Girls...please share your wisdom and tips! My son is 21 months and was an angel sleeper - from 12 weeks to 12 months he slept through. Then he got recurring tonsillitis and after weeks of not settling, cuddles in the night etc, he is terrible at nodding off.
Bed times have become a bit of a battle...he is up and down, in and out of bed (he's in a big bed now which did improve things for a while) and it can take me an hour of sitting next to his bed stroking his head for him to nod off. He just wants to climb out of bed and onto my lap for cuddles. Very sweet but not good for me or him. He also wakes a bit in the night and can't settle himself back to sleep.
He's extremely stubborn and will cry if I leave the room. He'll cry so hard he wretches. I know its a tired cry and he often puts it on but it's a cry and I can't ignore it.
I have been thinking about putting a stair gate onto his door and leaving him to cry. After 5 mins, pop him back into bed etc. I KNOW with him it could take 2-3 hours...seriously. But a few nights of this might just break it.
What should I do? Any experienced sleepless mummies of toddlers out there who can help????
Also - when do toddles drop their daytime nap? When he naps for longer than an hour in the day, going to bed is even worse? God forbid - but should I drop his daytime nap?!!!?? Or just try getting tough first?
xxx