14 months - sudden night wakings with extra clinginess

[TheSugarPlumFairy]

i would really appreciate the benefit of your wisdom as this has stumped me.

DD is 14 months old and a delight to behold. She is bright as a button, confident, independent and inquisitive. She has never been particularly clingy. She loves a good cuddle and is quite affectionate but was always quite happy to be by herself.

She has always slept through really well usually from 7.30pm to 7.00am without a peep. We have had the occasional night waking but that was usually as a result of either oncoming illness or hunger.

In the last two weeks however she has woken up every night, sometimes several times a night, and cries until i go in to her room and cuddle her. SHe will go back to sleep but only if i stay in the room with her, preferably with my hand on her or better yet, in my arms.

She has always self settled beautifully and i am struggling to work out what could have changed that she now requires my presence to go back to sleep.

If i settle her back in her cot and leave her she goes ballistic with crying. i have been trying a bit of controlled crying, trying to get her to remember that she can settle herself back to sleep without me but so far no luck. she just doesnt want to.

i suspect it is separation anxiety but i am perplexed as to why it is only kicking in at night. during the day she if fine to be separated from me. she goes to nursery 4 days a week and she literally runs through the nursery door to get to the toys and her friends. I struggle to get her to even wave goodbye to me.

sorry, this has turned into a bit of an epic. any thoughts or strategies for dealing with it would be gratefully received. Co-sleeping is not an option.

[CombineArvester]

Could first set of molars be causing extra clinginess? Has she got them yet? If it is separation anxiety CC might just exacerbate things. If not teething try gradual withdrawal or pick up put down.