DD 2.5 YRS, SLEEP ADVICE NEEDED!

[pinkystinky]

Dd never been a wonderful sleeper,but got absolutly horrendous, i am knackered! Las night she was up every hour.Each time she asks for milk,or me to get in her bed,or to sit and stroke her head!
Had a stairgate on the door,but took it off in the end as she can climb over it,and has now sussed how to open it!
Any suggestions which route will be best, cc or pick up put down method.Would love to get this sorted before she starts playgroup next month...and for my sanity!!!!!!!!

Would you be happy doing controlled crying? At 2.5 she id old enough to understand that it is nighttime and she needs to go to sleep and stay asleep.

If i were you (and had to do this fairly recently after DS had been ill and got into the habit of waking a lot) i'd bite the bullet, reconcile yourself to a couple of truely awful nights and just keep putting her back into bed, walknig out and leaving her to crying for gradually longer periods of time.

good luck

Could she be sick at all? Is it usually this bad or is a very recent thing?

No definetly not sick, just her playing me any which way she can.

Did try a bit of cc this week, couldnt hack it longer than 30 mins( bit of exhaustion from me) The point is the crying i could cope with when she was in the cot but now shes in a bed and can open the door makes it harder.And i have to physically hold the door,which i hate doing!

Think i will try the put back in bed tactic tonight. Fed up of sitting on a cold floor all night,i havent slept in my own bed for 3 weeks,something has to give!

you need to stick with it. if you do cc and then give in she'll know that you don't really mean it.

It's bloody hard but i'd put money on you cracking it if you're really persistent and don't give in.

would she respond to bribery? if she stays in bed she could have a special treat in the morning maybe.

No bribery wont work tried that onelol!
Im gonna try the put down one tonight,give it a go.if no luck cc! Its just you get in that vicious circle, your too tired to try anything!!!

completely sympathise. do you have anyone who can look after her a bit during the day so you can have 40 winks to catch up?

I cant sleep during the day even when im knackered!
Well put her in bed,sure she knew something werent right! Kept getting outta bed.I kept putting her back in bed i think about 7 times,little bit of wingeing,then she got back in bed abnd fell asleep( after about 10-15 mins of me standing outside her room outta sight!
Got the night to master now, hope i can carry it out!

our 2.5 yr old is doing the same thing! we're doing super nanny rapid return, putting him back in cot walking out, takes about 20 odd times before he stays and then just does horrible shouty angry crying, seem to have couple of horrible nights like that then about 3 good nights then he's up and down again and we have to start the process again.... hoping its an age thing and he'll grow out of it as not sure what else to do!

Sticker chart and treat at the end of the week?

Does she still have an afternoon nap?

DD went through something similar at this age and turned out she was scared of the dark. Even now she sometimes plays up a bit. Sometimes i'll tidy up next door so she can hear me banging around and that reassures her that I'm still there.

I thought time would sort out my 19mo. Clearly not.

oh yes ds is scared of the dark we leave a small light on for him. he's fine then

thought I'd update that we're now trying dr ferber 'solve your child's sleep problems' to try and get ds to settle on his own, we think its all to do with him having milk to fall asleep with so ditched it, he's taking hour to self settle with shouting but its only day 3 so trying to be strong and stick it out for week till we decide that its not the answer

pinkystinky - the method does involve door holding tho but we only did it for 1 min at a time for 4 mins before ds stayed in bed but it was horrible - the reason I decided to give in a try it was, like you, fed up of cold floor and have ds2 of 12 months and 16 wks pg, I need to get some sleep desperately
we've also put lamp on timer so when it comes on he knows its time to get up - worked a treat first night, not so good last night but worth a try and cheaper than one of those bunny clocks