2.9 yo - bedtime and sleeping through has gone to pot!

[gaffatape]

Hi all, my 2.9yo dd used to be able to go to sleep herself at a relatively ok time and sleep through (since she was about 12 mo). But the last few months have involved a combination of changing from cot to bed (had to - she realised she could unzip her grobag and climb out), my dh being quite seriously ill and also having to go away to family at the other end of the country quite a lot, and a bit of illness for dd (chicken pox, coughs) and it's all gone out the window! Now she will only go to sleep with one of us in her bed with her, and wakes a couple of times a night shouting for us. Daytime nap has mainly been dropped (though that hasn't made much difference...) and I tried rapid return for weeks but she just found it exciting! I can handle the sleep deprivation, lack of evening etc but I don't want my dh to have to go through it (he's still recovering from illness and has so much on his plate with his family) but dd is obsessed with him and will nearly always ask for him over me!
What on earth should I do? Or might this just pass?!

we had a similar situation recently, though thankfully (sympathy in spades here for you) without the DH illness.

DS moved to a new bedroom and into a proper bed, with one parent doing most of the bedtime routine. He was taking ages to go to sleep, waking up in the night or waking excrutiatingly early.

We made a number of changes over the course of a month, but the things that really seemed to work were putting him to bed an hour later at 8pm rather than 7pm (with a long wind down time of stories and cuddles and a drink of milk - maybe your DH could do this when he's able?).

Also developing sleep rules (rules repeated at every bedtime);
Close your eyes
Stay very quiet
Lie very still
And sleep until the sun comes up
"The sun" being the sun on a gro clock set for 6.30am.

This last week or so he's gone to bed wrecked and without complaint, on his own in his bed.

He's slept through from 8pm , and even though he may be awake before 6.30am he hasn't made a squeak until the clock face changes and he shouts the suns has come up! This really made a huge difference.

A world of difference from where we were. I'm crossing my fingers it lasts....

You could bring the cot back and put the sleeping bag on backwards (so the zip is gown her back)

None if my 4 children have moved to a bed until past their 3rd birthday, when they were emotionally ready to stay in a bed (not just physically capable). I don't agree with the rush to stop using a cot.

Liskee, thank you. Really kind of you to reply. I'm going to get a gro clock I reckon and I will try the sleep rules! Bedtime is already relatively late (bath at 7pm, milk, stories and then making the first attempt to get her to go to sleep at 8pm) so can't push that back much further. She hates to be rushed so it all takes a while! To be honest, typing it all out makes me see how much background turbulence and unpredictability there's been in her little life over the last few months - I shouldn't be surprised she's (a) testing the boundaries a bit and (b) desperate to see her dad whenever she sees the opportunity! Thanks for the support. X

Fatedestiny, thanks for your reply too. This might sound unbelievable but dd managed to get out of a gro bag that was zipped on backwards.... so that was the point at which we gave up on them! It was all better when she was in the cot, I agree there's no rush, but we ended up with no choice in the matter ! It's tricky isn't it.