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Is this night terrors? DS suddenly doesn't want to go to bed

2 replies

TottWriter · 09/05/2010 20:32

My DS is 2 and one month. For the last few months he's been really good about going to bed - he's practically been the one dragging us up the stairs. Most nights he still wakes once, but resettles very easily. In the last week, he's even slept through completely three times.

The last few nights though, we've had a turn for the worse. Last night and the night before he woke in the middle of the night, crying, and refused to lie down properly. He was huddled at the bottom of his bed and wouldn't lie back on the pillow. The crying stopped pretty quickly, but turned to whimpering. Eventually, I told him I would stay with him, and slept in the spare bed that's in his room, so he could see me. He settled quickly both times after that, but last night he kept stirring, and only settled back after I reasured him verbally, and he made brief eye contact. If my partner goes up in the night, DS refuses to settle unless he comes in with us, as it's DP who carries him downstairs in the morning. (which is why it was me sleeping in with him both nights)

Tonight, we've had another battle. He refused to settle after his routine story, and I've spent the last half-hour listening to him whining. He's settled now - DP went up and that was apparently what he was waiting for - but I am dreading the pattern this seems to be leading to.

This seems to have come out of the blue; he did stay with his grandparents recently, but he's had over a week of normal routine since then, so I don't think it's that. Does this sound like the dreaded night terrors to anyone else, and if so, what do we do to get him settling himself again?

OP posts:
Nuggets · 09/05/2010 21:56

It could be just bad dreams, is he starting to be scared of the dark? This is something my 2yo has been doing, we've been having to leave the landing light on for her. (Before that we had to have a nightlight too)ANd i've done the sleeping in thing too (but on the floor- ouch!) Of course it could be that he's trying to stay up as long as he can, they are trying to get their own way at that age but it doesn't sound like it. It could also be he's coming down with something?

Nuggets · 12/05/2010 19:35

Hi Tottwriter, How is DS now? Hope he's settled back in to his routine

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