How to fix 2.5 year olds sleep

[theworldhasgoneinsane]

My daughter was 2 in October.
She goes through phases of sleeping really well (8pm-7am) then for no reason at all it all goes to shit.

For weeks now we've had numerous night time wakings, getting worked up and refusing to go back to sleep. Sometimes she'll eventually go back off and some mornings I'm up with her from 4am (she then falls asleep on sofa so still tired)

Nothing works! When she was a baby I did CC and it worked really well. Now she's a toddler it doesn't work and she just gets really worked up no matter what I do. If I engage with her she feeds off it and if I'm more strict and brief when I go in she becomes furious.

She's still in a cot if that makes any difference.
Very short naps during the day if at all.

Any advice please for a very desperate mum who's getting fed up with this

No advice, just right there also! 2.3yr old was sleeping beautifully, nap 12.30/1.00pm-2pm, bed 8.30 until 7.00/7.30am. Happily went to sleep himself. Now refuses the nap completely, although desperately still needs it, climbed out of his cot so removed the side. I don't have the time to spend an hr of the day getting him to nap as I also have a 7wk old. Constantly getting out of bed at bedtime so have to sit in there with him and screaming blue murder at his stair gate at 5.30 every morning. He would nap if I went out in the car everyday but that's not sustainable because - fuel. Even if he does nap in the car, bedtime is even more of a battle and he's still up at 5.30. Averaging about 9hrs sleep in 24hrs. He's so unhappy, pale and dark eyes, he looks ill. I'm trying to persevere with no nap (I can't seem to force it) and earlier bedtime to see if it settles. I do have to admit that we have had fab sleep for 2yrs of his life so maybe this is the price we pay for that! I hope it settles again for you soon

Toddler bed and completely drop the naps imo

@OnlyFoolsnMothers - that's the route I'm trying to take. He's so knackered though, will he get used to it soon?

@theworldhasgoneinsane sorry to hijack your thread!

Agree with this. The nap is will mean tired enough to go to sleep but not tired enough to stay asleep. It will take some weeks for his body to adjust.

When first cutting the nap ensure quiet time in the afternoon- that’s what cbeebies is made for/ keep it calm but not nap calm.

@CupidStunt24 it's so draining isn't it, must be even more difficult with a baby too. We have 2 older DDs one of who has been poorly for the past couple of months and needs her sleep so it's an extra struggle worrying about her being kept awake.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers I'd wondered about toddler bed but worried it might make it worse, can I ask why you say it would help please? Also the nap thing - mine only has a very short nap if at all but do you think they should be permanently dropped? I'd happily do it, she's never napped well and would be less stressful to not have to worry about it

@theworldhasgoneinsane it is draining! We had a few nights of sitting with toddler til he was asleep, feeding the baby and going to bed at 11, toddler up 1am-3am, baby waking for a feed at 3am, and then toddler up at 5am. It's hellish. The last few nights he hasn't woken in the night but still up at 5. He crashed and burned yesterday, fell asleep sitting up on the coffee table! So I let him have 1.5hrs, woke him at 2.30pm. He didn't go to sleep until gone 9 and was still up pre-6am. So I think the nap does need to go, as if anything he got less overnight sleep. Even if he continues waking early, at least if he's gone to sleep early he's had more sleep that way. I totally agree too that they're harder with any sleep training techniques when they're older. Have never really had to sleep train at all to be honest, but I can't think of anything that would work when they just keep getting out of bed! I really hope things settle for you, it sounds as though you could all do with the rest x