i would really appreciate the benefit of your wisdom as this has stumped me.
DD is 14 months old and a delight to behold. She is bright as a button, confident, independent and inquisitive. She has never been particularly clingy. She loves a good cuddle and is quite affectionate but was always quite happy to be by herself.
She has always slept through really well usually from 7.30pm to 7.00am without a peep. We have had the occasional night waking but that was usually as a result of either oncoming illness or hunger.
In the last two weeks however she has woken up every night, sometimes several times a night, and cries until i go in to her room and cuddle her. SHe will go back to sleep but only if i stay in the room with her, preferably with my hand on her or better yet, in my arms.
She has always self settled beautifully and i am struggling to work out what could have changed that she now requires my presence to go back to sleep.
If i settle her back in her cot and leave her she goes ballistic with crying. i have been trying a bit of controlled crying, trying to get her to remember that she can settle herself back to sleep without me but so far no luck. she just doesnt want to.
i suspect it is separation anxiety but i am perplexed as to why it is only kicking in at night. during the day she if fine to be separated from me. she goes to nursery 4 days a week and she literally runs through the nursery door to get to the toys and her friends. I struggle to get her to even wave goodbye to me.
sorry, this has turned into a bit of an epic. any thoughts or strategies for dealing with it would be gratefully received. Co-sleeping is not an option.