thread: Toddler sleep advice - urgently needed

  1. #1
    Claire Guest

    Toddler sleep advice - urgently needed

    I need some advice.

    Emily went into a big bed two weekends ago, of her own choice - first few nights, normal slept through till 7am. Been waking and getting progressively worse since. Last night the worst - woke up at 1.30 and stayed awake till 3ish, back up again around 4 and then 6.

    She screams the place down as she wants to come into our bed. But I can't do it as I've another baby on the way and there's no way I could sleep with 4 in the bed. We are just putting her back in bed, giving her a kiss or saying it's night time, go back to sleep kind of thing. She wants me to stand by the bed and hold her hand until she falls asleep (never needed this previously, was always happy to say goodnight to me and turn over to go to sleep) I'm reluctant to do it until she falls asleep and set up a bad habit. I do spend time by her bed but leave before she falls asleep, thinking that she's more likely to self settle if she wakes during the night.

    She's had a lot of changes recently - all coincided. New bed, me going back to work full time to save money for baby, fav childcare worker has been away the whole time and won't be back for another week or so. Baby on the way, though I don't think it's this. Been sick twice in last month.

    My daughter is the most stubborn person I've ever met. She refused to sleep in her bed and instead wanted to sleep on the floor by the door - breaks my heart.

    I have asked her this morning if she wants her cot back and she said yes. I will put it back in her room tonight and she can choose where she sleeps. If it doesn't work - what am I going to do?

    If this doesn't work - I'm stumped - what would you do in this situation?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    Wonga Park
    379

    I'd keep perserving with the bed myself. I know exactly how you feel, Mackenzie will only sleep thru 1 in 10 nights and you can NEVER pick it. She is now 3 and was a fantastic sleeper until she hit 13 months and it's all been down hill from there! She wakes during the night and we usually jump into bed with her and she goes back to sleep. We then wake up with pins and needles in our arm about an hour later and go back to our bed. It's he biggest pain but everyone gets sleep (most of the time) although it is interupted. She went into a bed at 22 months and was fine for the first 6 months re staying in bed and now we have all kinds of dramas. We have a definate routine, toilet, teeth, into bed and then story. Lately she has been waking around 4am and coming into our room with a book and her pillow so I just take her hand and lead her back to bed, jump in and hope she will roll over and go back to sleep (99% of the time it works). She sometimes wakes 2 times a night and we explain (she is a little older then your one) that if she wakes she needs to roll over and go back to sleep but she says she can't. I know she can but its just her. Consistance and perserverance is the answer. We have told her when baby arrives she will have to be the big sister and show baby how to stay in bed and sleep all night - hopefully this tactic will work but she is a very determined little character so I don't think it will but I'm sitting here with my fingers crossed. We have also had problems since we went away in Feb - we had to sit at her door at night but we are slowly creeping down stairs and it seems to be working - her drifting off without us being there. But the middle of the night stuff is just a fact of life. I don't want her screaming the house down so you do what you need to do to survive. So all in all no answers just letting you know you are not alone and I HEAR YOU!

  3. #3
    Registered User

    May 2007
    in happy land
    447

    let me know if you find a way of keeping her in own bed we got a 14 month thats in our bed everynight were thinking of buying her own bed the health nurse suggested buying her a bed since shes been sleeping with us to me she just seems to little for a bed but if its going to keep her in her own bed then ive got to do it as i cant sleep with her anymore im getting punched and kicked everynight its not fun

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Feb 2005
    Mid North Coast NSW
    2,504

    I just want to say that we're in the same boat here. and also with another on the way, I do stress about what we will do when bub arrives, as it's me she wants during the night. I'm happy to climb into bed with her, it just seems like the easiest option to me. But then I think about the new bub waking while she's awake & I don't know what I'll do!!!! Argh!!!

    Anyway, sorry I'm not much help, but just wanted you to know you are not alone!!!