My 17 month old's horrible sleep habits.

[snuffles]

I know that it is probably my fault my 17 month old is such a horrible sleeper. I am just at the end of my rope right now. DD is at my legs crying as I type this because she is EXHAUSTED but, I CAN'T GET HER TO SLEEP! (It is about 9:40 am. She didn't sleep last night.)

I think this all started when she was an infant and when my kids are little, I just can't put them down. I hold them for naps and sleep with them close at night. This has turned into my 17 month old who can't take a nap without being held (by me or DH) and wants to nurse constantly at night or else she just screams (and neither me nor DH gets any sleep.) I am 12 weeks pregnant and have gotten to the point that nursing really, really bothers me. I don't mind nursing a few times throughout the day, but all night just can't happen right now. I am sure she is not hungry, because she eats solids really well. I make a point to give her a good bedtime snack. I have been letting her nurse for a minute every couple of hours at night now, and pulling her off. She is not happy with this, which is why she ends up crying half the night and nobody sleeps.

I just feel like I've created a MONSTER and it is making my life miserable right now. I have a crib and am so tempted to put her in it right now and let her scream.

This 10 am thing that is happening right now happens every morning. She has a meltdown around 10 am because she is tired. But I can never get her down for a nap this early. We will eat lunch around 11-12 and she will eat and then nurse to sleep. By that time, I am so exhausted myself I just end up holding her the whole nap time in my recliner. This is just perpetuating her awful sleep cycle. I have tried laying her down several times for this nap but the best I can get is maybe 10 minutes and she is up and won't go back down. This makes our whole family's day miserable, as I homeschool and do other things and she screams because she is so freakin' exhausted.

I swear, this next child is not going to do this! I am laying them down for naps and at night. This is insane. DH and I never have time together at night because one of us has to hold her until I go to bed and take her with me.

:irked:
(sorry, this is more of a rant, but I need some serious advice. this can't keep happening!)

[Willothewisp]

Hi -

Just a couple of ideas; no clue if they will help or not...

Do you have a close friend of relative that could come by for a couple of days in a row and help you to put your dd down for naps (morning and afternoon)? I don't know if it will make a difference if someone else tries to put her down for her nap; but at the very least it's someone to tag team for support.

At night...i don't know. the only thing that comes to mind is that any changes you make, to try and be consistent with them; she's going to hate to have changes made. (obviously :nut ) But maybe with a few days or week of the same diligent routine (ie. bedtime routine (starting a 1/2 hour before she usually gets tired), snack, reading, lullabies, "here's your sippy cup with water if you get thirsty",) and also when she wakes, someone else goes to her like dh or the friend/relative from above, she will learn that nursies go to sleep at night, but will be there in the morning.

My son is only 8 months old, and my first, so i'm just going on other advice i've read (in these boards, and elsewhere)...i hope something works for you, and i'm thinking of you and wishing you luck. :thumb