Hope am posting in the right place....will try to keep it as brief as possible. For past month/6 wks my 26 mo ds has been nothing short of a NIGHTMARE at night. He was a good sleeper until he went into toddler bed (along with few other things that may be bit unsettling... I'm 6 month pg, he has started playgrp etc). Anyway upshot is, with no pattern whatsoever he is up randomly throughout the night, normally he goes back without a fuss but every 3rd or so night will be up and down like a yo-yo, crying, tantruming, calling for us. We have tried:
- giving him benefit of the doubt for first week or so, reassurance and a quiet 'night night'...no joy....then
- rapid return - no contact, no eye contact just putting him down- eventually he does stay in bed but then it starts all over again an hour later and this can go on until me or dp are angry, exhausted and upset.
- cutting his naps (no pattern as to whether this is effective)
-cc, hate this but was at wits end, after 5 hours (!) on tues night he lay back down but was up again within an hour, last night he cried for about an hour and half and then lay himself back down but I had to go in and cover him as was so cold....
-there is a stairgate at hs door
....so my question is, shall I put him back in a sleeping bag???? he always loved it in his cot, my reasoning is that a) he cant get out of it or walk easily in it and might just realise its easier to stay in bed, b) maybe the duvet is part of the problem, I know a couple of kids who just dont like the 'heaviness' on them and kick it off
and c) if he does get out of bed and eventually goes back off on his own I dont need to get up and cover him (thus disturbing him) as he will already be warm....
I really am at a loss as this has been going on so long, I'm very tired and teary all the time and need to sort it....
thanks.