Toddler Won't Sleep In Own Bed

[ClarasMummy]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and in need of some serious advice.

DD is 2 and has recently just started to refuse to sleep in her own bed at night, at nap time she is as good as gold but come night time she'll howl and bang her head or try to make herself sick until my partner or I take her into our bed, which we usually do as we're afraid she'll really hurt herself otherwise.

We recently moved house but for the first three weeks here she went to bed no problem.

It's becoming a bit of a nightmare and I'm genuinely worried about her sudden behaviour, she is normally such a happy, carefree little girl.

Looking for some advice as I'm really not sure what I should do.

Is she tired at nighttime..... does she need to drop her daytime nap?

My friend had this problem with her DD and we played a game called "which bed" We would put teddy in the washing machine and say is this where teddy sleeps and she'd say no then we put teddy in the fridge is this where teddy sleeps? No and so on until teddy was in the right bed i.e hers then my friend would do the same eventually ending up in her bed then we would pick her up and try putting her in all sorts of places with her shouting no no and giggling until we put her in her bed and she was like yeah this is my bed and we did loads of praise and cuddles and everything.

Didn't solve the problem straight away but then my firend kept reaffirming at bed time everyone has their own bed and that's where they have to sleep until the morning.

Good luck sounds horrific!

Its rapid return I'm afraid and never giving in and taking her into your bed...well its that or co-sleeping - whichever fits best with you.

Did she think the new house was like a holiday and now that its become permanent shes feeling really very unsettled by it - can you decorate her room together a bit more?

this is interesting as my daughter has done the same - I just moved house and for the 1st month or so she slept fine and now is in the bed with me every night

Its the anxiety isnt it - the old house with all its certainties has been taken away and maybe her parents will too. When you're anxious about change its natural to cling to the thing you recognise.

Will she settle if you lie on the floor with her - you can then do gradually withdraw for however long it takes.