15-month-old suddenly challenging behaviour and worsening sleep, any advice?

[CHoll251601]

Some advice please!

my 15 month old has done a 360 in his behaviour this last week!! He has never been a good sleeper but he has always been pretty good during the day - mostly happy but now he wow!! Is different like overnight. He literally doesn’t listen at all to what I say and normally just does the opposite ! I.e he has started this new thing of throwing a ball at the dog and laughing - I have of course told him no and not nice to do that to the dog etc but he just ignores me. He is running around just not even paying attention to what he is doing etc constantly falling over - it’s just not him….. now sleep has just become a nightmare !! Like when I tell you I literally hate being a mum when it comes to nighttime sleep I mean it!!!!

I have tired everything - laying down on the bed with him calmly, rocking him,putting him down in his cot (to which he literally has abreakdown within not even 2 mins hyperventilating, tears crying (hence why he is absolutely not sleep trained or left to self settle to sleep because it just seems so traumatising for him.

now he majority of the time sleeps in his bed, around 3-4am he has been waking up every night - refusing to go back to sleep for over an hour!!! Put him in our bed he just rolls around and around . Pick him up and rock him he eventually goes to sleep (as soon as his bum hits the cot he is awake) I just don’t know what to do - I have tried 1 nap and he was not ready and made his night wakes 30 times more (I tired for a solid week didn’t happen)

I’ve tried stretching his morning nap time- shortening his naps bringing his afternoon nap earlier absolutely nothing works

sorry for the long post had to get this off my chest I suppose. Any help or experiences that are similar will help :)

one sleep deprived struggling mum

did I mention I also work full time :(

(ps anyone who tells me I’m over reacting or I need to calm down can just please leave because I’m asking for help not judgement. Thanks)also I know this can all be behavioural or developmental and normal but doesn’t make it easy

With all due respect this is all normal....welcome to toddlerhood. It isn't for the weak.

Whats his daily schedule? Wake time, nap time and bed times?

Sounds entirely normal? I think you have very unrealistic expectations that a baby will follow an instruction like that, even most 3 year olds won't understand an instruction like just saying no. You have to simply take the ball away, or keep the dog separete. Also sounds like he is very ready for only 1 nap and keep that on the shorter side - he just isn't tired enough at bedtime. You need to change it for good, a week isnt enough time to see the change. It took mine a couple of months to fully transition to 1 nap. Or if you want to keep 2 naps, bedtime needs to be later. Average is 10-11 hours overnight so a bedtime of 8pm or so is normal at that age. I know it's not easy, I have a 18 month old who is hard work, but you need to appreciate what is normal for that age.

No judgement but just wanted to say you didn't think he would stay a perfect baby forever did you? Welcome to the toddler years, yes they suck, but one day you'll look back and think actually clearing up a drawer that has been emptied 10 times in the last 15 minutes wasn't actually all that bad 😀

Absolutely don't have unrealistic expectations bit offended by that comment lol! - I'm not perfect and nor are children so wouldn't expect him to listen or follow instructions completely - he has gone back to not so much totally ignoring me lol it's an adjustment period. 1 good night sleep and everything looks much different!! Obviously know that my post sounded unrealistic- when your sleep deprived and stressed sometimes coming to forum like this with other mums to vent is all you need. He maybe ready for a 1 nap but he isn't fully there for sure (he just never wants to go to sleep probably just a FoMo baby - always wants to know what's going on) Thanks for the prespective - again sleep deprivation does some funny things when your normally much more calm and tolerant - toddlerhood is going to be fun