Hello Mumsnet community,
We’re facing a persistent sleep issue with our second child, this post is primarily to help my partner as I don’t feel the current situation is good for her even if she says she will miss this period of her life sharing a bed with our child, it’s complicated 😅
Anyway our toddler goes to bed at 19:30 but invariably wakes up during the night. Currently, my partner soothes her by taking her into an extra bed we have in her room (it’s low and safe), this seems to be the only way to get her to settle back to sleep.
However, I’m concerned this routine might be encouraging her night wakings, perhaps seeking the comfort of having one of us with her, rather than self-soothing and returning to sleep independently. For reference, our first child has always slept through the night without any hiccups.
I usually handle her early morning waking around 06:00 to allow my partner some extra rest. But I think a more consistent sleep pattern for our little one would be good for everyone. Complicating matters, I suffer from sleep issues. If I have to wake up and go in to sooth her I struggle to fall back asleep which can mean I’m awake from 1 or 2 a.m, which affects my entire day, especially if it occurs multiple nights in a row. While I’m not able to shoulder all the night wakings, it also seems unfair for my partner to have disrupted sleep every night.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation or have any advice on how we can navigate this? We’re eager for any suggestions or insights.
Thanks in advance!