Everything going wrong please help

[Keggles36]

Hello

I really just need some reassurance this is normal/suggestions that aren't "sleep train/quit breastfeeding/cry it out".

My baby is now 13 months old. She's never been a great sleeper but has always been OK since about 5 months (like 6 hours at 7pm-1am then up a few times but always went back down for an hour or so each time).

Since starting nursery at 11 months everything has gone wrong. She now sleeps until 11pm and is then just up screaming lots of the night. She would eat everything and now eats nothing. She's constantly ill and being sent home from nursery with fever - has already had two rounds of antibiotics for chest infection and then strep throat. She was never ill before.

I'm really struggling with the lack of sleep, and I have quite a senior role in safeguarding and can't do my job if I'm not there even half the time. I'm so worried I'm going to miss something and something terrible is going to happen.

I guess my questions are is it usual to have high fevers every week for different reasons? I know food refusal is normal but it's been over two months now - she literally only eats yoghurt, Weetabix and orange. And the occasional bread stick. Until 11 months she ate everything.

And how do you survive on 2 or less hours of sleep every night for over two months when you're expected to work a full time job?

It's a while since mine were small, so just bumping for you to get advice which might be more up to date, but my first thought is why are you up/ getting two hours sleep every night, rather than every other night ?
Why is it you missing work all the time ?

Are you a single parent, or a parent whose partner works on the oil rigs or otherwise out of the country ?

If you are on your own, then you going to bed at 7pm would give you 4 hours sleep before you start the broken sleep.

Can you get signed off sick for a couple of weeks to get past your own sleep deprivation? Who is around you to help with your daughter?

It's been a while since mine were small too but becoming ill repeatedly is common with children starting nursery. As for the rest, when not ill has she been happy there?

If you have a partner; they should be doing every other night! But unfortunately sounds quite normal for nursery; they are exposed to so many new germs; the fever is reacting to them. What about cosleeping? We got a floor bed for 14 month old so we can alternative one of us sharing with her. Definitely helps get us all more sleep.