18 month old with sleep problems

[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

[puffling]

If it's just a recent thing, could it be ear infection or teething?

[helencharade]

She does have a tooth coming through, so will try giving her some calpol tonight. However, she is happy in her cot if either me or my DH are there with her, I think its more being by herself which is bothering her rather than being in pain.

[mummysue]

hi,just posted a new topic,called i want to sleep in my own bed help....my god this is my daughter....nearly,i know for a fact that theres nothing wrong with her..shes 18 months too.i think that shes lonely she just wants you around.at least she wants you mine just wants the big bed with pillow .it is so hard though,when theres things to be done or when your so tired yourself.ive no advice sorry,waiting too hear advice myself.the only way i can deal with it is i think at least shes not ill,it wont last forever....been telling myself that for 18 months....cant remember what its like to have unbroken sleep or a lie in.....joys of motherhood haha

[skidaddle]

oh yes my 20 month dd is the same. I have recently just given up and lie down with her in our bed to get her off to sleep at bedtime and if she wakes in the night we bring her in with us. I'm sure I'm making a rod for my own back and all that but I am 16 wks pg and just haven't the energy to do anything else!

Will be interested to hear helpful suggestions though!

[cockles]

18 months is notoriously a tricky time for sleep but it does pass.If poss I would give her what she needs for now and I bet in a month or two or less she will be back to normal - if she settled before, she can do it again, and she will. Patience!

[helencharade]

Thanks cocokles. i'm really pleased it will pass! things are getting a little better already in that we are managing to get out of her room whilst she's sleepy but not asleep. Just going to keep persevering and re-assuring ourselves that one day we will get a full nights sleep!!

[Luxmum]

EXACTLY the same with my DS who is 19 months. I thought it was because we moved rooms as we're doing hte house up. He used to be a deram at going to bed, but now we have to wait till he is asleep. Thankfully this only takes 1/2 hr and I use the time the 'meditate' or just loll against the wall thinking. maybe bump up your DC's bedtimes by 1/2 an hour, we also found putting in an extra beaker of milk helped him, as he has been getting really hungry at night, and it saves him waking us up for food at 3am. Good luck. I am praying this si only a stage, and when we move back downstairs he'll settle to bed properly again.