Nearly 2 year old won't stop crying

[CheshireChat]

Up until recently, DS slept really well, however he now just stays awake in his cot screaming/ crying and is refusing to settle whatsoever.

We've stopped his nap and still nothing and we have no idea what started this. Thought that maybe he is frightened to sleep alone so camped is his bedroom but that doesn't work anymore.

He won't co sleep as he prefers his own bed and will happily go to his own cot if it's light outside so at about 6am! He has a night light already.

Any suggestions please as I am exhausted and really fed up!

[drinkyourmilk]

Have you tried putting him down with the bedroom light on?

[CheshireChat]

That was quick, thanks!

I've tried leaving the light on and nothing , his night light is fairly bright anyway.

He doesn't really cry any other time, whereas now he's absolutely frantic and I really struggle listening to him.

[FATEdestiny]

I wouldn't stop the daytime nap. Creating at bedtime could be down to over tiredness, not under tiredness.

Could you stop in or around the room as he goes to bed? Sounds like he needs a bit extra reassurance.

My DD (also nearly 2) recently started creating a bit at bedtime. I believe it's because she now understands that she's missing out, that stuff happens while she's asleep that she doesn't get to do. So she priests at having to go to sleep.

Used to be I'd say "sleep time now" and she's make her way to the stair gate to go up. Now I get a whiney "Noooooo. No sleep time".

I started with a week of "mummy sleep" (which was me lying on the bed in her room until she settled).

Then we moved to a week of "mummy sit" ( which involves me sitting on the study chair just outside her room, with foot open).

We have now got to "mummy/daddy stay". DH or I can do it now, we leave her door open and potter around doing stuff upstairs for 10 mins or so. Then shut door when she's fast off.

[CheshireChat]

Strangely, sleeping in his bedroom stopped working as well as that's something I didn't mind that much. We got an air mattress and stayed with him and he was fine for a couple of nights.

[CheshireChat]

Oh, I'll see if letting him sleep during the day again changes anything at least I'll get a break then.

[SirVixofVixHall]

My dd had terrible night terrors if she got overtired. It does seem to make some children far less easy to settle. Both my dds, now 9 and 11, still find it hard to switch off and relax into sleep when they are overtired, so I agree with the pp that perhaps it could be that. How verbal is he? Would he tell you what is upsetting him?

[CheshireChat]

Sorry, busy sorting DS out.

Not really verbal, no. I can't tell if it's a coincidence or what bothered him, but he kept saying 'moth, moth' of the nights.

Unfortunately, a lot of things are called that including anything dark like the cat's spots.

How can you tell it's night terrors rather than nightmares?

[CheshireChat]

One of the nights.

[PiafPilaf]

We had this - totally out of the blue, for two months!! Gah. It stopped when we started leaving her door open when we said good night (we put a gate on her door). Also got a Gro Clock which seems to have helped. Not sure if they solved it or if the phase had run its course. It won't last forever!

[CheshireChat]

Please don't say 2 months, I'm virtually a zombie already . Worth trying his bedroom door open though, thank.

[golfmonkey]

I have found talking to my dd1 about what we did today and what we are going to do tomorrow when she wakes up has helped. She is 20 months but seems to understand a lot. She also recently went throgh the exact same thing. We found she needed slightly less naptime in the day and her bedtime (as in when she will go to sleep) has shifted to 7.30 from 6.30. I read that between 15 and 24 months their natural bedtime can shift up to an hour later (can't remember where!). Seems.to have coincided with the onset of tantrums too. Sigh! Hope any of that helps you x

[CheshireChat]

I'd be happy with an hour later! It's the fact it seems to have ended up between 3-6 am that's the issue.

This too shall pass...

[CheshireChat]

He's asleep! Not sure what worked, but I'm hoping he'll simply revert to his old pattern.

Maybe having boring, exhausted parents proved to be less fun than screaming the place down and staying up.

[Airandmungbeans]

I wonder if he's started to have bad/vivid dreams and he's scared of falling asleep. My eldest did this, he kept saying that he was scared of the pictures. We took all the pictures down in his room, which didn't help, then we tried a different nightlight, thinking it was the shadows, but that didn't work. We eventually worked out that he meant the pictures in his head. Poor little lad, and poor you, being sleep deprived is no fun x

[CheshireChat]

Airandmungbeans it certainly seems likely which is funny considering how independent he is during the day. That's actually really cute about your son though.

I tend to switch to the wrong language altogether with the wrong person IYKWIM so I'm sure everyone around me we'll be pleased .

It's been really helpful to have someone just listen to me venting so thanks!

[SirVixofVixHall]

Night terrors tend to happen at around the same time , the child will scream, seem really frightened, shout, sometimes hit out etc, but not be properly awake. My dd used to shout "HELP" repeatedly, at full volume, which apparently is not uncommon but was very stressful. I had to let the neighbours know what was happening. She would semi wake up but be in this complete meltdown tantrum state. She hasn't had one for years but is still sometimes a bit restless, or will talk in her sleep, at the time the night terrors used to occur.

[CheshireChat]

It doesn't seem to be that then as he is quite alert and I'll be honest, what used to happen your DD sounds a lot worse SirVixofVixHall.

I feel sorry for my mum now as I needed very little sleep and used to sleep walk!