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Original poster

Is there such a thing as 22 month sleep regression?

24 replies

Petrean · 06/02/2012 20:28

Help!

My DS used to go down awake into his cot and whinge a little but not much, he often slept through but not all the time.

Suddenly he screams like mad when he goes into his cot. I'm still up hear with him and have been for 1.5 hours. Why would he suddenly do this, it's heart breaking? What can I do?

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Original poster
Petrean · 06/02/2012 20:32

He will not lie down, he's literally gripping the side of his cot and screaming like mad.

Will turning it into a toddler bed help? Maybe it'll make it worse because he can get out? Oh dear. :(

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Original poster
Petrean · 06/02/2012 20:50

I've had to leave I'm getting cross... DH is now sat with him, but he's screaming for me in between sobs (which sound very tired). Why has he suddenly started doing this?

Bump and all that...

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Monstermama · 06/02/2012 21:08

My DS about the same age has been acting up a bit in the sleep department too, slightly different as he has gone from sleeping through (since 12 months) to waking 2 or 3 times in the night screaming for me and a bottle of milk.

I think it is because he has top back molars coming through and hoping it will resolve when the tooth comes through. Does he have any teeth coming thru at the moment.

Also I believe this is the time that they can start having nightmares so maybe he has had some and possibly afraid of the dark? Do you have a night light?

I have a girlfriend who has a 20 month old doing the same as your ds. She is stumped too. Sorry cant be more help?

Original poster
Petrean · 06/02/2012 21:16

No don't worry about not really helping, it's nice to have a reply... We can't tell if there is any molar activity because we can't see or get our hands in there (fearful of fingers) but as nurofen makes no difference I'm assuming no, he's also capable of telling us if he hurts anywhere.

He has a nightlight... Is this really the age where they begins to have nightmares? I wonder if that triggered it?

I am totally baffled? I've tried asking him, he just says "no bed mummy please" or "don't like bed" or "don't like upstairs".

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Monstermama · 08/02/2012 06:40

I have gone into my sons screaming on a few occasions and while trying to settle him have realised that he is not actually awake. Another friend said hers started having nightmares around two and started talking about monsters etc. any improvements?

Original poster
Petrean · 08/02/2012 07:43

No none... It's taking a good 2-3 hours to settle him. He sleeps well once he's asleep. I bought a duvet, pillow and duvet cover online last night because we've decided we will convert his cot into bed. It's worth a try... Sad

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Tigresswoods · 08/02/2012 08:53

Well... DS who is now 23m has been a bit like this the last couple of months.

Maybe try a bit less sleep during the day coupled with asking him if he is still hungry about 30 mins before bath time (we found he was a couple of times) and also a slower bed time routine more cuddles.

It's up to you but there is no way I would consider hanging his cot to a bed yet.

Hope it improves.

undergroundernie · 09/02/2012 14:31

I remember my dd doing this around this age and I did change her cot for a bed - thinking she might prefer to be like her older brother. It did help actually, although I also remember one night a couple of weeks in when she screamed and refused to get in bed, kept running to the door etc. We did sort this out in one night by just sticking to her guns and constantly returning her until she finally gave up. I think the bedtime screaming is probably related to development, boundary testing, wanting more independence and will probably resolve itself in cot or bed - I just felt my daughter was wanting to feel more grown up and changing to a bed helped her to feel we saw her as more grown up too.

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 09/02/2012 14:36

Too much daytime sleep? Some would call it regression but if your child has developed good sleep habits, isn't ill, isn't hungry or over/under tired, then I think sleep regression is a label that doesn't mean much.

Whenever my daughter refused to go to bed, it was because her nap needed a chop. How long does your LO sleep for in the day?

I think it's too early for a bed - you may find it backfires, or he may take to it straight away - but be prepared for new nighttime battles i.e. wandering around on the landing!

If he's still having a nap, that would be the first thing to tackle in my opinion.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 09/02/2012 14:39

My DD did similar and it was a killer. Think it coincides with them discovering their independence . She used to be FURIOUS getting into her cot at night . So I got her back up and gave her 10 minutes of 'downstairs time' (an extra story, an episode of Peppa or a snack). she would usually go up after that and it was miles easier than fighting sleep with her.

latrucha · 09/02/2012 14:43

My son is 19 months and used to sleep really well from about ten months. He is now insisting on coming into bed after his first sleep. When he first goes to bed he goes to sleep by himself but at his first waking he is insistent. He just screams. last night I tried CC. He had just no idea he was supposed to be going to slpee. He just stood and shook the bar the whole time.

Last week I tried sleeping by his cot thinking he'd be reassured and go to sleep. Three and a half hours later I gave up.

I have no help and really have no idea what to do. My DD did respond to CC on the odd occasion when her sleep got out of hand.

I really feel my son could do with going to nursery but we can't afford it until next January. Is this an option for you?

MissCoffeeNWine · 09/02/2012 14:50

Babies and toddlers often have sleep disturbances when they make developmental leaps or learn new skills. There is often a huge language acquisition phase around the 20-24 month mark. I'd venture the two are related. All those new synapses and increased brain activity.

Perhaps something like story tapes would help?

loveisagirlnameddaisy · 09/02/2012 15:07

I would agree that sleep disturbances i.e. waking the night briefly can be caused by developmental leaps. But refusing to go to bed is not a disturbance and if daytime sleep is not being adjusted (assuming it isn't), I think it's really cruel to use CC. Its like putting you to bed at 8pm and someone getting really cross with you because you're not tired enough to go to sleep.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 09/02/2012 15:57

My DD did similar and it was a killer. Think it coincides with them discovering their independence . She used to be FURIOUS getting into her cot at night . So I got her back up and gave her 10 minutes of 'downstairs time' (an extra story, an episode of Peppa or a snack). she would usually go up after that and it was miles easier than fighting sleep with her.

latrucha · 09/02/2012 20:12

Well, by chance DS only had a 45 minute nap today and that was quite early. If it has any positive impact on his sleep tonight, I'l keep it up and I'll let you know. Not planning on doing any CC tonight. I'll just take him into bed when he wakes.

AngelDog · 09/02/2012 20:20

DS had a sticky patch at around this age (he's 2.1 now). Bedtimes were harder, but he'd be awake for a couple of hours in the night which is usually a sign of developmental stuff (his sleep goes mad during each developmental leap). It stopped again on its own though. :)

latrucha · 09/02/2012 20:28

On it's own? My heart is soaring with unexpected hope! I hate CC.

UmmOfUmbridge · 09/02/2012 20:32

Watching with interest as I'm going through this with DD3 who is 21 months. She's never been a great sleeper but generally would go to bed pretty easily with a bottle and fall asleep on her own. She wakes up a few times in the night but usually just needs her dummy putting in.
Now though, she goes up and stays there for about half an hour before she starts screaming. It's been an hour and a half tonight, I've been up to cuddle her, got her out of bed a couple of times (bad I know but hate her crying) I lay on my bed with her for a while having a chat about how everything was ok and everyone was here etc... put her back in bed... she's still screaming and now 10 month old dd4 has woken up. Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Original poster
Petrean · 09/02/2012 22:03

Actually tonight was the first night he went down without being angry and screaming, but I had to sit there with my hand on his back tapping until he fell asleep. I took it off too early in his opinion and he sat bolt upright and said "mummy tap tap tap". I really don't understand it. He's normally so good.

We've still not done his bed because we were going to wait until the weekend. But I might hold off a little because potentially it might be fixing itself. I bought him a duvet, a pillow (toddler pillow) and a Thomas tha Tank Engine duvet cover in preparation. I think I'll see how tomorrow goes.

With regards to cutting down his day time nap; on his nursery days he has 2 hours, but on non-nursery days he has about 45 minutes and whether he's been at nursery or not or had a long lunchtime snooze or not seems to make no difference.

Aren't children confusing Smile you think you've got something sorted and then suddenly it's not; you fix one thing and suddenly another thing happens; one day they love having a bath and the next day they hate it. Sigh...

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UmmOfUmbridge · 09/02/2012 22:59

Petrean... I have five and I still haven't worked it out! I've had 2 amazing sleepers, 2 very bad and one somewhere in the middle! I never did anything different that I'm aware of, they just are what they are I guess!

Pleased he went to sleep. DD3 eventually stopped crying, I only leave her a few minutes between going in, I've never been able to leave them, but I still feel awful that she kind of cried herself to sleep. :(

She would never be cuddled to sleep so (even if co-sleeping DD4 wasn't already in there) putting her in with us won't work. I've tried it out of desperation before.

Sigh... they are indeed a mystery but tend to get over it with no ill effects, it's us left feeling crap and awful no matter what we do!

latrucha · 10/02/2012 08:29

LAst night a lot better. He came in at nine (I'm ill and on my own right now so early nights are in) and slept until 5. Much better. 45 minute naps it is then.

undergroundernie · 10/02/2012 11:32

Sleep regression is a label that makes a lot of sense to me when a child who normally goes to bed fine and sleeps pretty well without props suddenly starts creating at naptimes, bedtimes and in the middle of the night.

Original poster
Petrean · 10/02/2012 21:55

Another good night tonight. I'm totally baffled. But I've decided he's staying in his cot! Smile

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stressheaderic · 10/02/2012 22:04

My DD is 23 months. She's gone from the world's best sleeper (we're talking 13-14 hours a night straight through from 6 weeks old) to ANY excuse under the sun not to sleep, verging from 'dolly hat fell off', to 'dummy on floor mummy' to 'big noise'.
She's taking up to 2 hours to get to sleep in the evening, up in the night, and so knackered getting up for nursery at 7.30am.
I have no answers but I sympathise! I'm thinking with us, it may coincide with a massive leap in her talking, she's gone to virtually full sentences overnight.

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