Dealing with split nights

[IcedCoffeeAlways]

DS is 11months. Usually sleeps 7.30pm-6/6.30am with a few wake ups (about 3 per night on average). Wakes are usually either self settle or a quick cuddle and he’s back asleep - maximum of about 10 mins each time.

The last 5 nights he’s been wide awake from 2am-5am on top of his normal wakes and I am completely exhausted. During this awake time he’s not fussy at all, he literally just wants to cuddle - he just lays there wide awake. He occasionally chatters away. He’s not hungry - I’ve tried offering a bottle and he takes about 1oz then just pushes it away. He’s perfectly content - unless I lay him down, then he gets really upset.
He eventually drifts off back to sleep about 5am and then wakes as usual at about 6.30am.

Daytime sleep is normally 2 naps totalling about 2-2.5hours and he’s awake by 3pm at the latest from his second nap so that he’s ready for bed at 7.30.

I’m sure it’s just another phase - but how on earth do people deal with the practicalities of so little sleep and function normally. Between his wakes and this big awake stretch I’m probably getting about 3hours of broken sleep per night this week. I start back at work tomorrow after Maternity Leave and I’m honestly like the walking dead at this point 😓

Any helpful advice? Or anyone else in the same boat?

Oh my dp is actually on an office contract lol so he works office hours when he’s home. Maybe tonight will be the night the little angels surprise us. Both mine are asleep

Hi @IcedCoffeeAlways/ everyone - it's been a month or so since this thread! Did your problems resolve and how?

I am dying on 3 hour awake times and early starts here

@DollyPartBaked

Hi *@IcedCoffeeAlways*/ everyone - it's been a month or so since this thread! Did your problems resolve and how?

I am dying on 3 hour awake times and early starts here

Hi @DollyPartBaked 😊 Oh no! I’m sorry to see you’re going through it too! It really is awful! I still have an early riser - anywhere from 4.45am-6.30am (with no pattern to it at all) which makes getting ready for work very tricky when DH isn’t here 😳 But the split nights have (for now at least 🤞🏼) stopped. I wish I could tell you that i did something specific to help but I didn’t! For us it really seemed to be just a phase. Don’t get me wrong, he still wakes in the night but a wee 2 minute cuddle usually has him off back to sleep 🤞🏼 Sending you positive vibes for better sleep soon 🤞🏼🤞🏼 It will happen!

I'm glad it is a phase although I wish I could bring it to an end earlier! I also have an early riser and now would love to bring back the 5am starts as they were infinitely better than what we are going through now 😂

Urgh just jumping on here to say that mine has been doing the same regularly for about 2 weeks now. He's 10.5 months and it's utter hell on earth. Im miserable and cranky during the day. lI'm back to work soon after mat leave and this just adds to my anxiety. I've accepted that I can't do anything and just have to ride out this phase but I'm seriously considering just making a cuppa and taking him downstairs to play rather than staying in his room for 3 hours trying to rock him back to sleep! Don't know if this will create a permanent habit though ?

Hi guys. Long time have passed since the first post. Any advice for a desperate mother in the same situation? It's been 5 months of split nightS and DS is 14 months old....

@BlieCoffee - I'm so sorry you're going through this too. I'm still in the same situation too - DS is 15 months and I've also had 5 months of this utter hell. I've started another thread on sleep training too so hoping for some answers.
Everyone I have spoken to in real life either co-sleeps or has done the Ferber method. Co-sleeping just won't work for us but if it does for you then I would just do what you have to do to get some sleep.
I'm now thinking of starting Ferber as a last resort but just don't know where to begin with it and am very scared about getting DS completely hysterical and distressed in the cot.
Will see what responses I get back. Determined to do something about all this now.
What have you tried so far?