2 year old sleep regression?!!

[clurina32]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to come back here :( We've had a really good run of about 4-5 months of sleeping through most nights after 18 months of pure hell!

My little girl is going to be 2 years old in a couple of weeks, suddenly it's like she has had a personality transplant at night! She keeps getting out of her sleeping bag and screaming/shouting 'MUMMY! MUMMY! MUMMY!' at various intervals during the night. Its too loud to just leave her as i'm worried she will wake up the whole street!! I just don't know why this is happening? When I go into her she pretty much shuts up straight away and goes back to sleep. Could it be night terrors or is he just picking up an old habit of getting mummy/daddy back into her room to comfort her?

I'm really at my wits end with her sleeping habits, every time I think we've turned a corner something else happens. If this is a common phase, then that's fine, I think that's just what I want to hear?!! Hoping someone else has or is going through this at the moment!

[FATEdestiny]

She keeps getting out of her sleeping bag

Let's deal with this. Are you using the types of sleeping bag with poppers onnthe shoulders still? These aren't appropriate for toddlers - most can get out of them.

You want the "zip up the middle" type of sleeping bag. They have no poppers and are put on like a cardigan.

On from that, allow me to bore you with the finer details that the voice of experience has taught me. Look at the way the zip goes. Some zip up from the bottom upwards - these are easier for an older toddler to undo because it's the same skill as unzipping a coat.

No, you want one that zips up from the top downwards, so the closed zipper is at the bottom of the sleeping bag (and ususlky enclosed in a good of material). Harder for escape artists to master.

If you have one who can master the top-down centre zip, put the sleeping bag on backwards.

When I go into her she pretty much shuts up straight away and goes back to sleep

This suggests separation anxiety. IE she just feels a bit nervous when awake on her own and wants the reassurance of knowing you are there and she isn't alone.

Not being able to get out of te flerping bag may help. If not, if just ride it through. Go on, make reassuring noises and wait until settled and back to sleep then leave.

Gradually, over several days/weeks reduce the amount of reassurance she needs. Say start standing by her cot. Then at end of cot, by the door until you are able to just go in, reassure and leave. Hopefully as all this is happening she will stop waking up so often anyway.

[FATEdestiny]

Loads of auto correct errors in my post there. Typing too fast on my phone. Hopefully you understand what I was meant to have typed.

[organixeveryday]

I'd be ditching the sleeping bag , she's a toddler not a baby! Perfectly adequate to have pyjamas and a light duvet , my DS has done that since very early on. I also think it's a case of her knowing you'll come rushing in at moments notice , I know it's frustrating when they are so loud but you do have to do a certain amount of waiting it out.

[VocalCat]

My DD has just turned two and has just come through the other side of night wake ups because of separation anxiety. She has never had a sleeping bag, so I don't think that is the issue. I think it is, like so many things, just a phase and it will pass.

[clurina32]

thank you so much for your responses!

Yes we have the sleeping bag that zips from top to bottom and I always push it down underneath the fabric at the bottom so she can't get her little fingers to the zip, but she always manages to unzip and get out! Putting it on backwards is a genius idea though, I am going to try that tonight, thank you!!

We have tried her with a light toddler duvet/blanket but she wakes even more and always settles quicker as soon as we put her back in her sleeping bag. I know the time will come when we ditch the sleeping bag but at the moment I feel like she wants to be in there when she decides she does want to go to sleep. She only has a sheet-like sleeping bag in this hot weather and just wears a short sleeved vest underneath so isn't too hot etc

I think separation anxiety is probably it. She has also been a bit upset at her childminders too having never got upset before and has been asking for me a lot. I hope she does get over this soon, I really thought we had cracked the night wakings :(

[dabbitydibbity]

My fantastic sleeper was doing the same as he turned 2. It took us majorly by surprise! He was so easy to nap and put to sleep, right back from the early days so we weren't sure how to handle this.
It started one night randomly by him crying as I left the room. It then progressed to night wakings and like you said, he instantly settled when we went in.
The thing we found was key to passing this phasing without long lasting issues was consistency. We kept everything the same. Routine, routine, routine! We never picked up, never stayed in the room longer than to settle and didn't introduce any new sleep dependencies. What I would say though, is that he randomly chose to take one of his talking teddies to bed and it seems to be a comforter for him now. Anytime he wakes in the night I can hear him pressing its paw so maybe something like that would help your wee one.
I hope it passes quickly for you. We had a few weeks of it. Back to normal now but we have a newborn now so it's back to sleepless nights, this time without a fantastic sleeper!