Forum home Toddlers & older children Toddler

sleepless nights

hiya, can any1 give me some advice? i have a 20 month old son who just doesnt like to sleep. he's never slept well from being a baby but has always gone to bed at 8 oclock like my 8 year old does and had no problems setteling down at night but always wakes through the nite, we found out he was lactose intolerant at 18 months and as soon as we stopped dairy products he slept through for 5 weeks but has now started to wake again every nite and creating at bedtime, he refuses to sleep or settle at night and doesnt always have a nap through day and if he does its only for an hour at the most. i have now resored to closing his bedroom door and leaving him to cry but he can do this for hours no matter what time it is.i have a 9 week old baby too so really need some sleep and my daughter has school,my neighbours are starting to complain about him too!! please help

Replies

  • Hi

    My LO slept fine as a baby but from roughly from the age of about 10 or 11 months she would have me up 3 of 4 times a night every night.  Some nights I would get no sleep at all.  Like you I found it was pointless leaving her to cry because she would do it until she was physically sick which left me with bedding to change as well as everything else in the wee small hours.  I became an emotional wreck, at my wits end and I absolutely dreaded bedtime.  I eventually put a nightlight in her bedroom and it was like someone had waved a magic wand!  For the first time in months she actually slept right through and she was fine for quite a while after that.  Then she started waking up again.  Until then I'd been putting her to bed at about 8pm and it often took up to an hour before she would get to sleep properly.  I started putting her to bed at 6pm.  She went off within 10 minutes and she slept right through with no problems.  I think when she was going to bed at 8pm she was overtired which is why it was taking her so long to get off to sleep.  She doesn't have a daytime nap any more so by 6pm she's ready for bed and it also means I get a bit of respite in the evenings too.  She does still wake up occasionally but now it's usually because she thinks that 3am is a great time to have a chat!!! image 

    Don't worry about your neighbours.  It wouldn't hurt them to show a little more empathy or maybe they just don't realise the situation you're in.  They've probably been in the same situation themselves at some time.  Is there anyone who could give you a hand, perhaps looking after your baby for a couple of hours during the day while you get some sleep?

  • Lots of good advise there darkstar! image I definately agree an overtired child can often sleep far worse you think they would zonk out for the night but I have always found Harry far more restless when overtired. I do think good routine is key too but I am sure you know that anyway and consistency with what you do when they wake up. Must be very hard work and fraustrating. good luck. x
  • hiya, thanks for your advise. i have now started to put my lo to bed earlier and hes only getting up once now and goes straight back to sleep with a bottle,which i keep getting told he should not have but if it means he goes back to bed and we all get sum sleep he can have as any as he likes lol. my daughter is also not getting woke up by him any more so is doing better at school. i put a night light in his room also and he seems better, he still gets up but does go back to sleep and if he has a little cry i try to leave him alittle b4 checking on him instead of running in as soon as he wakes because i dread the neighbours complaining but hes still a toddler so your right they should be more understanding. i dont have much help at hand but am finding everything more manageable with alittle exta sleep. i just hope he keeps it up. thanks again x

  • Hi I'm so pleased things are starting to work out for you.  I know what it's like to go for nights on end without any sleep.  It feels like being stuck in a bog and the more you struggle to get out the further down you seem to go (lol) !!!!! image

    Hope you had a great Christmas and all the best for 2012! xxxxx

Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions