My twin boys (almost 18 months adjusted age) were always bloody terrible sleepers. One spent nearly 3 weeks in the nicu, the other over 2 months. I felt so awful that I hadn’t been there at night for them that I swore I would never let them cry, unless I was literally changing the other or whatever.
So I haven’t. They’ve woken 5-6 times a night each from coming home to about 14/15 months. They drank so much milk through the night it was insane. About 15 months we started being able to put them down awake with a bottle and their projector on and they’d go to sleep. Their wake ups dropped to 2 or 1 or sometimes even none. I thought we had cracked it!
I knew the 18 month regression was on the horizon but I’m really not sure that’s what’s happening because they are actually still sleeping okay. However, one of them will start literally weeping around 5-10 mins after we put them down, and any time we leave the room he starts screaming. I’ve been able to settle him eventually with cuddles, rocking etc but often he will wake again as I’m leaving and start all over again.
Last night, DH went in and sat next to his cot which helped him settle and after about 45 mins of just sitting there he went to sleep. He then slept well.
Tonight, same thing. DH went upstairs but the crying didn’t stop. I text DH asking if he wanted me to come and take over and he said no. Hysterical crying for about half an hour. Eventually he gave up and came down - turned out he hadn’t even picked him up, just sat next to his cot again. I was not pleased. Went up myself and held him and after about 15 mins he started trying to turn over so I put him down, he rolled over and went to sleep.
I just don’t understand why he’s suddenly screaming whenever we leave the room. I tried pain relief tonight before he went to bed in case it’s teeth but it made no difference.
And how should we handle it? I really don’t want to leave him to cry at all, especially at an age when he can really miss us and be wanting hugs etc. Then again I don’t want to make him reliant on being rocked to sleep when he’s been doing so well, or make him think that screaming will help him get his own way.
What to do?! Help!