Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

20 month old sleep problems, is it separation anxiety?

1 reply

nagathome · 23/08/2010 20:28

Having a difficult time with my 20 month old DD. She's never been a great sleeper, wasn't regularly sleeping thro til I stopped breastfeeding at 11 months and since then we've had good periods of a couple of months at a time and then when she's stopped sleeping through (because of teething/illness/trips away from home), I have always resorted to controlled crying after a week or two which sorts things usually within a day or two with not a horrendous amount of crying - have always found key is to get her to settle herself at night. However, this time, she is hysterical with the CC and although I haven't persevered for more than an hour, I just don't think it is going to work. Seems to be separation anxiety or sthg. So I end up sitting with her or by her door until she falls asleep and then she's up a couple of times a night wanting cuddles, sometimes wide awake wanting stories or to go downstairs. I try not to interact but is tougher for me than DH. Have had her up some nights for 3-4 hours - disaster when I have work next day. She is not interested at all in coming into our bed - screams if I try to bring her in. Maybe she doesn't like her cot any more? - shall I try moving her into junior bed? only worried because we are just abt to move and her bedroom in new house will be on a different floor from us and afraid of her falling down stairs in the night even tho she is v good with stairs. Any pearls of wisdom gratefully received!

OP posts:
teaandcakeplease · 24/08/2010 19:46

It could be a variety of things, I think you could do with reading a good book and this one has always been very informative for every age and stage of both my DCs lives and sleep issues.

Certainly with my 2 DCs after being ill and being awake a lot and comforted at night, they do need a little encouragement to go back to a normal sleep routine. I think perhaps you need to re-think your strategy for now and perhaps sleep on her floor on a mattress and do a shush/ pat routine. I personally would never leave their room with them in the night though.

Sometimes moving to a bed can help but then you also have to do the rapid return until the get used to it, so perhaps leave that until she's more settled at night again.

What time does she go to bed, what time does she wake and does she have a nap in the day and how long is it? Sorry it is a lot of questions but it may help us all to advise better.

What routine do you use for settling to sleep in the day? Can you adopt that at night as well, to help her get the message. For example I always say it's sleepy time and lie them down and leave again.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page