Please please help

[helencharade]

Hello

Please please help me! I have an 18 month old daughter who until two weeks ago would settle herself to sleep in her cot with no-one in the room (after story time we would say "night night", she would wave and happily go to sleep). Now she just screams unless we sit with her till she falls asleep. She wakes most nights and in the past we would just walk into her room and she would lie back down and go to sleep. Again this has all changed and se won't settle unless we sit with her and then we have to sneak out. This can take up to an hour. I'm spending quite alot of time sleeping on her floor!

Please help I'm desperate to try and solve this and I'm not really keen to use controlled crying but I can't think of anything else to try. I have used pick up put down in the past to great success but not sure if that's appropriate for when you're leaving the room?

Any help greatly appreciated

P.s I have posted this below but wasn't getting much response and I'm really desperate.

[Dior]

Message withdrawn

[helencharade]

Did you just go with it? How long did it last? It does help, knowing someone else has been through it!

[BreeVanDerCamp]

It is slower than molasses in January around here today, just keep it bumped and someone will be along soon who can help.

[helencharade]

I'm really sorry but I'm new at this...I have no idea what that means!!

[BreeVanDerCamp]

Sorry just one of my expressions.

Think about how slowly treacle pours, then consider how long it would take to pour if it was cold outside.

[helencharade]

I meant about getting it bumped?

[BreeVanDerCamp]

bump

[BreeVanDerCamp]

bump

[BreeVanDerCamp]

Do it every so often, maybe once an hour.

[helencharade]

oh i see! thanks

[Sazisi]

My DD2, who is 2, goes through phases of this too, but she always settles again aftere a phew weeks
My advice is, continue to put her to bed in exactly the way you normally would; if she cries lots, comfort her, then leave her, and repeat as neccessary. Be really positive about her going to bed, eg "Now you're going for a lovely sleep in your nice snuggly bed", and eventually she'll be convinced

Don't worry, it'll pass but if she's anything like mine she might do it all again in a few months

[Sazisi]

I meant FEW

note to self: use preview facility!

[Dior]

Message withdrawn

[helencharade]

She's totally happy to go to sleep in her cot if someone is with her. It's just when we try to leave the room.

I hope it is a phase! feel a bit more re-assured now

thanks

x

[Desiderata]

If she previously went off on her own, it might be that she had an infant nightmare. It's very young for such things, but not impossible.

She'll come out of it again, sooner than you think. Just keep trying to do what you always used to do before it all started, and hopefully it'll revert to normal.

Feel sad that you're sleeping on the floor, poor thing.

[Mumfun]

Hi

With DS I can remember a phase of us sitting with him to go to sleep. Then gradually moving chair over a few nights towards the door. Then at the door, then gradually moving out onto landing. think it worked fine and he did accept it and settled down again.

HTH

[helencharade]

Thanks so much for the support. Think we'll keep perservering with our old ways and then try the chair towards the door thing.

I feel much better than I did earlier!