Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

DD 25 mths night wakings from a month ago. Now habitual. How do I break it?

7 replies

jogym · 12/12/2008 11:08

DD brilliant sleeper from 6 months. Just shortly after turning 2 she woke up screaming during the night falling out of her cot and this happened for 3 nights. No more falling out but now is waking at round about 3-4 usually in the morning. Not screaming any more but calling us - my mummy. Have tried to ignore but she will keep going until someone appears. Go in say ssh go to sleep and walk back out. Have been trying this wi/wo but after a month it isn't working. When I do go in she asks for more toys or my toys. She has about 3 cuddly toys in her cot at bedtime but there are more around the room. She might have thrown out one or two from bedtime and want them back or for instance one night she said I want my teddy bear. I don't know how to break this habit. She was so good for so long and now we're back to square one. Once I go in and settle her (takes maybe 20 seconds) i'm back into bed and that's usually her til wake up time apart from the other night where she was settled and then 10 mins later calling again. Anyone any ideas. I thought about controlled crying but it would be difficult to do because she's not actually crying continuously to say go back every 5, 10, 15 mins or whatever.

OP posts:
nickytinseltimes · 12/12/2008 11:11

Just keep ignoring her if she isn't distressed?
It might mean no sleep for a few nights, but may be worth a go.
As long as you are going in, she is getting her wish, iyswim?
I feel for you - ds is 2.4 and is being a nightmare just now. Not too bad at night, but he does try it on at times.
Obv, if they are unwell or distressed by a bad dream it is fine ot cuddle, etc.

Sawyer64 · 12/12/2008 11:26

Seconded Nicky,my DD2 2.2 is doing this,at this age she seems to understand a "talking to",i tell her that Mummy is tired and can't keep coming in,and mummy will get cross if she keeps doing this.Usually it works,but if it gets too regular I don't go to her unless she is very distressed.
I think they just need a little extra guidance about Night time is for sleeping and not for playing and calling out.I also tell her she'll wake all the babies up in our road,she loves babies at the moment and she repeats this to herself,and settles back down to sleep.
Its just yet another phase,which hopefully is shortlived if she doesn't get all the attention she is looking for IMO.

jogym · 12/12/2008 11:38

I tell her every morning that I am not pleased that I am cross that mummy is v tired and she can't keep doing this because daddy and big sis need their sleep and she is wakening them up. Her response is - and we get this every time we tell her off about something are you o.k or are you happy and we say no i'm not i'm v tired with being called etc. My DH is the problem. He does not take kindly at all to be woken up during the night and if I would lie there when she calls me he would say would you go into her please because you see he knows that she settles in a minute and he is not prepared to lie and listen to her for half an hour or however long it would take. Also my DD1 (8) has been woken up and I can barely get her out of bed in the morning and you can see the tiredness in her wee face. I did say to him last night listen we're going to have to know this on the head and let her keep calling until she quietens. If we do it over Christmas it wont matter because DD1 can lie in later or whatever. He just looked at me and said I know what you mean. Actually with DD1 who was a much worse sleeper I had enough with her at 10 months old and I let her cry it out one night at bedtime - it did take 45 mins for her to stop crying and I never went up to her once but you know after that night we never had one night waking at all. BUT DD2 is a different kettle of fish, way completely different - stubborn, strong willed etc.

OP posts:
jelliebelly · 12/12/2008 11:39

Do you feel that she is just looking for reassurance that you are around? Ds started this a while ago (although he is older - turned 3 in Sept)and it got to the stage where he just wanted to check that I was still there - we used to hear his door open and then a pitiful "I want my mummeeeee" at random times in the middle of the night. We started leaving his door ajar and a nightlight on the landing and this seems to have done the trick - as long as he can see the light he seems happy that I am around - might be worth a try.

jogym · 12/12/2008 12:17

I am not sure if it is. We first thought it was separation anxiety and now maybe she justs likes us coming in to her when she wakes. She has a nightlight in her room already so it's not dark or anything. She is a v clever little madam but and is v determined to get her own way.

OP posts:
Sawyer64 · 12/12/2008 12:36

Maybe try a night of "we are going to close your door as you are waking your sister" and try not going to her.
Probably get slammed for this,but I have pulled my DD2's door almost shut and her DS is next door,it certainly broke the habit IME,cruel to be kind maybe....?

jogym · 12/12/2008 14:56

I do leave her do open slightly as I was a bit scared to close it completely. And of course stupid bleeding doors that we have DS next door doesn't close properly so is always open. I think if we closed the door it would be a case of open the door mummy. Any excuse

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page