My (almost) 14 month baby was historically an excellent sleeper. We used a gentle method to get him sleeping on his own through the night, and never had to approach crying out as he just took to it. He was always a relatively high sleep needs baby.
Just before his first 1st birthday, he hit a tough patch we haven’t really been able to shake. He started at a childminders, he wants to walk and talk but is frustrated he isn’t quite there yet. So there’s a lot going on, but it’s really impacted his sleep.
We’ve played around with his daytime nap times and lengths and I’m fairly confident they are ok. 1hr naps at 9.30am and 2/2.30pm, awake no later than 3.30pm regardless as bedtime is 7pm (asleep by 7.15pm). I’ve wondered if he needs to drop to one nap, but when we’ve tried to reduce / cut down the first nap he’s so tired he lays on the floor or brings us his pyjamas to show he wants to sleep.
We used to be able to put him in his cot and leave the room and he’d get himself off without even a whimper. Now I have to sit on the floor or stand at the door so he knows I’m there. Fine, not a big deal. But without fail during the night he will wake up screaming and sobbing (which I can’t and won’t ignore). As SOON as me or my husband enter the room, he stops and lays back down to go to sleep. But he will then check every few minutes we are still there, and if we leave he starts sobbing again. If we wait and leave until he’s in a deep sleep, that’s fine, but he just wakes up an hour or so later and it’s the same thing.
Every baby is so different so I’m not really sure if I’m looking for advice. More reassurance - have people had the same thing? Did it end? Am I doing something wrong?!