My 18 month old was sleeping reasonably 7-7 ish (sometimes waking in the night a few times but relatively easy to settle or getting up earlier but it was manageable).
Since coming back from Canada at the weekend she has gone to sleep ok at 7 but wakes 1-4 hours later and just screams her head off for hours. Dh has been dealing with this (he is on paternity leave so can sleep when she sleeps whereas I am up at 6.30). I think he is picking her up and cuddling but she then wants to get down and starts screaming again. He keeps doing new attempts to lie her down but she screams.
He brings her down and feeds her and last night went for an hours walk at midnight. She was awake the whole time but settled calmly in bed on return. He has just gone out now to try same tactic.
Have we broken the baby?! I'm feeling quite guilty about doing this to her.
Any tips for managing this. I haven't been keen on controlled crying but if she is screaming and distressed for hours anyway feels like we might as well be doing something that works. I worry all the picking up and down is just winding her up or somehow reinforcing the problem. I would just give it time but don't want to be inadvertently making the problem worse.