Toddlers: 24 Months+
valeivegas
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Major sleep issues with 2yo
valeivegas
member
My DD is 2 and lately we've been having some MAJOR sleep issues. After the past two nights I feel like I'm at a breaking point - I'm so exhausted I feel like I can't even function. She refuses to drink milk from a cup so we still give her a bottle to fall asleep at night. For a while she was waking up & we were giving her a bottle during the night to get her back to sleep, but we managed to stop that - & for a while she was sleeping better. Well, she started waking up more, we're both exhausted so we fell into the bottle trap again. Now she started having tantrums in the middle of the night, throwing herself around her crib, and even after trying to give her a bottle she'll fall asleep for a while, but wake up again crying. Dh & I have had it! We all need to sleep! The past few nights were really bad with the tantrums - yesterday I think we only slept for three hours if that! Last night she started it again at 12:30am, so we let her cry it out for 10-15 min. Then we hear this loud "thump!" She fell out of her crib! I almost had a heart attack. I just lost it - I wanted to run away from my house & this 'sleepless' nightmare! Dh got her back to sleep but I was so worried she hit her head or something when she fell out, I couldn't sleep..
I think it's time for a big bed for her (my DS was in one around her age & did well), but I'm also worried that it could backfire & be hours of putting her back in bed. To add to all this stress, Dh is in school & really needs to study since he has exams at the end of this month. So I'm worried the big bed will possibly caused more problems & allow her to climb out & run around the house.
Any tips/support/guidance?? Today I feel like a failure of a mom for losing it in this situation... My son was never this difficult at two so I'm kind of at a loss...!
I think it's time for a big bed for her (my DS was in one around her age & did well), but I'm also worried that it could backfire & be hours of putting her back in bed. To add to all this stress, Dh is in school & really needs to study since he has exams at the end of this month. So I'm worried the big bed will possibly caused more problems & allow her to climb out & run around the house.
Any tips/support/guidance?? Today I feel like a failure of a mom for losing it in this situation... My son was never this difficult at two so I'm kind of at a loss...!
Re: Major sleep issues with 2yo
I think it definitely sounds like she is ready for a big girl bed. Also, I would stop with the bottles or milk at night in general.
I think with these types of things, if you're consistent, it will eventually sink in. She will probably get up and run around at first, but if your firm and keep putting her back to bed reminding her it is night time and she has to lay in bed, she will get it. It may take a while and it will be hard, but it will sink in. I think getting a big girl bed and playing up how she is a big girl now who stays in her bed all night and doesn't need bottles will help things.
Also allowing her any stuffed animal, pillow, blanket she needs to want to stay in bed. My daughter has so much crap in bed with her that she *needs* to go to bed.
I read the No Cry Sleep Solution with my son & I know the techniques.. I think we're past that with DD though - we have tried to put her back in bed all night long & it will literally be about two hours (seriously) until she even starts to calm down & fall asleep. It's extremely exhausting. That's why we just let her cry last night - but then I almost died when I heard her fall out of the crib... I want grandma to take her for a night this weekend (I'm sure she won't sleep there either!!) so we can just get a break..
DS Born: 6/02/2012
Tied the Knot: 11/14/2015
Trying for Number Two since 9/1/15
BFP!!! Baby 2 Due: 12/6/21