Oh God. What's happened to my 18 month old's sleep?

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

Oh, it's been such a hard slog. 12 months of dreadful sleep, breastfeeding frequently in the night, early mornings, poor and unpredictable naps.

For 6 months it's been improving. He learned to self settle and could get himself to sleep on his own after a feed. I stopped night feeds at about 15 months and he had his last bedtime feed at Christmas, so no longer bf at all.

Until a week ago, he's been going straight to sleep after a story and sleeping about 12 hours, or a little less. One daytime nap, around 11am for up to 2 hours (rare to be this long, but haven't managed longer or two naps since about 8 months old).

For the past week... Screaming at bedtime. Takes about an hour to get him to sleep, returning at intervals. As soon as I go in, he stops crying and tells me what he wants (he's very verbal. He wants downstairs, or daddy, or a particular song or toy, or to say night night to pretty much anyone he can think of. When he's calm, I put him back in his cot and he starts again immediately.

Why oh why oh why?? And what should I do? He's not teething (has the full set except two back molars) and is well although a bit snotty.

In addition to this, he's waking earlier than usual and it's not happy waking. It's whiny, whingey, fussy waking. Not what you want at 5.30 am, obviously!

[Twobusyboys]

We had this at 18 months with ds1. I think its separation anxiety. We staying with him til he went yo sleep. He then went to sleep very quickly.
Dh is still staying in the room at bedtime now though and he is 4 !
Preferable to me than leaving him screaming though.

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

Yes, that would make sense I suppose. He's definitely trying
to get me to stay by his lullaby and cuddling requests. It is very lovely cuddling him as he's not up for that much in the day at the moment, but 4 yo DD's bedtime needs to be dealt with too and I'm usually on my own in the evenings.

[TheresLotsOfFarmyardAnimals]

Routine wise I would try pushing the lunchtime nap back to 1.30pm.

I can only really suggest that and a full build up to bedtime - bath, books the lot. Be consistent with your approach. We had a few nights at around 18 months but it soon passed.

[Twobusyboys]

Yes i am lucky i have dh here most nights. When he is not here i end up doing bedtime with all of us in one room.
I heard supernanny once say that sep anxiety appears at bedtime at 9 months. 18 months and again at age 2. Her advice was to be persistant with self settling. Controlled crying. But my ds got so upset i couldnt stand it. And previosu to that he had been quite happy to go to cot himself.