AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! After just two nights sharing same hotel room, two-year-old now refuses his bed and wakes up crying in middle of night. Help!

[MrsMerryHenry]

We went away for the first time in ages this week, and shared a hotel room with DS for two nights - during the first night he was very unwell so I shared a bed with him (and consequently got no sleep due to his fidgeting!). On the second night he slept in his travel cot and was fine. Since coming home he has expressed for the first time what appears to be anxiety about sleeping in his bed - every bedtime he tells us that he doesn't want to sleep in it, but we manage to get him to fall asleep on his own anyway.

This morning he woke just before 5 and despite using our tried-and-tested PUPD approach (going back every 5 minutes) as soon as we put him back in his bed he screams and thrashes about, and does so until we return. In the past after an hour of PUPD he'd have settled, but clearly it's been longer than we thought since we last had to do this, as now it has no effect. I added a nightlight in his room, which he liked but still cries for us. DH is right now sitting with DS on his lap, desperately hoping he'll fall asleep.

Can anyone offer any advice? I don't agree with CIO so am not going to try that, but would be happy to consider any alternatives.

[MrsMerryHenry]

bump - anyone?

[jammietart]

Could you sleep in his room for a few nights to get him into the habit of sleeping all night in his own bed then slowly withdraw your presence over a period of a week or so?

It probably isn't anxiety (unless there really is a reason you can think of for him to be anxious) he just would rather sleep with you/in your room.

[MrsMerryHenry]

Thanks, Jammietart, actually last night was okay, thank goodness, as his room's tiny so sharing with him would be most uncomfortable. I'm quite poorly at the mo so need my own bed!