Any ideas where we are going wrong?

[shufflebum]

Just wondering if someone could look at our sleep routine and see if there is any obvious reason why it takes DS up to 2.5 hours to go down at night.
He's 21 months, sleeps in a cot and goes down for naps fine.
So here is what we do
5.15 - tea, then quiet play, tv
6.30 - upstairs, bath every other night
7pm - pjs, milk and stories, brush teeth in room, another story
7.30 - in cot, sing old macdonald till can't think of anymore animals, leave room, DS screams, go back in and resettle, leave room, DS screams, wait a minute or two, go back in resettle etc etc.
Sometimes when we resettle him he goes to sleep but within 5 minutes of use leaving the room he is awake and screaming again.
I hate him being upset so DH does most of this as he copes better with it but it is really stressful.
Any suggestions?!

Sorry Stangirl but just not an option, I know it works for others but just not us!

Best of luck shuffle.

Cheers, one day I'll grow some balls....!

We have tried to ignore screaming when we know its not for any reason other than wanting to get out of bed and play, but in my experience it makes things worse. DD normally works herself up into a right state and takes a lot longer to settle afterwards. We don't tend to leave her for more than about 5 mins, poss a bit longer if she seems to be calming down a bit.

Last night it took me about an hour to settle DD - I might get fit the amount of times I go up and down the stairs! Then she woke in the night which she's not done for a while, and just refused to even try to get back to sleep! I tried lying next to her on the floor in the dark to reassure her that I'm there, but that seemed to make her more awake. So eventually after both me and DP trying to settle her over about two hours we took her into our bed, where she wriggled until morning and none of us got any sleep!

I am really hoping those who said about separation anxiety are right and this will pass soon!

And if we leave her too long screaming she wakes DS up and both of them being awake and upset is too much!

I know I have been sooo lucky with DD. Expecting DC2 in July and just know they will be a bugger about sleeping....which will then give me IWGGT's problem with one child waking the other.

I would I don't have that problem but we are ttc DC2 this year so may do soonish. DS also won't sleep in our bed, never has done just wants to watch tv as that's what he does in the mornings while I have my cup of tea!

I don't think 7:30 is an early bedtime - my girls (1 and 4) both go to bed by 7 and always have done. But then I get mean on the naps as soon as bedtime starts to get messy, and I (or rather the nanny, a lot of the time) make them run miles around the park whatever the weather.

I know you don't want to hear this, but drop the afternoon nap NOW!! Def. I promise you it will make a difference. We woke our DD after 45 mins after nighttime/early waking got bad. She's now 26m and has no nap in the afternoon.

Well down in half an hour no screaming tonight so things are looking up so that anp is not going anywhere yet (hurrah )

Keep up the good work shufflebum!

And if I may be allowed to be a little smug, he slept through until I woke him at 7.30am twas bliss.

However...he refused to nap a nursery today so I may not be given a choice on the nap front, guess I have to choose between peaceful lie ins and calm bedtimes vs mn in the afternoons!

Yay - cake all round!

My younger DD gave up sleeping at nursery at around age 2 and we never had sleep issue with her at this age so this could be the turning point for your DS - some and MN in the evenings instead...