2 year old's restless sleep

[tnmom66]

How can I help my child sleep better?  She is exhausting me.  We co-sleep and are still night nursing.  She seems to sleep well till about 1 or 2 a.m. (bedtime around 8 or 9) and then the early morning hours, she is very restless. She starts yelling in her sleep, usuallly about food or a toy she wants, and wakes up enough to start groping around for the breast and wants milk.  Then she dozes back off, and it seems to repeat every 20 minutes or so, but I haven't charted or anything.

I am wondering if maybe I should check her diaper--it is cold enough that if her diaper is wet, it might be chilling her and disturbing her.  I know changing her diaper will wake her up, but if that is the problem, she may at least stay asleep.  She often sleeps dry all night, so I don't know if this is the problem or not.  She is doing this maybe 3 nights a week.

Does anyone elses child frequently talk throughout the night in their sleep?

[JanineRivera]

Hi tnmom66:)  I really have no suggestions; I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone with the frequent waking and restlessness.  My dd is 29 months old and is weaned and still wakes often most nights.  It is quite exhausting and I am still looking for answers.  Maybe someone else here can help us!  

[nukuspot]

Yes, my 21 month old yells in her sleep.  Sometimes it's about food she wants sometimes she yells for the dog, sometimes she screams and says NO or MOVE like she's having a nightmare.  It drives me crazy.  Her eyes sometimes are open, other times they are shut.  I thought she was having vivid dreams.  I'm glad to hear we are not alone.  I'm REALLY tired, this is a new development.

Last night she yelled SARDINES over and over again.  (She loves them.)

And she has the same pattern too, it starts about 1-2am and then every hour or more frequently.  Nursing is all I can do to help her go back to sleep.  We cosleep but I am still really run down and tired.  I don't think it's her diaper because she is 95% of the time dry in the morning.