1 year old suddenly refusing to sleep in cot

[Itscurtainsforyou]

My DS is one year old (corrected, he was born 4 months early so is 15+ months chronologically).

He used to sleep through the night, but over the last 5-6 weeks has had virus/bug/colds/teething almost constantly and sleep had gone out the window. When he was poorly we had him in our bed (to keep an eye on him as much as anything else) and now he will only sleep there or if one of us is cuddling him.

He absolutely refuses his cot. If we try to put him down when he's asleep he immediately wakes (I don't know how!) and if we put him in when awake he cries.

Last couple of nights we've sat next to him in his cot for 3-4 hours and he's just kept shouting. We've tried pick up/put down ( just cries when put back), stroking his head/holding his hand (he swats us away). He only slept once we gave in at midnight and put him in our bed.

He sleeps ok in a bed at nursery so I don't know what we're doing wrong - please help!

When you put him in your bed, do you lie down with him and cuddle up.

The move from that to going to sleep in the cot, even with you there, might be too greater difference for him to cope with. I would make that change gradually.

That involves continue to let him sleep in your bed, as you have been. But for a few days cuddle close as he goes to sleep then lean out of the cuddle as settled.

Then for a few days do the 'lean out' cuddle after the initial Nan night cuddle, right through until asleep.

Then aim to roll away from him as he goes to sleep.

Then aim to be sat (not lying down) on the bed as he goes to sleep. Then stood. Once you get to this point he will be more used to your reassurance being at a distance, so you can then move back to the cot. It might mean a few steps backwards as he relearns to settle in the cot (Maybe start of leaning into the cot patting at first) but you can gradually withdraw from this too.

Thanks that's really helpful - I shall give some of those a go

I have the same issue with my 13 month. I can't get her in the cot. She doesn't have a dummy or suck her thumb, I'm her dummy and I can't get her off at night. Made a rod for my own back, she's in bed next to me because she wakes so often and it's killing me! Ahh!!
I thought about getting a low toddler bed and putting up the safety barriers. Can I do this? I could get in and roll out?

I thought about getting a low toddler bed and putting up the safety barriers. Can I do this? I could get in and roll out?

So could your 13 month old.

Moving from a poor sleeper from a cot to a bed creates more problems than it solves. I really, really wouldn't.

How about a side-car cot? Remove one side off your cot, butt it up to your bed, make the mattress heights match and see if baby will sleep in that.

Very true. I had a next to me cot but she has since outgrown that.
The issue I have is her using me as a passifyer. I have started introducing a dummy at night and I feel we are getting there slowly slowly. She woke in the night and started using it last night. Perhaps once I've got her onto the dummy at night she may sleep in her cot.
These days the cot sides are either fixed or don't lower enough. She wakes as soon as I bend over (great for your back too 🙄)

Is a side car cot the same? Thank you so much, I'll have a look online now x

You can remove one side off any cotbed (ie a cot that turns into a bed). They are built to be able to be sturdy with one or both sides removed.

In addition most standard cots are flat pack these days. You'd be hard-pushed to find a cot built in one piece. The base usually attaches to the ends (not the sides) and so a simple allen key can remove one side.

My current John Lewis cot bed had one side removed last year, for my youngest. Shes happy in her own room now, so side back on until she's ready to move from cot to bed. I've also side-carred a Mothercare cot bed and a Babies R Us standard cot.

Ah thank you. I did actually remove one side and it was sturdy, like you mentioned. I think I'll try again, thank you