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Behaviour/development

Help! Toddler suddenly won't sleep :-(

3 replies

PiafPilaf · 14/07/2016 08:12

(Posted in the sleep section too but not sure how much traffic it gets and I'm desperate...!) We have been very lucky that DD, who is 2, has always been a good sleeper - until about two months ago. Almost overnight she has turned into a demon at bedtime. We do teeth, nappy, pjs, sometimes In The Night Garden, and two stories in bed. This has always been fine but now almost as soon as we've shut her bedroom door she's up and out of her room and whining, sometimes crying, sometimes throwing her toys down the stairs, saying she wants to go downstairs, etc etc.

We have tried everything we can think of - singing to her, bringing her downstairs (and trying to make it as boring as possible for her!), staying in her room and pretending to sleep (and often falling asleep...). A few times we have left her on the landing singing loudly, or sometimes whining - we don't leave her screaming - and a couple of times she has actually fallen asleep on the landing - even if sleepy she'll refuse to go to bed.

I'm getting really fed up of not having an evening. It's taking two hours or more to get her to sleep. We've tried cutting down her nap, eliminating it completely, letting her nap for longer, putting her to bed later, putting her to bed earlier... I just don't know what else to try! Any suggestions would be extremely welcome!

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Elroya1 · 14/07/2016 08:47

Have you tried changing the sleeping environment slightly? Like a new set of sheets, perhaps a new lamp accessory, etc. ?

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Cathaka15 · 14/07/2016 08:59

does she get enough activity through the day? Things that will tire her out. She's two so it's not that much of a surprise she's started to act up and decided for herself things will change around her. I think decide on a plan of action and stick to it. She will soon get the hang of the new routine and get back to quieter evenings.

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PiafPilaf · 14/07/2016 16:52

Yep - she rarely sits still and even if she's had a really tiring day as soon as it's bedtime she seems to get a second wind. I tried turning her bed round but no dice there either :-(