Not sleeping

[tor]

Hi

I'm in desperate need of help. I had PND when my twins were a year old. I'm now off medication and everything seems to be going ok until recently.

Since boxing night my 2.5 year old little girl won't sleep through the night. She goes to bed at 7, quite well, but can wake up at any time and it can take me from 5 mins to several hours to get her back. I've tried everything from ignoring her, putting her back and I'm ashamed to say shouting at her. Nothing seems to work. If it was just her it wouldn't be a problem, she could scream and shout all she wanted but she often wakes her brother up.

Tonight I've resorted to putting a gate across her door to stop her coming into my room but all she's doing at the mo is screaming at me and she's woken her brother up yet again.

Please, please can someone offer some advice? I'm at the end of my teather, all I've done so far is cry!!!!

Even when she does sleep I never sleep properly as I'm waiting to hear her come in!

She would be quite happy to sleep in my bed every night but that's not what I want.

tor x x x

[winegirl]

Hi Tor

Controlled crying hun. You go into her room for 2 mins, no talking to her, just saying sshhhh and stroking her till she calms down. You then go out of her room for 5 mins and listen to her scream her lungs out. You then go back in for 2 mins and do the stroking, sshhhing thing and repeat. The first night I did this with my LO it went on for hours! But as the days went on it went from 3 hours to 2 and half hours, to 2 hours etc.. It was damn hard, but after 2 weeks we had cracked it and ever since she has gone to bed and slept through.

The important thing is to not speak to her when you go in but just ssssshhh her so she knows you are there. Eventually she will learn that mummy is there for her if she needs you but she is not getting any reaction and she is certainly not going in mummys bed!!

WG x