Baby won’t go in cot...help!

[NauseousNancy]

I have an 18 month old who used to be a dreadful sleeper. She has got much better lately, sleeping through the night, and settling herself to sleep in her cot. We were able to put her down, and she put herself to sleep.

It’s stopped overnight. She won’t go down in her cot, and anytime she wakes in the night we have to hold her for hours until we can put her back down.

What can we do?? We are absolutely knackered!

Anyone? Xx

Is there a sleep regression around now?

Yes I think so!! Here was me thinking I was over the regressions....

Just not sure how to cope with it! She just wants cuddled to sleep, but then wakes when we transfer her. Worried I am encouraging bad habits!

Sorry can’t be more help, we use a floor bed as cannot do cot transfers!

Does she nap in her cot. I would work on getting her to settle in their for naptimes first, easier than the middle of the night. Maybe she needs an adjustment to nap schedule too?

I had a cot-hater but let her sleep with me as I couldn't deal with the sleep deprivation. This comes with a warning that she still climbs in with me most nights aged 6!

Sorry, in there

She won’t nap in her cot either! She used to do both, no bother at all.

I have tried to bring her into bed with me but she won’t sleep there either. It seems she just wants to nap on us, in the chair in her room.

How is she generally? Any sign of molars? It can’t get worse than it currently is so I’d be inclined to do whatever gets everyone the most sleep for a bit and then tackle again.

Maybe use the nap time as training then? You're likely to be less frustrated then than in the middle of the night. Could it also be teeth? My previously good sleeper was horrendous between 18 months and 2 when her back teeth were coming through, although it didn't seem to bother my second DC at all. It was worse at night than during the day.

x-post!

The only teeth we are waiting on are her back molars. She doesn’t seem to be too bothered though, but I could always try a dose of calpol to see if that helps.

I don’t so much mind the cuddling to sleep if it’s going to be a short term thing. But I am worried this is how she will want to sleep all the time from now on.

Don’t want to do any crying really either, but not sure if that’s my only option? She has complete temper tantrums if we put her down!!

Whether you tackle bad habits now or later won’t make much difference. I’d do what she needs now on the basis she may NEED it. Then when you think it’s time you can try to tackle again on the basis she no longer needs it but prefers it. If that makes sense??

The 18 month sleep regression is a nightmare.
I used to have to lie on an air bed in dd's room. Then for a few weeks she would go to sleep in our bed and I'd move her across when we went up.
It took about 6 weeks but if I left her door open and a nightlight on in her room we cracked it.

We moved our son to a toddler bed at around 18 months or so. He was an absolutely dreadful sleeper from about 3 months old, and like you was trying to transfer a sleeping toddler after cuddling them to sleep.

Overall result was much better sleep for him. He would actually get in to bed, he was actually really pleased with his bed and we could cuddle him in his bed and he would fall asleep in situ. I think in, hindsight, he just hated his cot, or anything that contained him.

We initially experimented by putting his cot mattress on his floor, which might be worth a punt?

Thanks for all the input!! We have been slowly battling on...got a nightlight, great idea thanks! Not sure why I hadn’t thought of that.

We have been gradually leaving her room, coming back to give her a quick cuddle, lie her down, and sing a song. First night took forever before she would let us leave without screaming. We are down to about ten minutes now, and the same during the night. I could never do proper crying it out slee training, but this really has worked.