In my confusion I posted this in Behavior and Development last night, now re-posting in the right topic...
DD is two years and 8 months, since she was born we've had everything from hellish bedtimes to extreme early waking via random screaming and crying night wakings.
About six months ago she finally seemed to have cracked it and was sleeping 8pm to 7am without any problems. We'd even managed to get her happy about sleeping with the door closed (with nightlight).It was then that DS (now 13 months) started, but that's another story.
This last week it's all gone pear-shaped again. 'twas as sudden as anything, just like all her sleep issues have been. I've no idea what the root cause is or how to deal with it. I'm having to let her work herself up to exhaustion and the screaming ab-dabs and then soothe her down to almost-sleep. It's driving us crazy and it can't be good for her.
Here's what happens - After being as sweet as anything all through the bedtime routine she 'starts' as soon as it's time to sleep. At first she's just being, as DP calls it, despotic. Kicking out, demanding this, that and the other but not being (overtly) upset or distressed. Then she moves into standard angry tantruming and finally slides into total distress. Nothing helps before that stage: being soft or strict, sympathetic or 'cross', giving in to demands, refusing point-blank or explaining why not. Nothing. This is taking up to an hour and a half sad
DP's done her bedtime since DS was born (I was on BF duty), but this week I've been having to take over (at DP's request) part way through the tantruming stage. Obviously that's been distressing her more, so, as of this evening we've swapped DC for bedtime.
What can I dooooo
DS has only just started kind of sleeping through after 13 months of 2 - 3 hourly waking. He's still tricky after 5 am. I'm just coming to the end of a PUPD, gradual withdrawal, night-weaning marathon and I'm exhausted. DP is recovering from a burnout.
biscuit