...in the past week night-times have become a bit of a nightmare for us. We've never had a brilliant sleeper but she would go to bed wihtout to much fuss, settling herself etc and usually sleep through. In the past week she has been waking in the night, usually at 2or 3am and for up to 2 and half hours. She cries out, nit just a little bit as we try to leave her to settle herlse fagin, but really desperate. She isi mmediatley re-assured as soon as we go in. But clings and cries if we try to return her to her cot. She will happily sit on our lap in the chair in her room or come into our bed, but seems reluctant to fall back to sleep again for AGES! and has to be in close contact with us.
At first we thought she might be teething, but once we have gone to her there is no more tears which suggest not pain? have conisdered too ht, too hot, overtired, too much daytime sleep etc etc but nothing seems to have made any difference.
Could it be nightmares? if so any suggestions on what we can do to help?
We have preety regular and chilled out routine. Bath, few stories etc and have stopped her watching anything we think might be scary (eg Gruffalo - that's as scary as it gets!).
She happily gets in her cot at night whiloe I read to her, but then puts off me leaving, asks for more and when I say no more and try to leave she gets very upset again.