2.5 yr old suddenly refuses to go to bed and stay there all night!

[skodyandtelse]

Since aged 6 weeks, my 2.5 yr old dd has always gone to bed around 7pm with absolutely no problems. We've always has the same routine - bath, supper, teeth, stories, sleep and she's always gone straight off with no problems. And although she has come in with us for an hour or so if she has woken up earlier than around 7am, we've never had problems with her wanting to sleep with us.

Until a couple of weeks ago. Now, she refuses to go to bed although she is clearly tired. She doesn't have a nap during the day so is ready for sleep around 7pm. She falls asleep on the sofa and is carried up to bed.

She has also started coming into us in the early hours and again gets upset if we take her back to her own bed.

I think the problem is that dd and I went away for a long weekend (lovely, but paying for it now!) and this pattern started whilst we were away. Perhaps she feels anxious that we'll leave again? Although, we have been away before (the last time in June) with no problems. And she hasn't said anything about us being away since we got back (we tell her we're going to work to earn money to buy her presents and she's always quite happy with that!)

I would very much appreciate any advice. Although I don't want to add to her distress if she does feel anxious about us leaving, I also don't want this to develop into a new routine as I do feel strongly that she should have a routine and set bedtime - and sleep in her own bed!

we had exactly the same problem with dd2 at pretty much the same age. always been a great sleeper from a small baby and then last xmas, aged 2.8, it all went belly up (change of routine etc) - not going to bed and then waking in the night and coming into our room. i'd had enough very quickly - was very stressed by it.
we decided to tackle it in 2 stages - the going to bed and then the middle of the night waking. we did rapid return for going to bed - stood outside her room and put her back with no talking every time she got up. took 2 hours(!!) the first night, an hour the second - and then we'd cracked it. took a lot of stamina though - she thought it was a game - but we were not for giving in.
the middle of the night stuff i was less hard core about - i took her straight back to bed, but slept in her room - just to reassure her - my theory being that it would be easier for me to get out of her room than for her to get out of mine, and that she'd eventually sleep through - and she did. it took a while though but 8 months down the line she rarely gets up in the night (can't remember the last time actually).
sorry - this is long - but i thought that she'd slept well once so she'd be able to do it again.

God I feel like a dreadful mum after reading your posts but had same issue with DS1 at about 2.6yrs.

It co-incided with him deciding he wanted to give up lunchtime naps which thankfully for all have being re-instated.

He went from being fine in his own bed to about 2 weeks solid of getting out of bed and trying to get in mine. Kept putting him back in his bed but would carry on for up to two hours with full on screaming.

So tired with other baby that got to point of getting travel cot up and threatening if he didn't stay in his bed we'd put him in the TC - just as a way to keep him in his room. He's little so he couldn't climb out. After about 5 minutes in it he started screaming for his bed.

A week or so on we just got to the point where we had to say 'travel cot' and he was running back to his bed as fast as his size 5.5Fs could carry him .

I am having this problem at the moment with dd 2.6years. Same routine nothing out of the ordinary, on the 18th August bedtime, refused to go into room, screeched when placed in her bed. took ages to get her back to sleep. trying to put her to bed with no talk these past 2 weeks but still this happens though it has imporved a bit its like being with a newborn. Yesterday night she did not have a nap all day so was tired by about 8pm. put her to bed, stories, bath, prayers she went to sleep straight away but woke up 4 times that night screaming so we are so tired at the moment.