She just won't sleep!

[user1484166991]

Hello!! So my daughter Millie has been amazing at sleeping since she has been born but after thinking that for a while I've gone and jinxed myself! She turned two on 6th January so we decided to make it even more exciting and take the side off of her cot to make it her bed, thought it would be fine as , my little boy was in a bed before he was 2. She was great the first night but ever since she just won't sleep! She gets out of bed and cries her heart out at the stair gate or in her bed and the only way she will settle is if I'm stroking her head and then the minute I think She is asleep and I leave she is off again.. I've done the super nanny approach and left her to get one with it but she does NOT give in ... any help?!? Thankyou xx

[Ellieboolou27]

No advise as in the same position and came in here to find some
My 16 month old the same, slept from 7-8 from 9 weeks but got the last month she will not stay in her bed for more than an hour without waking, screams the house down, we end up laying her down with us in our bed, husbands up with her now!
My first dd never slept in her bed for 3.5 years! I vowed I'd be stricter this time.
How long has it been going on?

[Crumbs1]

You're not letting her get on with it long enough! They'll scream themselves stupid or sick for a few hours the first night then the time reduces over three or four days. You just need to be more determined than her.

[DavidPuddy]

Maybe she might like the side of the cot back on? Perhaps she's just not ready for that step?

[iecgi]

Watching with interest my littlest one has started to show fear of falling asleep... I have been through this before with my eldest 2 but both got over it quickly and where much less upset than my dd who is just in bits at the moment her pjs go on. She is 20 months. At some point between 18 months and 2 years toddlers can get a bit freaked out by the whole sleep thing where do we go when they are asleep... where do they go what the hell was a dream what was real and why don't mummy and daddy come with me when I dream or if they do why are they different? My health visitor said with my eldest that it's thought at around this age they start being conciously aware in their sleep so are experiencing dreams as we know them for the first time so you can imagine how freaked they are add to it we usually change their day to day routine or sleep arrangements around this age and then the addition of ongoing seperation anxiety it's no wonder they go on a sleep strike. Eventually they learn it's safe to sleep and the phase passes but I will be in bits with my littlest till then it's horrible 😣

[Ellieboolou27]

crumbs I know you've got loads of experience with kids

How long do I let her cry?

Tonight for example - bed at 7.30, I lay down reside her bed and she fell asleep for around an hour, then woke screaming, dh went up and laid with her in our bed (our room and her room are inter joining) after 30 mins she was still refusing to sleep, I went up and put her back in bed, laid beside her bed for 20-30 mins, she wouldn't stay in bed so I left the room, she's now screaming at her stair gate
At 16 months I know she's old enough to cio but should I go in after a certain amount of time? She's a stubborn little one and I usually end up breaking before she does, I'm so fed up of bedtimes taking 2-3 hours and then for her to end up in our bed anyway,

[user1484166991]

Its so difficult isnt it? You don't want the house screamed down yet you don't want to start the reticle bed time routine of lying there till they're also then creeping out for the next 3 years lol x.. My son is 3 1/2 .. its only been the last year that he sleeps in his bed the whole night and goes to sleep by himself... shes not been sleeping since last Friday, it's as soon as it's bed time, she doesn't even like being in the room.. i did think something might have scared her but everything is the same x

[Burntbum]

I'd just put her cot side back on. Why the hurry to move her on? Both mine were in their cots until they were 3.5 and were getting cramped. They then went straight into a single bed with no trouble.

[user1484166991]

I know i do but im a big softy.. i have left her for quite a while but she is still screaming at the stair gate.. and when i put her back in to bed she is almost begging asking not to be..

[user1484166991]

I think i will do that and put side back on, hopefully that might solve it as at the momebt she doesnt want to step foot in her room x