Why is my 13 month old suddenly refusing to sleep at bedtime and waking up at night?!

[Flingmoo]

He's been a fairly good sleeper so far. Not amazing but for the last few months he's slept through the night most nights with no trouble at bedtime, and usually if he does wake up during the night we just give him some water and his dummy and goes straight back to sleep with no fuss.

Last few nights he's been terrible settling down to sleep. He just wants to get up and play despite being obviously tired. He'll walk around in the cot angrily chucking his dummy, toy bunny etc out of the cot to get our attention. If I pick him up to settling down he starts playing with me and giggling manically even if I try and make it really boring. If I leave him for a few minutes to cry he gets so worked up I'm forced to pick him up to settle him down and doesn't settle for a while.

He's had calpol, teething gel, milk, water... I don't know what's up! I can hear him right now moaning and grumpily babbling in his room despite having been in bed for neary 2 hours already!

Any idea what causes this? Anyone else had this problem? Any ideas?! I've been back at work for months now so no major changes of routine. I need my rest even more now I'm back at work

[SaulGood]

It's a developmental leap. I could have guessed what your op would be without opening it. Walking round cot, waking up, getting frustrated, seeming contrary, laughing one minute and sobbing the next, none of the usual tricks working.

It's normal and always happens around this time or so. It's to do with learning how to walk with confidence. His brain's in overdrive and wants him to get up and practise these skills.

It'll pass. Just do whatever it takes to get through it.

[Flingmoo]

Thanks! Very reassuring to know!

It's one of those times when I really question our own parenting skills... Hard to know what to do. I never know whether to go into his room, whether to cuddle him or let him sit on my lap and play with me (he wants to poke my nose and steal my glasses), whether to just sit by his cot in a boring manner as a supposedly reassuring presence without offering too much interaction while he stomps around in the cot, or even to let him cry for a while in the hopes he'll just give up...