Does anyone else's 14-month old only sleep 10 hours at night?

[naturelover]

For the last six weeks or so DD has been sleeping 7pm-5am. She's teething and learning to walk, so I figured it's a phase, but it shows no signs of ending.

The 5am starts are getting to me, and I end up going to bed so early that I don't see DH or, in fact, relax at all (chores, freelance work in the evenings).

This morning I tried a new strategy, but failed because I couldn't stand the distressed crying (I've always opposed cry it out) - basically I offered water, lay her down, said "it's nighttime" and left her. I repeated twice. Cue hysterics. DH and I ended up furious with each other because I wasn't even sticking to it on day one, and I just thought, what's the point, if she's not tired, she won't sleep?

BTW her naps are unpredictable but let's say about 1hr a day. To me, 10+1 hours sleep at this age doesn't seem like enough.

Anyone else been through this?

I'm thinking of trying to get her to sleep 8pm-6am (and when you think about it that's what she did last night after the clocks changed).

I'm not sure I have any suggestions but I can definitely sympathise. My 11 month DD has never slept more than about 10 hours, and at the moment is doing 7.30/8pmish to 5.30am - although with the clock change she's now waking up at 4.30am.
The way we tackle this is for DH to handle all the night wakings (just 1 or 2 usually), and then he wakes me up at 5 to take over while he gets some sleep before work. I'm shattered, but can generally function, and I usually get an hour to myself in the evenings before I crash out to read/knit/do some OU work. I don't even try to do any chores ion the evening as we live in a flat and anything like that usually wakes DD up.

I also have this problem with ds2 who is 14 months, used to get up between 5.45 - 6.30 but now waking up from 4.30 onwards, we did used to bring him into our bed but this has become a bit of habit!
so the last 2 nights we have left him to cry a bit and sit on his bedroom floor so he knows that we are not going to get him up but we are still there. first night he finally calmed down and went back to sleep for 30 mins - no joy this morning but i do think it is a bit of guess work as i really dont think he was tierd this morning

I went trhough this with my 14 month old. It started when he was about 8 months old and it was awful as I was so tired byt the time ds went to bed at 7. I had no life but it did end. I can't say as I know why it ended but it did! He now sleeps from 7pm- 6am, and has done for about 2 weeks now. I know it's only an extra hour but my God, it makes all the difference, both to his mood and mine! I could never leave him to cry for too long either but one day he woke up at 5am and I was absolutely desperate for the loo, I went to the toilet instead of rushing to get him and by the time I got back he was asleep . He has never woke at 5 since, I'm not sure why. I read somewhere it has something to do with their last sleep cycle becomming detached from their night sleep so they have it as a nap instead, which does mean they get a lot less sleep and are prone to further early waking due to overtiredness. The sleep pattern should correct its self but aparently their is a method af reattaching the sleep pattern back on to their night sleep but have no idea what it is, soory! I just waited it out. I'm sure at soem point when you least expect it, it'll just spring back into place. I do sympathise though!

we co-sleep because i don't like getting out of bed to much in the night as its so disturbing to my sleep. as soon as DS (13mo) starts shuffling at 5 or so i pat his bum. someties this gets him back to sleep. otherwise i plug a bottle in and he is usually zonked in 10-20mins not ideal but it gets me the sleep i need. oh and i am alsways in bed by 9pm unless he is on a good stretch of sleeping well.

Can you try and get her to sleep a bit more in the day? DD is the same age and she needs about 2 hours a day, although getting her to have it is another matter!

Thanks so much for your replies.

This morning she napped 8.30-9.30am which is a first. Recently she'd dropped her morning nap but I wonder if I should try to encourage more daytime napping in case it is overtiredness.

I had resigned myself to this being "just a phase" but after six weeks it seems like a pretty entrenched sleep habit (a bad one!)

I feel bad complaining about it because DD has always been a good sleeper - until recently she was doing 12 hours at night then 2 naps of an hour each. Which is why I suppose I'm worried about her getting so much less now when she is still young, growing and developing.

DS is now 11 months and has never slept more than 10h a night. He sleeps about 2-3h during the day, though. I sometimes keep him up in the evening (until 8pm or later), and then he sleeps until 6 or later.

DD - 13 months used to sleep 7.30 til 5am, feed for 30 mins at 5am and then go back to sleep until 7.

Now she sleeps through (did it all by herself) but wakes for the day between 6 and 6.30 - so I don't get any more sleep than before.

For a couple of weeks she was happy to have milk in bed with us at 6 and then doze for a bit but recently she's kicked off if we've brought her into bed, and instead is ready to get on with the day's playing.

She naps for an hour in the morning and if we're v lucky about 30 mins in the afternoon. She just doesn't seem to need any more sleep.

I know it's not as bad a 5am, but I'm still a bit gutted that 7am is now a rare luxury lie in. I'm hoping it's teeth or something and she'll start sleep longer again soon.

mmm i'm with you cat64, 10 hours of non stop sleep, how wonderful !! I'd swap a 5am start for 3 night wakings & a 2 hr daytime nap anyday !!

In fact, offers invited

I have ds 14m.
sleeps 7 to 7.30-8.30
teething and walking around all day. sleeps 1-1.30hours during day.
can you let her sleep longer during day and stretch untill 7 in the evenings.
[waves to pinkranger] hello old ttc friend
cant believe its been 14m since had them, or 22m since we were ttc.

DD1 did, and she dropped her daytime nap at 18m. DD2 slept longer at night (12hrs) but dropped her daytime nap at 21m. DD1 is now nearly 6 and still doesn't need a huge amount of sleep - about 9 - 10 hours a night.

Babies change their sleep patterna all the time. 10 plus 1 in the day might be all she needs right now. Think controlled crying in the morning is not the answer. She is waking because she is not tired or she is hungry. She will be confused if you try to put her back to sleep. I would try to put her to bed a little later.