Toddler cries when bedtime/night is mentioned or in story book

[shoesontheglasslamp]

Just that really.

Posted this on sleep forum but no one had any ideas, so thought I'd try here too.

Sometimes it's an instant proper tears, others he wants the same page in the story over and over again, then he cries. It's a really sad, maybe scared cry, not a wilful temper type cry...

He has always gone down fine in the evenings, but in the last few weeks he's had the same very teary reaction to nap time. So much so that he was vomitting (I wasn't leaving him, CC or CIO, just putting him in the cot, the same as night time.)

I've resorted to driving him around for his nap, as he was getting equally stressed about bedtime, and getting chronically overtired, so something had to be done.

How on earth do I deal with this? Is he scared? What of? Why in books and at naptime, but bedtime is fine? How do I stop driving him around for naps...?

Anyone seen this before and got the T shirt?

Aaargh!! Just replied and it was a fairly long one and it's not showing up. Just going to check if DS is awake & will attempt it again!

Ok, let's try again...

How old is DS?

My DS is almost 3 & started having the occasional nightmare. He calls out in his sleep but when we check on him he is generally asleep. We talk to him about how he slept the next morning and more times than not he doesn't remember the nightmare... Although our Christmas elf had to make an early departure due to DS seeing him in his room at night

Have you tried any role play with him?

You could get some of his soft toys and act out the bedtime routine with them, pretend bath, milk, story, brush teeth etc. As you are doing it ask him questions along the way eg 'do you think big ted likes bath time?, what is his favourite story before bedtime? how does big ted feel about going to bed, why? Did big ted have a nice sleep? Why? Why not? ...

This way he may project some of his feelings and anxieties onto big ted and you may be able to find the route of the problem.

We also had to remove grufflalo from DS's room as that was frightening him.

Does he have a night light? It may be worth trying one if it's the dark he is afraid of?

Hope it improves.

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

DS is 25 months, and not very verbal (one of my New Year's resolutions!)
so he's not able to explain to us what the problem is.

Wish he could - I hate seeing him so upset