Toddler sleep issues

[Zedd]

I know this topic has been done to death but having eagerly read everything I spot on here about toddler sleep none of it has spoken to the various issues we are having so here I am hoping someone can sympathise/ offer insight/ reassurance!

I am 36 weeks pregnant and my toddler is 25months old. She was a wonderful sleeper until she turned 1ish and then? well, they say karma's a B***h...

For the last 10 months we have struggled through various incarnations of sleep issues, sometimes for weeks at a time - waking in the night with separation anxiety; waking in the night wanting to play; waking in the night hungry (she took a long time to be interested in eating "full" meals); refusing to go to sleep at the start of the night; waking in the night thanks to teething/ cold/ cough etc. All of these have been attributable to something i.e illness; teething; changes in day-time sleep needs; one bout of sleepless nights clearly coincided with her starting to speak in sentences; occasional night-terrors; bad dreams (I think) and she has either settled back to more reasonable sleep patterns in her own time or has been encouraged to do so with short bouts of controlled crying.

BUT this week has been a whole new ball game as she has been waking up at different times and staying awake for at least an hour at a time apparently unable to settle back to sleep (we have a video monitor so I have been known to watch her for 15 minutes apparently getting sleepier and sleepier and then suddenly springing awake again and calling for us). This was topped by last night when she was awake for nearly 4 hours squealing, playing, singing, reciting nursery rhymes, doing "flips" in her sleeping bag etc etc. Basically this was not the middle of the night for her and she was going to play? After nearly 4 hours she decided her pyjamas were the problem (I have no idea if they were the problem all along) and once they were changed she went to sleep? I am exhausted and terrified at the prospect of this behaviour continuing for the foreseeable future when I have a newborn to look after as well. I simply can't figure out what is going on so I was wondering whether anyone else has a similar story or any advice. Also, would enlisting a sleep consultant be helpful given that her sleep issues are so unpredictable and varied?

Anyway, thank you for your stamina if you have reached the end of this LONG post. ANy thoughts will be gratefully received;-)

[Convex]

If paying for help is an option, I suggest Nicola at sleep solutions.

She looks at the whole situation for you. Do it today and you will hopefully gave time to get things on track before baby arrives!

[Sol]

I had similar problems when my child was nearly 3; waking up every 2 hours with separation anxiety; I moved to her room for a month but it dint changed much as she wanted me to stay awake looking after her; we had to do sleep training again and let her cry. She improved but later on we moved her with her older sister as she also started waking at night; we decided they didn't want to sleep alone and now they are sharing a room and we have full night sleeps again; one year ago was a night mare though