*holds hand up*

Wonderful - thank you for starting this thread Christy!

As you know, Jacob's sleeping problems began at around 6.5 months of age. It was not uncommon for us to be up 10 - 12 times per night resettling - to say we were all miserable would be an understatement.

We went to a gentle sleep school here which was wonderful, and it helped us understand Jacob's cues a lot better and helped us put in place a better evening routine for him, but it's not fail-safe. Jacob's sleep still comes and goes a lot - some weeks are wonderful and we don't need to do any settling with him at all - other weeks are terrible and we will spend an hour or so trying to get him off to sleep in the evening. Night times are definitely worse than day for us.

I find that I have never coped with sleep deprivation well - I am not a good sleeper myself (since my teen years) and I wonder if I've passed this on somehow - is it my fault genetically, that he's not a fantastic sleeper? So needless to say when Jacob's sleep problems started, and continued for months where we too tried everything we could, I was pretty frazzled and felt as though I had no patience at all. It's not a nice place to be.

Jacob is also a very determined little tiger and started his tantrums early (another thing that I struggle with often!).

One thing I have noticed is that the way that he cries it's as though he lacks the confidence sometimes to put himself to sleep and wants the company - I guess that's where he is different to Matilda - he requires hands on instead of hands off?? It can be so hard either way....very tiring - physically and emotionally.

I never thought that sleeping problems 'existed' beyond 12 months either - so to have a little one who chops and changes with his sleep has been a real eye opener from that POV.

I have now read some books by Pinky which are fabulous but in the moment, when it's happening right then and there....what do you do? I struggle with that when I feel that I desperately need a few minutes to myself but Jacob is screaming the house down and getting himself really worked up......

I know in reality that we're doing the right things (and doing what seems to work best for him) but at the time you doubt yourself.........

I know I've rambled on, but I too would like others to know that you're not alone if you've got a child who fights sleep beyond 12 months (for whatever reason). Sleep just doesn't seem to come naturally or easily for some little ones.........