Nearly 2 year old - hysterical at bedtime

[Liskey]

DD is 2 next month and over the last few nights has become hysterical at bedtime. She calms down when DH or I are with her but gets upset as soon as we leave. She used to be bad at going to sleep by herself but that seemed fixed about 4/5 months ago.

Tonight when i was out she screamed so hard she ended up throwing up despite DH going up cuddling her, changing her and reading her another story. DH and I keep saying that this must be another stage and it will pass - but has anyone any advice about this?

Cheers.

It is a phase, but no one knows how long a phase is :) Could you bear to sit with her while she goes to sleep? That's what I do, I couldn't handle the hassle upset if I insisted on leaving.

Take a cuddly to bed? Night light? Mine keeps waking and yelling at the mo. Think it could be development (eg dreams)

Thanks for the replies.

I'm very reluctant to sit with her till she goes to sleep as I really don't want her to rely on me/us to fall asleep with - though I really hate this stage too and I keep going up to check on her.

She's got bunny to take to bed whom she always snuggles (apart from when she was sick on no1 bunny last night and no2 had to take its place). We've tried a night light but it didn't seem to help.

Didn't help last night she woke up at 04.10 and 05.15 - DH and I will shortly be going to sleep ourselves.

It's a phase so sitting with her now doesn't mean you'll be doing it when she's 15 You're going into her anyway so may as well make it as painless as possible. Then as she settles faster, you can work on leaving her again - make it a gradual transition (e.g sit in a chair, sit by the door etc)

So sit with her - could be her teeth especially with the early waking. Or she's getting ill. DS is going through this at the moment (both) so we sit with him. When he's better, he usually says "bye" at bedtime and waves me off! He's 2.1

Am watching this thread with interest as am going through the same thing with my 22 month old. My problem is that if I leave the room she screams hysterically but if I stay in the room she would happily cha in the dark to me and her teddies for an hour and a half and I dont want to sit in her room until 830/9pm!!
Last night when I left she screamed so I went back after 1 minutes, then left ehr flr 2 minutes went back reassured, the left her for 3 minutes then she calmed and settled. Tonight I left her for 1 minute, went back reassured, 2 minutes, went back reassured and then she went quiet and started chatting. Broke my heart though. Keep me posted on your progress.

I had to check I hadn't posted this! I've also got a nearly two year old doing the same thing - fine right up until I try to leave and then goes batshit hysterical. He's always been a dodgy sleeper, then was doing this over the summer. Seemed fixed and we had a few months break, but it's back!
We're doing a sort of gradual withdraw thing but I must admit to losing my patience this evening and demanding he told me what was wrong (not helpful I know, particularly given he's slow to talk!). Don't have a solution, but nice to know I'm not alone and it's 'normal'...

My two-year old has just finished a few weeks of this. All sweetness and light until story finished and about to leave the room. Asking for cuddles and another story etc. She wanted us to sit with her but we said no in the nicest possible way, you are a big girl etc. Suddenly she goes to bed nicely again after dojng it every night so just a phase for us - thank goodness! They are very clever at trying to get what they want aren't they? Play us like kippers

Almost identical situation here too! My 22month ds went happily to his cot every night after stories and cuddles until about 2 weeks ago. Now there are serious tantrums, almost to the point of being sick unless I sit in his room. This would be all very well, as 4 year old dd did the same thing for a while, can't remember exactly how long - bit of a blur, but when he wakes in the night, which he does often, he wants the same treatment, which is exhausting, either dh or I spend the wee small hours on a camp mat in his room every night now.
I also feel like my DD is being short changed at bedtime now, cos I am so occupied with ds. Feel sad about that, as the whole bedtime thing is really precious to me. I work all day and love sitting listening to her chat in the evenings.
Glad to know we are not alone, and hope it passes quickly for all..

Ooh me too I just posted about my 2.3 ds doing exactly the same Thing. He cried for nearly an hour tonight as I went in and out an in and out trying to reassure him. Then I sat by his bed and he was alseep in minutes. Hope he sleeps through and hope it's a phase!
Will be sitting by the bed at night from now on til he is better!

For the last two weeks I have been in and out of DD1s room at bedtime, every 1, 2 , 3 minutes etc. She has been totally hysterical and it has
been awful, although she has never cried for more than 10 min total.
Last night I staye dby her cot for 15 mins after she went into it. She was very drowsy when I crept out but then only whimpered instead of hysterical screaming. So think thats what i will do from now.
sigh.

ds had his stories, songs and cuddles at 7:30 and is still roaring in his cot now, dh just given up and is lying on the floor next to his cot, trying to read his book in the gloom!

Thesoo - last four nights I have stayed in her room by her cot for 15 minutes after he is put down then left. she has protested for maybe 30 seconds max then chatted happily - not sure if this is due to the change in my approach or theend of the phase but just to say hang on in there!

yep its normal.
DS1 did it. then with DS2 and DS3 I have just crawled into bed next to them and cuddled them to sleep. So much less painfull and as someone said above DS1 (10) does NOT want to be cuddled to sleep anymore!! enjoy it while it lasts they grow up so bloody quick.

Also watching this thread as my dd (2 yrs 4 mths) has been like this for past few days...

What is it with 2 yo at the moment, I've just posted on two other similar threads! Maybe it's a cosmic thing and it's beyond our control...

Us too... Dd is 2.4 and for a couple if weeks has been bad at bedtime. Christmas night was the pits and after 2 1/2 hours of returning her to bed we put her in a pushchair in the dining room at 10 until we went to bed.
The last couple of nights she's woken in the night, tantrums the lot and is just refusing to stay in bed. DH has been with her for the last couple of hours and I can still hear her ranting.

I'm frustrated since he was supposed to be trying to give a bottle to DS who has been waking every hour and a.half overnight to see if that would settle him better than bf.

Got to sleep at 4am this morning between the 2 of them. Hoping tonight might be better...

Definitely the season for it - normally DD flakes out nicely about 8. This week, partly thanks to my auntie babysitting monday while we went to a wedding and letting them stay up til gone 10 watching telly it's been nearly 11 o'clock ever since.

Hi, I know this thread is 2 years old but I am going through this exact problem at the moment. I'm considering gradual withdrawl as suddenly my DS is not responding to being left to fall asleep alone. In fact he's worryingly hysterical and it's driving me up the wall. It's been going on for over a month and he's waking in the night screaming too. Any advice on how you got through it greatly appreaciated!