18 month old severe sleeping issues

[MummyLuce]

My DD aged 18 months had always gone to sleep when I put her in her cot. I would just put her in wide awake and come back 20 mins later to a sleeping baby. But out of the blue a few weeks ago she started screaming she I out her in bed. I go in and out cuddling her, singing to her etc but she just stands up on her cot and screams. She regularly doesn't fall asleep until 11pm now (after going to bed at 7.30). She still has a 90 minute nap in the afternoon and wakes around 7am (although she also wakes once on the night at 4am and we bring her into our bed). I am getting really really really stressed. I can't do anything in the evening and am missing uni deadlines. My OH works long hours in the city and can't really help. I am pregnant and absolutely knackered. Please help anyone?? She has always had the same bed/bath routine and it has worked great up till now... Going crazy!!

Could you bring her bedtime forward half an hour or fiddle about with her nap (eg 2 shorter naps or later/earlier nap) to try and avoid overtiredness? Is she teething, could you try Calpol or ibuprofen and some teething gel before bed?
With my dd, we give her medicine before bed if we think she's teething, a calpol plug in thing if she has a cold and make sure she's not too hot/cold. We also changed her sleeping position and started putting her on her belly instead of her back. We raised the head end of the bed too and gave her a pillow. Touching wood it all seems to have helped and she generally goes off to sleep easily.
Another thought: is she well in herself? Just wondering if she has a problem with her ears that might cause pain when laying down, which you could perhaps ask your gp to check out?

I guess sleep patterns change as kids get older.

Could you not reduce her afternoon nap (or would she be grumpy then?) and start to put her to bed later at night?

Would that mess up your evening too much? Would she play on her own for hour or two, so you can do uni course or whatever?

Sorry can't help more. Good luck with uni!

What happens if you stay with her until she sleeps?

I think maybe if you stop bringing her to bed at 4am she might settle at bedtime? She could be wanting to be with you at bedtime ? I find when we bring ds into our bed when he is ill his sleep always deteriorates fast! He starts waking and shouting for us all night long ...