18 month old awake 2-5 hours at night

[LimpLettice]

I'm at my absolute wits end. I'm 26 weeks pregnant, old, have gestational diabetes which gets worse on poor sleep, and an 18 month old who has been awake since 9.30pm and is still wide awake and refusing to be left.

He only naps once a day at around 11.30, goes down with milk and a cuddle at 7, but wakes usually between 12-3 for an average of 3 hours. It's been going on for months. He'll sleep through for 2 or 3 nights and then not for a week. If he's not held he screams. We've tried some sleep training but he can go for hours and hours, make himself vomit even at 2 minute intervals, and I just can't cope. I am dreading the baby coming so much I've just cried for an hour, I know I won't cope. DH does up til midnight but works long hours, I have a stroppy preteen to homeschool, and I hurt all over.

We've tried later / earlier bed, later or earlier naps, sleep aids, co sleeping (he just flails and keeps us both up), milk, food just before bed, no milk, you name it. Any other ideas I'm missing? I'm so panicked I'll never sleep again when the new baby arrives and I know I won't manage.

I think he's getting about 6 hours a night and 1-2 in the day and I've no idea how to help me or him.

Oh god op I really feel for you. We have similar bouts of wake ups with ours DS who’s 21 months. But it’s fixable with the Ferber method (leaving him for increasing intervals) but I see you’ve tried that

I hope someone comes along soon with some advice.

Thank you. 4.30 before I fell asleep this morning. He's still asleep because much as I want to keep him in routine, I'm in agony and I don't think he should be woken after 4 hours sleep. I'm on my knees, I've literally no idea what the hell to do anymore.

That sounds like an awful night. You have my sympathies. We also have one that has a lot of stamina for when he doesn't want to go back to sleep! The only thing that works for us is getting him up, letting him play downstairs for half and hour and then "redoing" the bedtime routine. If we try to resettle in his cot he will keep going for 3hours+

That is something I hadn't tried, thank you, will give it a go. DD was a bugger going to sleep but never like this. My instinct is to stay quiet and not engage too much but clearly that doesn't work. I haven't stopped crying all morning, I'm looking up sleep consultants and fantasising about getting COVID so I can go stay in hospital. This is not good.