28 month old - Sleep regression???

[Paranoid1stTimer]

DS is 28 months old and has been sleeping through the night since he was just over 2. For the last month, however, he has started waking during the night and literally SCREAMING when we go in to lie him back down. We were just going in when he woke up, checking he was dry etc then 1st time say "sleepytime" kiss lie him back down and leave. 2nd time, same again. 3rd time saying nothing, lying him down and repeat until asleep.

This no longer works. Each time we go in he gets worked up into a frenzy of screaming and squealing until he starts to hyperventilate and gasps for air. He also starts banging his head on the cot bars shouting "bumped my head!" so we basically have to pick him up.

It is awful - we are all sleep deprived. OH taking it out on me, I am wishing OH had helped me when I made constant attempts at sleep training when DS was younger but OH would just pick him up as DS would then fall straight back to sleep. DS is grumpy all day and runs out of energy falling asleep in his lunch/dinner/in the car.

Oh, DS still has a short 30 min nap at about midday or he falls asleep at 4pm. He goes to bed at 7pm.

Please please help. I have read other sleep threads but there doesn't seem to be one for the case where DS is physically harming himself banging his head on the cot bars when we don't react to his screaming.

TIA

I feel like a completely shit mum

OMG you are me

we had major issues with our 2 year old last night too, same he was sleeping though in general and has regressed big time

DP was screaming at him, awake 2am to 4am. so now me and DP not talking!!!

I dont know what the answer is, as I see it we have 2 choices

tough love sleep training (watch channnel 4 next Tuesday!!!)
a more gentle approach, am going to read read the no cry book again

Try not to let them sleep in day time tho, its hard isn't it.

It is a complete nightmare. I am having a mental breakdown today - I can't take any more of this. We are all totally sleep deprived and it just feels like everything is out of control. He refused to nap today because I read him a story in his bed to try and get him to fall asleep on his own n he just rolled about shouting "Want the buggy" then eventually said "No want nap...No nap mummy" so I was like Right! No nap then! and we came downstairs - now he is crying and trying to get in the buggy for a nap.

Am at the end of my tether. I totally feel like my life is nothing like I wanted it to be, I have no real friends and am completely shit at this being a mum thing. I have ended up as a SAHM as well so I feel like I should be on top of everything but am just a complete failure just now. Is this sleep deprivation talking or what?

Please let me know if things go back to "normal" for you...

well, DP called me and he is putting the side back on his cot bed

which means we will put him in, and leave him to cry till he sleeps. he used to sleep in cot, so lets hope he can again

we are doing TOUGH LOVE. Its going to be grim but you know what, we have new baby coming soon and something needs to give

you sound so so tired , and done in! I really feel for you. fuck knows there is NO EASY ANSWER

can you try knackering him out in the day, get as much exercise down his neck as you can

and if things get really bad, there is always medised. I know, I know but if it gives you at least ones night sleep

I will post again next week if TOUGH LOVE works, it bloody better (and has in the past)

chin up

Thanks so much for the support here porcamiseria

[whispers] DS slept all night last night..... I am scared to mention it out loud in case it jinxes everything again...

OH was telling me last night how awful he feels for shouting at DS and calling him bad when DS was up night after night screaming and wanting downstairs. We noticed DS has 2 new molars under the upper and lower gums so maybe this is why he has been crying at night and not going back to sleep What shit parenting...

I took the cot mattress out and me n DS slept together on it in his room for a couple of nights, he was up from 12pm-4am another night and still up at 6am!!!

We were at the park the other evening trying to tire him out and he actually said "wanna go home. I tired Mummy" but he was still up all night

Anyway, his speech has come on unbelievably in the past week - it is really freaky actually having mini conversations with him AND he has these new teeth breaking through so we are hoping he will settle again soon. I must say that I have not read anything about this "phase" in any toddler books and other mums don't seem to be having the same issues so I don't know how to deal with things. Thanks again for replying. It really helped me. Now I have had a full night's sleep for one night I do feel a little better and my sanity has partially returned!

Best of luck with the TOUGH LOVE! It is soooooooooo hard isn't it?

Sorry - meant to say I changed my username again!

aha , tamashi is paranoid!

its so hard. we had sucess Sat night. 9.30pm to 8.30am

then last night he cried for 1 hour 20 minutes!!!! so we are also shit parents. It was horrible, I had to go for a drive

mine also has back teeth coming through..but he is fine all day so I dont buy that come 10pm they are suddenly really painful

anyway, seems like we both got a miraculous 1 night of sleep!!!

me and DP also fighting over it!!!!

upset today as feel guilty, but tough love continues

I do think teeth are more painful at night actually, as there are no distractions. Would always give DS the benefit of the doubt and give some Calpol if he wakes in the night crying or screaming (as opposed to just shouting Mummy!). If it works, I assume that there was something wrong.

really? Lets see then, but I really dont think its teeth, mothers instinct and all that. but dont worry wont leave him in pain if it is

Yes porcamiseria my cover is blown.... Shhh! I name change to confuse someone in RL who knows/knew my old username in case they want to have a snoop on here. I like to think name changing for different (and bitchy) posts means even if they did try to track my posts then they would only find the boring one's

Good luck for tonight.
I LOVE my bed so find it impossible to understand why anyone wouldn't want to snuggle down for a good night's sleep. LO just doesn't want to stop and I am sure would never willingly sleep - he would likely just pass out, sleep against his will and then wake up n carry on at full speed again! Wish I had that kind of energy.

Hope you are ok

(Did any of that make any sense? I should probs get to my bed soon!)

how was last night for you?

he cried for nearly half an hour, then awoke again at 3am

by 3am we could not face more crying so I went to sleep with him, got kicked in head all night !!!!

this will pass, this pass...repeat x 100

sleep programme tonight, Channel 4 9pm!!!!

where do they get their energy!!!!

Have you tried giving him a slightly longer sleep it sounds like he might be over tired already,

we think he is overtired. but if he naps in day he wont go to bed until even later

maybe an early bedtime tonight

sorrt that was for OP not me

me, me , me eh...

porcamiseria To find out what happened to me last night, just read your post! Exactly the same situation with us last night. He went to bed as usual no probs then woke before we went to bed so OH went in to calm him. He went back to sleep. 5 mins later he was up again screaming the place down. I went up with Calpol and a new nappy. He wouldn't go back to sleep so OH started talking to him asking him about his day and who did he play with etc etc so he was even wider awake. I sent OH to bed and ended up sleeping in with DS. He went to sleep beside me after about 5 minutes.

His daytime nap is 30-45 minutes just now. Sometimes he wakes himself up, others I wake him. If he sleeps any longer he will not go to sleep at bedtime. Most other toddlers his age round here have dropped their naps all together but DS really still needs to sleep during the day otherwise he falls asleep at 4pm without fail.

Have still to watch the C4 sleep program - have it recorded but was knackered last night after a stressful day when I nearly lost DS in the shopping centre and was an emotional wreck all evening

Hope the sleep depravation isn't getting too much for you... yet...

LOL the little...angels

off to buy some ear plugs!!!

now DP is "ill" to add to it all!!!

you lost him? oh god that must have been awful

Hello again - just an update. Since LO started somersaulting(SP?!?) himself over the side of the cot now he is tall enough, we have finally attempted to toddlerproof his room and put him in the toddler bed we were given. Last night was his first night in it. He seemed to really like it and was curled up against the wall (bed against the wall obviously) when I went to bed and he slept until about 3am when he started crying and shouting for me so I went through to make sure he was ok since it was his first night in his "big boy bed". He was way overexcited at realising again he was in his own bed and wanted to jump around. I just sat quietly with him in the dark until he lay down (2 hrs later though) and he went back to sleep.

Turns out as well he had a stomach bug for the last few days that has worked it's way out of his system and his back molars are seriously bulging in his gums so we are giving him Calpol to see if that helps too.

I have not managed to give up the daytime nap but am keeping it as close to 30 mins as possible to see if he will sleep better but it is so hard since I have been falling asleep while he has been napping due to all the disturbed nights!

We will see what happens tonight....

How are you getting on?

Has he got all his teeth? If not, then it could well be molars - they send them mad in the night.

Calpol can help, but neurofen is generally better for teeth as it's also an anti-inflammatory.

hope he sleeps better tonight.

TonariNoTotoro He is getting his back molars ATM. He has one that has broken through the gum and a huge red inflamed looking gum where I expect the other one will errupt on the other side soon. I gave him Calprofen last night before he went to bed and he was much happier. He did wake up a few times but went back to sleep without too much fuss. I think I will keep a bottle of Calprofen beside my bed so that I can give him another spoonful in the night if he needs it.

Thing is, he slept really well last night and today I am EXHAUSTED! Must've had a really deep sleep last night just in case it doesn't happen again for a while!