestions on settling him please? He's WIDE awake and sitting up in his cot singing, shouting or crying - I've tried the "minimal fuss" approach but the second I move away from the cot he cries.

I've tried giving him a bottle but as soon as it's finished he's up again. I've tried staying with him 'till I think he's drifted off but again the minute I leave he cries.

I've even tried taking him to bed with me but it turns into a game because he just plays with me then gets out of bed!

Any ideas please I'm exhausted, thank you 🙏🏼

Hi, sounds like you are doing an amazing job and he’s lucky to have you! I’m sorry I can’t offer any good advice because my daughter went through it at that age and it lasted about 4-6 weeks... sorry! I just left her and she eventually fell back asleep. I think it was a developmental thing. It was so tiring but thankfully has fully passed now.

Thank you, I know it happens anyway but I'm knackered I really am; night 6 of being up 10pm to 4/5am 🥺

Right now he's just had a bottle and is lying squealing to himself but it'll soon turn to crying, it's 3:45am 😢

My 11 month old is a non sleeper , hence why I'm on here just having a nost whilst she dances round her cot , thinks its party time. I feel your pain I get 2/3 hours max sleep a night , sounds like your doing a good job

How do you get him off to sleep in the first place at bedtime? Can you just repeat that routine during the night wake ups?

With my daughter to get her to sleep at bedtime we sit and rock her in a rocking chair for about 20 mins. If she wakes up in the night which thankfully she is doing less and less now at 19 months, we just go straight back to that same goodnight routine. She sleeps in bed with us so if she doesn't settle back within a few mins it's up and back to the chair, dark room, same vibrating teddy thing that we use at bedtime. Just a suggestion as it works for us.

Another thing is she is much worse at going to sleep for me. She just gets too excited and wants to play. But with her dad she goes to sleep fast. So he does the putting to sleep whenever she wakes up. I don't know if you have any other support but it may be worth someone else doing it as he may be so closely bonded with you he just wants to stay awake and spend time with you.

I'm afraid there's no great "skill" to putting him to bed the first time I literally lay him down (wide awake) he rolls over and quickly settles himself

We went through a blip at that age too, previously 7pm - 7am. As pp suggested it could be a developmental stage and just need to power through. I think his naps went through an adjustment at that age too so was a bit of a shit show. It passed and he's slept through for a year now.

Could you move a mattress/blow up bed in room with him so he knows you're there but you could try and get some sleep. Maybe move naps/bedtime. Sleep deprivation is the worst.