Toddler sleep troubles - help please!

lilone_06

I've mentioned on here before that DD2 is having some adjustment problems to the new baby.  Not acting out so much, but super clingy to me and her sleeping is just out the window.  She's never really been a good sleeper, but it's really bad now. 

She goes to bed around 8, wakes around 7, and takes one nap around noon.  Since her overnight sleep has gotten worse, I've started waking her from her nap around 2 or 2.5 hours instead of sleeping the 3 or 3.5 she sometimes will. 

She goes down for her nap and for bedtime generally okay (**knocks on wood!!**).  I lay her right down, she might pop up and cry a couple of times 50% of the time, the other 50% of the time she goes right off to sleep. 

Problem is, she's been waking in the middle of the night, around 2:30, crying and won't be put back down.  DH has been in a battle of wills with her to try to put her straight back down in her crib but she's having none of it - she wants to get out.  She's a real cuddler and I think she really just wants some comfort.  But she's awful to sleep with so bringing her to our bed is not a great option either.

At any rate, we need to get her to stop with this waking thing.  What on earth could be causing this?  Any ideas?....

 

emathis2

DS has very similar sleep times and nap length as your DD.  I don't ever wake him at nap though.  He went through a phase a couple months ago where he woke in the middle of the night and wanted in our bed.  None of us got very good sleep during that time period but we did have him in our bed for about 2-3 weeks almost every night (from 4ish-7:30).  I think he got tired of being crammed with us and one day he just stopped doing it and is happy in his crib again.  I don't know what caused it or why it stopped happening.

abba916

I dont have any idea what could be causing the night waking (does she have all her teeth? sickness? wet in the night?) but I agree with PP- I wouldnt wake her from her nap and having a LO go down at 8 and wake at 7 with one night wake up- isnt too bad...

If she needs comfort- maybe soothe her with a little rocking then put her back in her crib (awake) 

lilone_06

abba916:

I dont have any idea what could be causing the night waking (does she have all her teeth? sickness? wet in the night?) but I agree with PP- I wouldnt wake her from her nap and having a LO go down at 8 and wake at 7 with one night wake up- isnt too bad...

If she needs comfort- maybe soothe her with a little rocking then put her back in her crib (awake) 

I wish!  She'll have none of it, and will scream if we try to lay her back down, let alone awake.

It really wouldn't be that bad except she's waking her sister who she shares a room with and the baby who was previously nearly STTN   Everybody is exhausted which is why I'm at wits end now.

Mc_Newlywed

Yikes, that's rough.   This is the almost-2 yr old, right?  

I would bet it's just a phase like most things.  My daughter was a little older (just over 2 yrs) when the sleep nonsense started.  One thing that I really think helped was to roll play during the day.  Pretend to be the baby and let her be the mommy and see if anything comes out during that play that gives you a clue as to why she's waking.  And talk to her about what to do when she wakes at night (i.e. "roll over, hug your stuffed animal/lovey and go back to sleep").

I dunno, that's the best idea I can think of.  I can certainly commiserate though.  We didn't have a newborn but we did have a really rough patch of sleep that lasted about 8 weeks - would go down easily at night, wakings, etc.  Good luck to you and yours.  Naps for everyone today!!