My 3.3 yo DS has been an excellent sleeper, bar teething/illness etc, pretty much since birth. He has never needed us to go to sleep at night, and has always been happy to just be laid in his cot or bed with his cuddly rabbit and left to it.
For the last six weeks or so we have had hysterics at bedtime. He doesn't really do tantrums with the sole exception of bedtime - screaming, throwing things, getting out of bed and running of the bedroom screaming, hysterical crying, wants water, wants milk, wants another story, wants to get up, room too dark, room too light, wants the cat in his room, wants the cat out of his room....you name it, anything to avoid going to bed. It has steadily got worse and worse and last night he wasn't settled until 8.45 which is just too late for him.
He doesn't nap at home with me unless he's had a really busy morning but he does on for an hour on nursery days (3 days a week). But naps don't seem to make a difference one way or the other to be honest.
Once he's down he's good as gold, sleeps through and doesn't wake too early.
I dread bedtimes now and they used to be so lovely - anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Do I just ride it out?!