2.5 yr old waking like clock-work

[MissCarroll]

Hi everyone. My son (a darling in every other way) is and always has been a terrible sleeper. The latest is that he is waking every night at around midnight/1am and screaming & screaming until one of us sits in his room for a few minutes, Not that bad I hear you say but after 2.5 years of sleepless nights we're at breaking point (OH esp. as he is approaching 50 and running out of energy!)

I think out main problem is that we tend to sit in his room for a few mins after we put him in cot for the night so he has that sleep association. So from tonight he'll be told that we're not sitting anymore.

I read about the "wake to sleep" method where you wake them up (slightly) an hour before their usual time so that you break that cycle. Has anyone tried it & did it work?

TIA. x

I would work on gradual withdrawal at bedtime, until he gets used to going to sleep on his own. And follow the same method at night wakes.

Say your start point is sitting by his cot as he goes to sleep, start standing instead. Still stay as you were, just standing. Do this for a few days until he doesn't react negatively to the fact that you're standing not sitting.

Then gradually withdraw a little more. Instead of standing facing the cot, stand side-on to the cot. Do for a few days until not negatively reacting to the change.

Then face the door. Still wait by the cot as long as normal, but face the doorway.

Then a step away from the cot. Then 2 steps. Then wait at the doorway. Then outside the doorway.

Then say Nan night, leave and close door but stay directly outside the door and listen. Any noise at all, immediately open door and reassure you are there, then close it again. Once this is no longer creating and negative reaction, you're done.