Over the last few months, DD's sleeps have been getting progressively worse. She fights (literally) going to sleep during the day and also at bedtime. She won't go down at day time until 1pm or later... but she definitely does need a day sleep still.

Nights are the worst... she just doesn't go to sleep until we have had a massive battle, usually ending up in me or DH or both of us getting extremely frustrated and yelling at her to just go to sleep. Another proud parenting moment... This is after our bedtime routine (which is the same as it always has been since she was born, at the same time...), after telling her the rule is to stay in bed and stay quiet... We have tried a few things to try and get her to stay in bed, rewards/punishments/leaving the door open/lying with her... nothing seems to work until I don't even know what happens... sometimes she exhausts herself and goes to sleep, sometimes she just stays in bed on her own.

And then she wakes overnight. Generally wakes up crying, screaming out for mummy or daddy, if I get in there quick enough I can calm her down with a cup of milk and she may or may not go back to sleep. She wants more cuddles, more milk, anything... can take up to an hour or so to get her back to sleep and more often than not she will wake again.

Last night she was awake at 2am, 3am and 4am. After having DS awake and feeding til after 10pm, then helping DH with some work until midnight, I'm pretty exhausted. DS is sleeping well, which is great, but DD just seems to be getting worse.

I can't pin it on anything either - previously I'd been able to say "She's sick", "she must be teething", "its really hot in her room" or some other excuse, but last night I have no reason for... and after being up with her that often, I'm beginning to think we need some help. Its really starting to stress both me and DH out to the max and we're both exhausted.

So have you been to a sleep school? How did you decide it was time to go? Did it help?

I'm thinking about making an appt with my GP and having a chat with her...