Why won't my toddler go to sleep?!

[FelixFelix]

My dd is 2.8 and has been a great sleeper since just before she turned 2 (after waking 3-10 times a night until then but that's a different story!). I've not had a problem getting her to bed and she's been happy to be in her bedroom/bed etc. Just for info, she doesn't have a daytime nap anymore.

The past week or so has been an absolute nightmare. I will put her to bed tired and she will go to sleep (or so I think) but then 30mins - 1hr later she will scream for me. It's awful! I'm very conscious of disturbing the neighbours as she's so loud.

If I go in, she will be upset and tell me she's 'scared' or something similar. She's still in a cot but has tried to climb out tonight so I'm going to have to change it in to a proper bed. If I get her out, she will do anything not to go back to bed. She stalls with various fake illnesses (my eye is poorly, I've got tummy ache, my back hurts etc) and will keep you talking forever and change the subject so you don't try and get her back in to bed. I didn't think she would start with this for a long time yet!! She's currently screaming for the 4th time tonight and shouting for daddy, which never usually happens, because I told her mummy wasn't going to come back in until its morning and time to wake up.

So what the hell do I do? I have no idea how to handle this at all. Please help!

Only thing worked for me is being present but being as boring as possible. I.e mummy will sit next to your bed if you go to sleep nicely. I sit in pitch black and ignore him every time he pops his head up to check on me, this stops the screaming but doesn't encourage him to do anything other than go to sleep. It's been a phase with him for a few weeks that I have to sit in the room or face wails of 'mummy in chair, mummy in chair' but recently he's gone back to going to sleep by himself.

DD is 2.8 as well and since she potty trained a few weeks ago she seems to have discovered every stalling technique in the book - I need a wee / poo / drink of water / feel sick / what's that shadow / I've finished my nap now / my covers have come off....

I just go up, stand at the doorway and say right quickly on the potty, here's a drink etc, now straight back into bed and walk out with as little discussion as possible.

I genuinely didn't expect her to start doing this so early! She's doing it again now. DP has said he will sit in the chair until she goes to sleep, but I don't want it to become a habit every night.

I once remember watching a programme on telly (super nanny type thing) where she said to just put them back in bed and say it's time to go to sleep every time, so I've been trying to just lay her back down and say this but it's not working so far. She's bloody hysterical

Could be another separation anxiety thing? We have to talk about our day and then talk about what we are going to do tomorrow and then what dd is having for breakfast etc. Not sure why but seems to have helped massively for us as a similar thing happened to us recently all.of a sudden, though dd is a bit younger and can't talk as well as yours, so may not work for you but worth a try? Xx

Golf thanks for the suggestion but I do that already anyway. I find it makes her calmer too. She likes to know what's happening!