17 month old never sleeps , help

[Stressedmum27]

Hi I’m honestly struggling . My little boy is 17 months old and get up at night anywhere between 5 and 6 times . He’s never ever slept right through and I’m exhausted . He was better when he was tiny and slept maybe 4 hrs at once but he regressed so much that my health visitor suggested I co sleep in order to get some sleep . That was last December ! He’s still in with me and I’m breastfeeding something I want to also stop but again he comes over and demands it and he also takes it in order to fall back asleep at night . I don’t know what to do . He has one nap a day and that’s usually a fight to get him to have and he has to sleep on me . His dad hasn’t put him for a nap or to bed or even gets up with him for months and months now so it’s just me doing it all alone . I do everything , every meal time , nap time and bedtime . He also only naps between an hr and an hr and a half , any noise wakes him up ! He wont even sleep in a pram and hasn’t since he was tiny yet again . So no long walks because he kicks off . I’m just really having a hard time and I love him but I also have 3 other kids who I feel I’m not even seeing too much because I’m so busy with him ( they are 14, 11 and 9 ) any one have any advice I would be forever grateful

Have you tried some pink or white noise?? My lo Is light sleeper. Usually does trick. Also maybe some kind of sleep training technique?? To get lo back in cot. There are lots of variations out there.

Yes my lo doesn't sleep in pram unless she is exhausted.

Yeah I have one of the hatch nightlights some he has it on a red colour (I googled that was best ) and it’s on rain . I could be out a 3hr walk and he could be shattered and he won’t sleep in a pram he just stays up and gets grumpy .

You need to sleep train him.
Either do it yourself or get a sleep trainer in.
It takes a lot of patience and perseverance but you won't regret it one bit. Do it for your other children who need you.

My lo doesn't sleep in pram. I don't even bother trying anymore. I would try white noise or pink noise instead, as different frequency or something that helps.

There are many sleep training techniques, but I wouldn't do it in the pram. I would do it solely in the cot. Then perhaps after deviate.

My lo was cosleeping with us. 4 teeth coming in, sickness bug, and cough and cold. She got used to it as we did it for quite a while. So we had to revert back to our sleep training. Then after a few nights she sleeps through again.

Going to sound mad. But we brought a blue tooth speaker. Brought the sound track of amazon for pink noise onto old phone and play it through the speaker. It's fantastic. She doesn't hear anything anymore. Unless I'm deliberately being noisy.

I’m really worried that I’ve co slept for so long he won’t go into his cot now . Does him having one nap mean he’s overtired and I need to try for two ?

I agree, you’tr going to sleep train him.

sleep training methods

another article

Two articles with sleep training methods. At some point, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and initiate a programme. It’s half term next week, maybe a good time to do it as you’re kids won’t need to get up for school.

He will go in his cot. A habit has been created by cosleeping. We did the same thing and do it every time she is ill. We undo the habit.

You need to undo the habit which will involve lots him being frustrated and shouting and simply put pissed off crying. Depends what sleep training you do depends how long it will take effect. You have nothing to lose by sleep training and stick to your guns. Don't deviate from the sleep training of whichever one you chose. We still do cc at 20 months. It works for us.

Is he waking up hungry or just for comfort? My DS woke up in the night til he was 2. I also BF during the day but at night I started offering him Ella’s banana baby brekkie instead of boob. He often downed two packets of the stuff and went straight back to sleep! I found it a good way to determine whether he was hungry or just wanting cuddles etc. Turned out he was usually hungry!

i also started doing post dinner/pre bedtime meal (weetabix/peanut butter on toast) and that helped too.

I wouldn’t have guessed this was the issue, as he already ate well during the day. He is older now and still won’t sleep unless he is full up, occasionally still wakes hungry in the night if he hasn’t had enough during the day (he’s like a bottomless pit!) Then it is 3am weetabix and back to bed 🙄

He wakes up and does take breast milk but not for long I think it’s just to settle him back to sleep to be honest . Sometimes even when I put him back down in the bed beside me he wriggles about and wakes himself up again ? I did think trapped wind as he farts all night long !

I would try food too. Like samqueens said i never would have guessed my daughter was hungry but she wasnt sleeping through at 18 months & a BIG bowl of porridge right before bed and a banana if she woke up (easy to keep by bed) changed that. Still now at 6 she eats the most food right before bed, last night two slices of toast, a babybel cheese, a yoghurt, and half an apple.

I would recommend night weaning. I 100% think it will improve your situation. We did this - www.drjaygordon.com/blog-detail/sleep-changing-patterns-in-the-family-bed

Having a cuddle instead of a feed isn't going to do him any harm. He will probably be upset about it at first though.