Parents of bad sleepers...

[Anonymous]

When did they really, reliably start sleeping through? Yes, we sleep trained and they fall asleep independently at bedtime. No, it didn't make much of a difference. DC is 18 months old and wakes up crying/will not stop until attended to multiple nights a week. We are not infrequently up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Naps at daycare which may be an issue, thus the late bedtime.

I'm so tired.

[Anonymous]

I have two bad sleepers. They both started to sleep better 1 month after I fully weaned. So, 18 and 13 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two bad sleepers. They both started to sleep better 1 month after I fully weaned. So, 18 and 13 months.

Never fear, they are in HS now and can sleep until 11.

[Anonymous]

I would consider hiring a sleep specialist. I don’t want to tell you how old my child was when she started consistently sleeping thru the night and it is a big regret to me that we did not get professional help. We were so tired for so long!

(Assuming baby is not hungry and Dr has checked ears and tonsils.).

[Anonymous]

3, 4 years old? For the first two years of her life, she woke me up at least 6 times every single night. We co-slept, otherwise I would never have survived.

It's my supposedly "sound" sleeper who later developed sleep apnea, by the way...

[Anonymous]

It wasn’t til he was 5 and I bribed him with whatever Lego set he wanted that he consistently slept through the night. Up into then, he would always wake after a couple of hours and come find me.

[Anonymous]

When we sleep train, we sleep train. Unless it’s an emergency, we do not go into our kids rooms at night or attend to them.

[Anonymous]

Yeah “attending” to him every night means he’s not sleep trained properly and that is what’s causing the problems. It’s inconsistent and he knows it.

It’s called “intermittent reinforcement” and it’s actually fueling worse sleep. Look up that term and sleep and you’ll see.

[Anonymous]

8. Years, not months. My wife's refusal to be strict on that is my only real complaint in my marriage.

[Anonymous]

My son didn't sleep through the night until my daughter was born, and they shared a room. He was 2 yrs 4 months old. In the words he had then, he told me he saw her before he was born and was waiting for her.

[Anonymous]

3. Kid is 8 now and still wakes up, but stays in his room. Only occasionally is it so bad that he comes to get us.

[Anonymous]

What are you doing with him in the middle of the night? There should be no big attention. Attend to his needs and leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did they really, reliably start sleeping through? Yes, we sleep trained and they fall asleep independently at bedtime. No, it didn't make much of a difference. DC is 18 months old and wakes up crying/will not stop until attended to multiple nights a week. We are not infrequently up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Naps at daycare which may be an issue, thus the late bedtime.

I'm so tired.

1. How much sleep are you aiming for total?
2. You say naps, as in plural? If more than 1 nap, you need to cut that ish out! If one nap, how long?
3. How much wake time and how much energy are you getting out before bedtime? What does he eat- are you serving him full fat foods? Dinner should have some type of fat- avocado, olive oil, nut butters, fatty fish, liver (get beef and beef liver meatballs), etc.
4. Has he been evaluated by an ENT?

My biggest regret was just assuming my kid was a bad sleeper and that it was the only problem. Yes, he was lower sleep needs but he also woke up frequently because of the tonsils and adenoids. Had a sleep study that confirmed mild sleep apnea. 4 weeks after his surgery and he stopped moving in bed and waking up. Had only slept through the night 30 times from infancy to 5!
He still needs only 10 hours at just turned 8 but he falls asleep after 10 minutes of reading with one of us and then 10 minutes of snuggles. Sleeps until he wakes. Pees randomly in the middle of the night and goes right back to sleep. Covers stay on the bed. He doesnt sweat at night as much. Doesnt need water in the middle of the night.
He needed his tonsils and adenoids taken out to address the MOTN wakings but even if we had the surgery earlier he never would have been sleeping 7-6 like some of the kids you heard about. From 3-4, he still had to lay down for 2 hours (1-3) and bedtime was 930/10. Didnt fall asleep and couldnt read so books were only so helpful but he was not stimulated/active for 2 hours every day. The WORST year by far. We actually wont return to the very local daycare (within 5 minutes) with our second because of this issue. If 75% of the kids arent sleeping the full 2 hours you may need to update your expectations for nap time.

Also check iron and vit D levels. If low or on the lower end, supplement. Liposomal iron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When did they really, reliably start sleeping through? Yes, we sleep trained and they fall asleep independently at bedtime. No, it didn't make much of a difference. DC is 18 months old and wakes up crying/will not stop until attended to multiple nights a week. We are not infrequently up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. Naps at daycare which may be an issue, thus the late bedtime.

I'm so tired.

1. How much sleep are you aiming for total?
2. You say naps, as in plural? If more than 1 nap, you need to cut that ish out! If one nap, how long?
3. How much wake time and how much energy are you getting out before bedtime? What does he eat- are you serving him full fat foods? Dinner should have some type of fat- avocado, olive oil, nut butters, fatty fish, liver (get beef and beef liver meatballs), etc.
4. Has he been evaluated by an ENT?

OP here.
1. 11 hours a day total including a nap (would love more but I'll take what I can get)
2. 1 nap, at daycare it's 2 hours long
3. 6 hours wake time before bed (nap ends at 3, bed at 9)
4. Yes, has ear tubes for chronic infections

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son didn't sleep through the night until my daughter was born, and they shared a room. He was 2 yrs 4 months old. In the words he had then, he told me he saw her before he was born and was waiting for her.

That is so sweet! It reminds me of an article I read about young children with memories of past lives. Wild stuff!