Arggh, which sleep regression is this?? DS nearly 16mo

[SnoozingCyborg]

DS is 15mo and 3 weeks and has just dived headlong into a massive sleep-regression. Question is, which one is it? Is he doing the 18-month sleep regression early, or is he doing this other lesser known one I've seen referred to, the 15-month sleep regression? Because seriously, if there is a worse one to come, kill me now please.

I guess relatively speaking I have read of worse ones. He's no longer going down for naps unless you lie down with him, last night woke every hour from 2am, v calm when picked up and screamed when put down again, but moaned himself back to sleep each time within 10 minutes. He had been sleeping 11 hrs straight since 13mo, self-settling for naps and bedtime. He had treated me to a first 7 months of 1-2-hourly wakings at night before that, so this blast from the past is not so cute and vintage to me. Developmentally, he's chatty but not using full sentences yet, physically precocious, loads of teeth, canines just coming up. Oh yeah, and huge.

Does it really matter which phase he's in? In my experience, every child is an individual and more useful to deal with your specific child (and their specific issue) instead of trying to figure out which pattern he/she fits. That said, is it possible that he's started having bad dreams? If he hasn't much speech, he won't be able to tell you what's upsetting him and will not understand the difference between reality and the dream. My DD was a bit younger than him when she had a similar disruption of sleep (around 14 mths) but she would cry about the "bad bunny" so we eventually figured out what was waking her! A night-light helped a bit as did repeatedly telling her that the "bad bunny" wasn't real. Hope this helps.

Hell Cathan, thanks for sharing your experience. To answer your question, yes, it does matter to me which phase he's in, because I would like to know what the chances are of there being a worse one to come - this will in fact enable me to be better prepared to deal with my specific child.

I meant to type "Hello", not "Hell"! I'm not quite that passive aggressive - yet.

DD is 16 months and has suddenly decided she hates napping. Also bedtime. I think it's a wave of separation anxiety in her case. I'm also not too happy about this blast from the past, she has been a dream sleeper since she turned 1!