9.5mo resisting sleep - please tell me this is a phase!

[fuzzywigsmum]

Hi, just wanted to see if anyone had similar experiences. DD has always been a good sleeper. She settles easily, either just being put down in her cot or sometimes withal bit of back-rubbing or hand holding. But for the last week she's got very upset at sleep times both naps and bedtimes. She pulls herself up on the cot and cries if I leave the room and smiles and wants to play if I stay in the room. It's now taking me 20 mins to settle her for a nap and last night took 2 hours to get her to sleep at bedtime, with her getting v upset and me quite bad tempered.

Sorry to moan as I know I've had it easy. Just really wondering if this is typical behaviour. She's recently started crawling and standing, so I'm hoping that this is to do with the world suddenly becoming more interesting. Don't really want to do CC as I also think there's some separation anxiety going on, so I guess I'm just going to have to ride it out.

Any thoughts and wise words appreciated!

I found that my DD took a couple of weeks to get over the 'newness' of standing up and crawling - took a week or so to work out how to lie down once she had stood up in the cot. It was very frustrating as she would do the same as your little one but I kept laying her back down and going sshhh until she got bored.

Now when I put her down for her nap (in sleeping bag) she does get up and cruise up and down the cot but I leave her to it as once she has thrashed about she then lies down and talks to herself as she goes to sleep.

I think it could be attention too if she wants you to play, you may have to be firm and just give her a couple of times as benefit of doubt for wind etc but then say night night and let her get on with it. If you feel this is too harsh have you tired sitting in her room but not engaging so she knows you are there but she will hopefully see that it isn't entertaining you being there so may start to settle.

I'm no expert but I've tried both of those techniques! You know your DD best - mine just wouldn't concentrate on settling herself if I stayed in the room too much - too much of a distraction!

Good luck.
Jane

Thanks Jane. Think I just needed a bit of moral support to get me through the frustration of not being able to put her down and walk out the room, which I know was a blessing in the first place. I actually reckon it is separation anxiety, so I'm just having to spend a bit more time with her until she's really sleepy and relaxed.

We've been through this and it was caused by my DD being undertired at bedtime (her naps were too long in the day for her age and she hadn't naturally cut back on them). We cut back on her naps and within a few days, bedtime was back to normal.