Sudden, unexplained and INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING sleep pattern change

[BonaDea]

Sorry this is long! DS is just 17 months. His routine is something like:

Wake - 6.15 am
30 minute morning nap - 10am
Lunch - 12.30
Nap - 1.30 - 3.30
Bath - 7
Asleep - 7.30

Sounds good. And it was. He is also ok with dropping his morning nap (if we are out or doing something) and then having an earlier lunch and then a good long sleep from about 12.30. He has slept through every night since about 9 months. On balance, I was ok with keeping the two naps for now until the signs were that he was really ready to drop it.

The last week has been a living nightmare. Both Monday, Tuesday and Thursday he didn't go down to sleep until 9.30!! Normally we read a few books, he has milk (still bf), then when he seems ready I just pick him up and put him in his cot. He sighs, rolls over, grabs his bear and is out. I can then put away the books, put out the light, monitor on and out and without too much fuss.

This week he has cried as soon as i've put him down. He's then jumped straight up and started wailing. Really really crying - not just grumbling. I've tried sitting with him and singing gently, which he seems to like. But even when he dropped off, as I made any sound trying to leave his room (floor board, door handle) he'd immediately wake and we'd start again. It's killing me!! We both work full time. I leave for work at 7 and get in at 6. I NEED just a couple of hours in the evening to cook a meal, eat and veg on the sofa! If I'm spending from 6-9.30 every night doing this I don't have time to eat or do anything else but go to bed and start again the next day!

Last night was even worse. He eventually dropped off at 9, then was awake screaming again at 10.30. DH went in for about half an hour and got him calm and settled. He then woke screaming again at 1.45am for 45 minutes. He was up for the day at 5.45.

What on earth is going on? Is it something like separation anxiety (he's up and shouting / crying "mamamamamama" "dadadadadada" and seems really sad / scared)? Could it be something physical? He's not teething I don't think - most of his teeth are in and there aren't other symptoms. Something else?

Is it something to do with not needing so much sleep in the day any more?

HELP!

I only have 1 DD who is nearly 18 months so not a great deal of experience, but this is my four penn'orth:-

I think possibly drop the morning nap. DD hasn't napped in the morning since she was about 10 months and sleeps much better at lunchtime / night time because of it.

I suspect it's probably separation anxiety. We had similar with DD when she was about 14 months. I can't really say what worked, because I have no idea. Our response had always been to cuddle her on the bed in her room until she dropped off and then put her back in her cot - but as she got bigger this got less easy to do without disturbing her.

We gradually moved away from cuddling her on the bed to just lying beside her cot until she calmed down. And if she was clearly just cross and not distressed, we would leave her to cry. She never cried for more than 15 mins or so and we would go in periodically to check on her until she started showing signs of tiring (although tried not to do this too often because it just made her angrier). The whole thing took about a week, I think. Take heart - it may be a nightmare now, but I'm pretty sure it won't last long.

Thank you - yes, I think separation anxiety could be at play, and he is probably also at the boundaries of not needing the morning nap (or at least so much sleep overall - he is genuinely shattered by about 10 most days!!)