Parents of non-sleeping toddlers, can we get a group together to book a sleep seminar?

[KikiMac]

I'd definitely recommend one to one advice. I have used www.andreagrace.co.uk for both my kids, and she has been an absolute life line.

[Saffron]

What age were your children, and what type of advice did she give?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Thought I'd give everyone a bi of an update (I will reply to PMs, promise!)

Since my OP, Seb's sleep has got significantlly worse- getting out of bed at 10pm, getting into my bed whilst I'm downstairs, getting up in the night etc. I have been keeping a diary and he wakes 3hrs 35mins after going to sleep on the dot. I have been talking to Millpond, and have paid a small fortune, and we're going to try some wake-t0-sleep techniques.

It's also a form of seperation anxiety, we think, as my husband is working long hours and not getting home till 1/2/3am at the moment (ugh), and our son is very much a Daddy's boy. My husband is much better at settling him at night than I am, so he wakes expecting my husband to do a bit of shh-ing and reassuring, and when he's not there, my son gets worried and agitated. Not much we can do re: working hours unfortunately (again, ugh, we're all absolutely knackered).

We have also found an early nap, aroyund 10:30-11:30 helps IMMENSLY. Getting him to take this is tricky, so I need to put my thinking cap on re: logistics of this.

How has everyone else's sleepless week been?

[Saffron]

No change here. Getting by, just about. I'd like to start adding some toddler sleep aids to Little Saff's room, like nightlight/clock, torch/toy, radio or cd player. What works? what's rubbish?

I'll be keen to hear how you go with the wake-to-sleep. How much do you need to wake him, when, for how many days? Is it expected to get worse before it gets better, or will you see improvement right away?

Good luck! :)

[KikiMac]

Saffron, I started when the first was about 5 months old as i wanted support in getting him out of my bed. They are now two and a half yrs and seven months and I call her as and when - early waking is our problem. Andrea's approach is 'gentle sleep solutions' so she's sympathetic to those that don't want to go cold turkey...

[Ruth_Baldock]

Saffron: I believe it takes at least three days, more like a week to really take effect. We have been doing it for two days and it means he has stopped wandering into our room at 10/11pm, and has been waking at around 3:30am and coming into our bed. This is a vast improvement on his previous nocturnal habits. We have started transferring him after he comes back into our bed at 3:30am, and we hear him stirring at about 5am, but we have left a sippy cup of water next to his bed which he has downed and then gone back to sleep until his sister starts squaking at arounf 7:30. It means overall he's getting more sleep, and isn't tired in the day which is EXCELLENT.

I have also been encouraging a very early nap (10am, we go upstairs to put Lex down for a snooze at 9:30, and she sleeps till about 10:45). It means I feel like I'm doing some kind of nap relay race but I feel is helping.

For now! famous last words!

[Saffron]

Brilliant!

[dontpanic]

sorry to crash your thread, but If you are thinking of getting the professionals in then consider this lady:

http://www.andreagrace.co.uk/

I have used her twice, a year apart, with my twins and son who is two years older. she came over to us the first time, and did a phone consultaion the second. Both times I found her incredibly helpful: she didn't have one single method, and tailoerd a few different strategies for us. We had a four A4 paged schedule fro every evening, which we tweaked over two weeks with telephone calls. It saved our sanity. I think it was ?240 or so for the visit.

she has some good tutorials on her site in any case

best of luck

[Beany]

Good progress Ruth! We're still struggling, but maybe it's because we're not trying anything different. Little miss is usually overtired after daycare (even though she naps for about 1.5 hours there!), freaks out over bath etc..., goes insane when we try and leave the room (after books, soft music playing, nightlight on). Might fall asleep by 8pm if we sit with her- then she'll sometimes have nightmares if was particularly overtired or just wake up around 3/ 4am with a start - and one of us is back on the floor in her room (she won't sleep with us).

Plus, now she wont sleep in the day unless a daycare, but she's soooo tired, so entire afternoon is a write off! Doom, gloom! Is a bad to look forward to Monday mornings?? Yes, most days I have perspective and enjoy our time together etc etc... but some days can I just admit that this is bloody hard!