2 year old - strange sleep problem

[tracy4321]

Firstly my daughter is a healthy 2 years and 4 month old.  From a very young age, she has been a fantastic sleeper, slept through the night from 11 weeks, regular morning and afternoon naps, but since the age of about 15 months only has an afternoon nap.  Every night, she will go to bed between 7.30 pm and 8pm, will lay in her cot, sometimes go to sleep straight away, sometimes she will lay awake and drop off shortly later.  

However, for almost a year she has started to wake during the night between approximately 2 am and 4 am, and will sing and talk, just random words, i.e, flower, rabbit etc the pattern used to be this would go on for a week, and then stop for about 2 months and then start again - this will last between 2-3 hours!!  However, in the past 3 months, this is now becoming a very frequent event, she may sleep well for a few nights and then this pattern will occur for over a week at least then have a good night or two and then start again - i have tried, stopping her afternoon naps, which i feel just made the problem last longer, i tried, shortening the naps to 1 hour, changed the time of day to early afternoon, mid afternoon, late afternoon, i think you name it i have tried it.  I started to do a sleep diary about 2 months ago when the frequency really picked up pace and apart from the fact that stopping the afternoon nap made things worse, there is no pattern to why she wakes during the night?  There is nothing traumatic about her life, we are a typical family, my husbands and my relationship is good, so she is not witnessing any strains which may be bothering her, i cannot think of anything!   We do have a 5.5 month old baby girl who is great, there has been no rejection of the new addition, she does not bother with her much but that is it.

It is getting to the point, where i feel like crying, i am so desperatly tired, at what has made me really upset is that i gave her a firm tap on the leg last night through sheer frustration - and that is not acceptable in my eyes.  When she has these episodes, i try not going in to see her, i have tried, going in to her room and telling her to be quiet and that it is time to go to sleep, nothing works, i have even tried giving her a bottle of milk to settle her back to sleep and that does not work.

I am desperate, and need some help.  My health visitor is stumped as to why she is doing this - i need help!  I am due back in work (full time) in a few months, and i will not be able to cope being sleep deprived!  Someone help!!

[margypops]

I have an idea that she just doesnt need the day time nap , is she getting enough stimulation, games to play,attention, get Dad involved with outside activities, no milk that only makes her wake more. She may also have a few jealousy issues about the Baby,especially as she gets punished ,ie the hand smacking, and the baby crys but gets more attention.,, So..Keep her wake but put her to bed earlier than you would if she had a nap,read her a story, give her a hug and leave the room, when she wakes in the night (its a habit) leave her to sing, laugh whatever ,yes you may wake aswell but if you dont go in to her she should go off again,if you go in she knows that making a noise gets you in there.may take a few days but if its not getting her anywhere she will stop. Make sure you focus on her positive side and she gets as much attention as she used to before Baby came along.