I need some advice/help, yet AGAIN!!

I have no idea where I would be without being able to ask for advice/help/support from everyone on BB.

So, my latest problem is since last wednesday (over a week ago) Olivia has been waking up at 11pm and screaming/crying and I cannot settle her until 1 - 2am and then she wakes up again at 4.30am and it starts again. At 4.30am she will settle in bed with us but then neither DH or I can sleep as she kicks and screams at us and sleeps horizontal across the bed and if we move her she starts screaming.
At 11pm nothing I do will settle her. I have tried CC (please don't judge me for this, I was so desperate) and comforted sleeping but neither of these work. If I get her out of her cot she wont settle in my arms she just worms out until she is down and can play. I refuse to let her get up and play.
She is having a good sleep during the day of anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 hours. She is eating and drinking lots duing the day and we playing as much as I can with my m/s.
I am at a complete loss on how to settle her and what is causing this all of a sudden. She has all her teeth through, she isn't hot/cold, I alway check her nappy, she's not sick that I know of yet. During the day she is her normal gorgeous self and no probs with her day sleep.
I am completely exhausted and slowly losing my mind because of this exhaustion and I have a really short temper.

So any ideas/suggestions/help would be so appreciated. What the hell has happened my gorgeous sleeping 18 month old??

TIA everyone,
An exhausted Dan.

Hmm, only thing I can think of is maybe cut down her daytime sleep? Angus only has 2hrs max and is in bed 7.30pm until about 6am. He gets up during the night but is easily settled with a pat and a dummy (most nights!!) I know it is lovely when they have such a long sleep so you can rest too, but sorry that is the only thing I can think of!!! Good luckxxx

No idea Dan - but I am hoping someone has an answer as we are going through the same thing and I am soooooooo tired. Big hugs for you though - it must be shocking with the M/S :hug:

You know what? I think its a stage they go through - DS went through this at around 18 months - and he just wanted to get up and play or watch Dora!! at 2 or 3am!!! Not on my friend, not on..

The stage didn't last too long - a couple of weeks - if that is any comfort.

:hug:

Huge comfort - especially considering in that time frame there will be another one to keep me up at night!!!

My DD did this when I was preg at 4am and Arimeh, I caved and let her watch Dora cos I was just too sick and tired and DH was away :redface: But I went back to bed and left her on the couch with a doona, and she did go back to sleep.

Anyway, I think the day sleep should be pulled back from 4 hrs if that is regular the amount she sleeps - maybe 2 - 2.5 hours - but I know it also depends on how happy she is when you wake her. My DS just WOULD NOT wake up - or he would then cry for the next hour so I saw no point in trying - yet DD would wake happily so when her night sleeps started to bugger up it was ok to cap them.

Thank you all so much. I'm going to cut her sleep down to three hours (don't want to make a huge change quickly) and see if that helps otherwise I'm just going to have tough it out and pray to God that it is just a phase. I start night shift tomorrow so I have no idea how I'm going to go.

Good luck with night duty Dan - don't envy that one!

Abbey went through something similar. We implimented a couple of things which worked for us;

Limited day sleep to no more than 1 hour (she was sleeping for about 2.5 hours during the day at the time).
Moved into a big bed
Every night when putting her to bed, I would tell her we loved her and that Abbey stays in her bed all night and doesn't call out (she as going through a stage of calling out and if we didn't answer would come get us)
If she wakes during the night, I remind her it is the middle of the night and Mummy and Daddy need to sleep.

TOgether, these things seem to have gotten the message across and we sleep through more often than not and the only time she gets out of bed is when she gets up in the morning...

Good luck.

MG

Well she decided to sleep for only an hour today, lucky lucky me, so it is going to be interesting to see if it helps.

Good luck tonight Dan - fingers crossed that Livvy sleeps all night after a shorter nap today. I think cutting down her day sleeps is worth a try. Elena sleeps for 1.5-2 hrs during the day. If she sleeps any longer than that then we are guaranteed to have issues during the night.

Good luck and hope your night shift isn't too bad!

fingers crossed she sleeps better tonight Dan. Im thinking of you guys as I know how crucial a good nights sleep is for you atm xxx

Well little madam slept through the night last night, YAY!!!! She had a grizzle when she woke up after an hour but then not a peep until 7am this morning :cheer:. I'm going to keep her arvo sleep to max 2 hours again today and see if we can get a repeat performance. She'll sleep the next two night cause Dave is looking after her while I work and the little munchkin always sleeps for him.
Fingers crossed it's the beginning of her old sleeping habits.

fantastic news dan!!!!