Hi,
My DD has never been a great sleeper. She has slept through 9 times and counting, most recently about 2 weeks ago when she she slept through 3 times in one week and the other nights she woke at about 5, was bottle fed (counted as her morning bottle) then slept few more hours. This was a great week and would be happy if tha was to be the norm.
However for the past week is has been bad. Completely different everynight but waking up at least twice and chatting away for half an hour. I am a light sleeper so wake straight away. I just leave her if she is just chatting and give her every chance to settle herself (which she used to do). Now she just gets louder and starts crying. I calm her down, she falls to sleep but then wakes again half an hour later with the same pattern.
Last night... went to bed great at 7, fell asleep on her botttle but I always wake her to put her to bed awake. She then woke at 11.30 screaming by 12, still wide awake and shouting/crying by 1 after dropping off at leat twice for few mins only. So I gave in and gave her a bottle. She then slept til 3, chatting then crying but settled with dummy. Then 4.30- wide awake! Again I gave in at 5.15 and she fell asleep straight away in my bed. I have tried settling her by giving her a drink of water but she sreams even louder.
Basically she can no longer settle herself and only goes back to sleep with: dummy if im lucky, or bottle even though im not convinced she is hungry, or in my bed.
I am determined to get this sorted sooner rather than later.
She does have a dummy for naps during the day which are fine but often just plays with it at night. and im not sure if its a help of a hinderence as it is often the only way to calm her but then she wakes herself up at times by playing with it, then looses it, then cries.
I have my step daugther staying fri and saturday night so I am going to do what it takes to get DD to sleep then but on sunday night i am going to get tough!
Any tips....... please......