17-month-old - same old question!

[rfletch31]

Hi all. Messaged a few months back and am back for more help/advice!

To recap, current situ is our LO co-sleeps with mum and is constantly waking up for no obvious reason. On and off the boob for comfort, through the night. This has been the same way for some time now and she has always co slept. She sleeps with a dummy.

I sleep in another double bed with our 5yo who also needs someone next to him to sleep through, though he is improving.

We don’t know what to try with the youngest. She just won’t settle. Most nights she is awake within an hour or so of being put down and the routine repeats itself until we give up and go to bed just so she settles a bit better. We just don’t get any time just the two of us and I fear for how it will impact us if it carries on like it is now - we are both shattered.

She is on a single nap in the day but rarely sleeps long than 30min/1hr - but she has done this for almost her whole life. She will only properly settle with mum and night but happily with me in the day and will let me put her to sleep at night, but not settle her back down, only rarely.

Is there anything anyone can suggest? $1m question I know..:

Thank you!!

Honestly? This too shall pass. This was us and I just stuck it out as neither of us were ready to wean and it just sorted itself. He started sleeping longer stretches and before he turned two he was sleeping through most nights unless ill. It was rough but he just needed the comfort and milk in the night and I figured that they're only small for a short time in the grand scheme of things. For me accepting it and stopping trying to fix it was very liberating.

If you did want to try something different, when the youngest is a little bigger you could try them in say a double floor bed sharing with the eldest. Perhaps that would help them both?

Thank you. Some friends of ours suggested the sharing thing as well so that may be an idea in the longer term.

Do away with sleeping props, including the dummy. Wean off the nightfeeding, babies can fast through the night from 5/6 months.

Adjusting sleep habits requires consistency and discipline. If the child learns you'll quickly cave in if they scream loud enough, guess what they'll do? ;)

Good luck