Why doesn’t she sleep!!!!!

Question

My daughter is one and she never sleeps! She is still up just as much as she was a newborn. Im at the point where I’m so exhausted I’m having anxiety attacks. My husband travels a lot for work and my MIL will keep her over night every once in a while but I’m kind of at the point where it’s going to take more than one night to get to feeling better. Alls I want is to be my husband for a week and get to stay in a nice hotel with a steak dinner on the company dime and that makes me think I’m a HORRIBLE mother but i just need a minute because I feel like all’s I do is go to work then come home and wake up 1,000 times a night. I love my daughter SO much she is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me and I wouldn’t trade her for the world but I need a couple nights. Am I a bad mom?

Answer

no, but id try to identify the reason she isnt sleeping. does she have a routine and a bedtime? or do you sort of just let her stay up and do whatever until she feels tired? if you make a routine and put her in bed, give her a dark quiet environment, get her to stay there,  even if it means taking her back to the bed 100 times the first night.. you should see results within a week and she will be sleeping through the night, you should be able to get some sleep yourself. routine is important for feeling tired at the right times, and keep her bed as a space for sleep only. dont let her have any screens in the evening (tv etc)... hope thats helpful. youre not a bad mum, just sounds like you need some help and not sure what to do.

Answer

Could your MIL come stay with you for a couple nights in a row? To help take some of the wake ups and to get you feeling more like yourself? I know my daughter is a lot worse at sleeping when I'm stressed or anxious and sometimes just knowing I have help makes me feel better.
You'll have to find what works for you and your family. Personally we do the exact opposite of some of the suggestions here, but that is what works for us. 
We did go through two sleep regressions, one at a year exactly, one at 55 weeks. But normally our 13 month old sleeps from 7-9 at night to 5:30 in the morning. Naps sometimes twice a day for an hour each time. We are not great about routine here, it's just not how my husband and I are. We just try to listen to her cues and when she's fussy we sit down, turn the lights dimmer, and relax and she will normally fall asleep. When I'm really desperate, there is this stupid annoying YouTube video that she loves that does the trick every time. It's called gummy bear full length English. It's a green cartoon gummy bear that sings - and she gets so engrossed that she forgets about fighting her naps and falls asleep. And then I get it stuck in my head and I dream of gummy bears 😞.
It will get better. Pick something and try it for a week and see if it helps. Good luck!

Answer

My daughter is 1 and can be the same way, some night she's up tossing and turning and crying every 5 minutes sometimes I get no sleep at all.

Answer

You are not a bad mom! My daughter goes through phases with her sleep and it’s exhausting sometimes! We are all human. What are you doing when she wakes up? Are you comforting her ? If you are really that tired and you don’t want her to cry I would suggest bedsharing. I i know it is not ideal but sleep is important. If you aren’t against crying at this age I would maybe try some type of sleep training and see if that works? It doesn’t work for everyone though but many people say it has for them. I just bring my daughter in my bed lol

Answer

Do you go in there when she wakes up? Because if you do stop! She knows you will she'll keep doing it.

Answer

Naps are also still very important at this age. About 2 hours twice a day is normal. If your child isn't used to nap time it my take a week or two but eventually your LO will start going to sleep better. Starting out even if your LO won't sleep at nighttime, she at least needs to lay down and rest during nap times. There's an old saying ... sleep begets sleep. Getting enough sleep during the day will lead to better sleep at night. And make sure to use the same routine for naps that you do for bedtime. My daughter is 1 and she sleeps 2 hours twice a day and 10 hours through the night. And if she misses even just an hour of her naps I can tell a big difference in how she goes to sleep at night. I've had her on a schedule since she was about a month old and it has done wonders. Routines make babies feel secure and helps them know what to expect during the day. Good luck

Why doesn’t she sleep!!!!!

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