I am starting to think there is more to DD's sleep problems that milestones, teething and growth spurts.
She is 21 months and has never been a sound sleeper. We co-slept for the first 17 months. We had to since DD would not sleep unless she was in contact with me, even for naps. Around 15 months I was able to sometimes slip out of bed once she was asleep. Occasionally she would let her daddy get her to sleep. This became a more regular thing and that's when we decided to get her her own bed. We got her a twin size mattress on the floor and I slept with her for a few nights, then we started night weaning.
I was seriously sleep deprived by this point and night weaning was a must. I just couldn't take the constant waking any more. DH gradually took over night time parenting and after a month she was completely night weaned.
The hope was that once she was night weaned she would wake less. Unfortunately this isn't the case. She has a self-imposed bed time of 6pm (this is when she falls asleep) and will typically sleep until 10pm without waking... but then she wakes once an hour or so... all night long. Most wake ups she is easily soothed back to sleep by DH, but sometime between midnight and 3 she will wake and not go back to sleep for at least an hour, sometimes as long as 4 hours. She will lay quietly in bed as long as DH sits by her.
She is ready to get up for the day at 6, so this is when I get up and take over for DH, who then goes to bed.
She isn't over stimulated, (we are home-bodies who rarely go out) and she wakes frequently whether she is growing, teething, or learning a new skill. She eats healthy, home-made from scratch foods. She has no outward signs of allergies. She is a little delayed in talking, but not so much so to be a cause for concern. (yet) Twice she has slept from 6pm to 6am. Two nights. That's it. She seems so much calmer and happier after a good night.
She will typically nap for about an hour during the day, usually before noon.
What can I do to help her sleep?
She is 21 months and has never been a sound sleeper. We co-slept for the first 17 months. We had to since DD would not sleep unless she was in contact with me, even for naps. Around 15 months I was able to sometimes slip out of bed once she was asleep. Occasionally she would let her daddy get her to sleep. This became a more regular thing and that's when we decided to get her her own bed. We got her a twin size mattress on the floor and I slept with her for a few nights, then we started night weaning.
I was seriously sleep deprived by this point and night weaning was a must. I just couldn't take the constant waking any more. DH gradually took over night time parenting and after a month she was completely night weaned.
The hope was that once she was night weaned she would wake less. Unfortunately this isn't the case. She has a self-imposed bed time of 6pm (this is when she falls asleep) and will typically sleep until 10pm without waking... but then she wakes once an hour or so... all night long. Most wake ups she is easily soothed back to sleep by DH, but sometime between midnight and 3 she will wake and not go back to sleep for at least an hour, sometimes as long as 4 hours. She will lay quietly in bed as long as DH sits by her.
She is ready to get up for the day at 6, so this is when I get up and take over for DH, who then goes to bed.
She isn't over stimulated, (we are home-bodies who rarely go out) and she wakes frequently whether she is growing, teething, or learning a new skill. She eats healthy, home-made from scratch foods. She has no outward signs of allergies. She is a little delayed in talking, but not so much so to be a cause for concern. (yet) Twice she has slept from 6pm to 6am. Two nights. That's it. She seems so much calmer and happier after a good night.
She will typically nap for about an hour during the day, usually before noon.
What can I do to help her sleep?
