So, is anyone else toddler trying to kill them with sleep deprivation?
For months on and off my DD, 3 has been waking in the night. First it started off with a cold, and she wanted me to sit with her, then it became habit, then it sort of resolved itself, then we’re now in an almost 8 week streak of night wakes of some kind of the other. We may get 3-4 days of sort of sleeping through the night or little disturbance but then weekends always seem to be a test. (I may add this is the latest in a series of night wake phases over the past 12 months.)
At first I thought it was potty training, and illness causing a regression. But now I’m at a loss. She started refusing naps months ago, and will only occasionally drift off in the car in the afternoon (or at lunch if she’s woken particularly early?”).
I have:
- locked down a solid(er) routine
- tried adding more sleep inducing foods to DDs diet / encouraged her to fill herself up
- bought magnesium sleep bath salts and sprays
- cut out any screen time for an hour before bed
- banned any treats (e.g chocs or ice creams) apart from the odd one at a weekend in case she was having oo much sugar
- made sure she has a wee right before bed time and try and limit excess drinks before bed
- i am trying to make sure she’s active as possible so her energy is low in time for bed
- I make sure I talk to her about her day before bed time, ask her how she’s feeling etc…
This week if finally got a few days of good rest, then take night she’s somehow soaked through her night nappy and it’s disturbed her. Been in her room for an hour and a half now hiding under a blanket. She fell asleep and I was about to sneak off and then she somehow woke up again 🙈🙈🙈🙈 it’s like she seems to save the night wakes for the weekend when I just want to rest after working all week.
DD only wants me at night. DH has tried to help but he is also an insomniac so often he hasn’t slept before DD wakes, so I try to take one for the team as I have usually had a few hours at least.
I feel like I’m running on empty between a packed 4 day work week (I’m basically squeezing 5 into 4) and then mum life at weekends on top of the sleep deprivation. My skin has broken out, I have dark circles under my eyes, I get no time to exercise other than a walk with DD or the occasional attempt at a home class but I’m usually climbed on or moaned at by DD if I do. I’ve also been ill twice in the space of a month.
Has anyone else been through something like this? Did anything work? Tell me one day it clicks and they stop waking up all the time…?