Two young DC’s (1&almost4) when will the sleep deprivation end?!

[FunOchreBird]

I’ve always been a shadow reader on mumsnet, and here I am now finally broken after what is essentially 10 months of barely sleeping and posting out of utter desperation.

We have two DC’s, our son is almost 4 and he only reliably started sleeping through the past 8 months. Our daughter was a great sleeper as a newborn up until the four month regression hit, finally thought this was our dream sleeper as good karma from dealing with the three years of no sleep from brother. But alas, her sleeping skills are even worse. I breastfed her up until 10 months when I could take no more of the hourly wakes, thought we had cracked it and I now think we’ve exemplified the problem by replacing boob with cups of milk out of sheer desperation to sleep. We are both barely functioning in our jobs and I honestly don’t know where to go next. She is now 14 months and it’s just a complete mess, it also doesn’t help that our kids have to share a room, we live in a two bed bungalow cottage (doing an extension in 2025 to solve that problem).

Feel so lost and desperate looking for any tips or tricks, she has a solid bedtime routine and has done since seven weeks old. Bed for 7, wakes around 3-5 times until up for the day at 6, and one two hour nap midday. Eats well. Doesn’t self settle, cuddled to sleep.

I've been a single parent since my twins were 18 months - I would say 12 months to 2 years was the absolute worst so you are in the thick of it right now. One twin then has improved significantly ....if they are in their own bed they will wake just the once (to come in with me!) the other one....they took much longer and will wake multiple times a night. They are 4 now by the way.
With my singleton eldest she started reliably sleeping through the night once she started reception

Nothing worked. I've read all the books tried all the different methods. I'm resigned and accepting of the back I just make terrible sleepers

I haven't slept more than 3-4 hours in a row in about 8 years 😅

Honestly I have nothing but complete admiration for single parents in this predicament, I say this to my husband all the time. This in itself is such a test on a relationship.

Thank you, deep down I know there is light at the end of the tunnel we’re proof with our eldest and it was as you say flick of a switch we didn’t do anything differently. I had clearly biologically blocked how bloody hard getting there is though!