Toddler sleeping issue - pls help me :(

[Duds]

Hi

im posting this here in hope than more people will see it and might be able to give me any advice as i cant handle any more sleepness nights! (apologies now for the moan)

Aimee has always been a pretty good sleeper since we got her into a routine at about 4 months (she was bad as a baby) but over the last few months she has been v irratic- either not napping well but mainly not going off when put to bed.. sometimes she doesnt create much, just takes a while. she's been waking a few times in the night regularly too.

Last night was the worst, we put her down at 730 she was quiet for about 15mins then started whinging leading to screaming... she wasnt really upset just making loads of noise. Usually we would just lie her back down and go out which we might have to do a few times but she would settle eventually. Anyway, she wouldnt .... after an hour we gave her calpol even tho i dont think she was ill cause as soon as you went to her she would stop and lie there, we tried staying with her and sitting by the cot which she was quiet but still wouldnt sleep (sat with her for an hour) as soon as you left she'd go mental again... this lasted for over 5 hours !!!!
I was pulling my hair out in despair.... i dont know what to do....

We decided the only thing to ttry was to sleep on the floor next to her, as soon as DH turned the lights on and started banging around she started to settle... dont know if it was pure exhaustion or the overdose of mediced!
Is it poss she could suddenly be scared of the dark?

She still got up normal time, i am absolutly shattered and really cant cope with it. I'm about to drop and am tired enough.... i now feel sick and have upset tummy prob thru tiredness...
Im NEVER going to cope when the baby arrives if she isnt any better

Any tips or ideas what the prob might be ......

 

[Squiglet]

Wow...thats hard..especially with another baby on the way. Its obvious its attention seeking. She wants you to be with her, and needs your reassurance. Also your LO might be getting worried about the arrival of the new baby and this is unsettling her. She is young and doesn't understand what the new baby means.

The problem is baby number 2 is on the way and she will just not be able to have that level of attention sge wants. Whatever you do...don't start sleeping in her room...certainly don't turn on the light and bang around as that gives her the wrong idea. Night time is for sleeping. By all means get a small nightlight...but lights off and mummy & daddy leave the room. If she starts crying go after about 10 mins, settle her, but don't speak much or make eye contact with her, then leave. Leave her for about 15 mins that time to cry...then go back settle her, again not saying anything more than good night, time to sleep. Keep doing this extending the intervals.

It takes absolutely ages to train them this way...and if your like me usually result in you sitting on the sofa in tears for several nights...but they do get the picture eventually. And she needs to get the picture. If she is safe in a cot or bed, crying will not hurt her...promise. She might start being sick...in which case go in, give her a drink of water and leave...without saying anything. Its hard...but worth it in sleep later.

Tia was a terrible sleeper but now she's great and once I put her in bed it's very rare that we have problems. But I had to do this with her for about a week before she got the idea that mummy wasn't going to rush in and be all over her, everytime she made a noise. I was in control, not her.