Almost two year old has stopped going to sleep happily

[MyReadingChallenge]

My son had been going to sleep happily with his teddy after a story and put in his cot awake for well over a year now for naps and bedtime.

For the last week and a half if I leave the room whilst he is still awake he gets totally inconsolable, red faced screaming, really distressed etc. I end up having to sit in the room (looking away from him) until he is in a deep enough sleep for me to sneak out (1hr+). Me sitting in his room with him for this long can’t be a long term thing and I hate that he isn’t happy going to sleep like he used to be.

Is this a phase? Have others been through it? I’m at a total loss as to the best way to go with this....

Oh my gooooosh, literally just came to the sleep section to write your thread- except mine is 18 months old.

I don't sit in with him, I go in and try to shush and resettle etc, and then leave and the hysteria starts again. 30mins tonight and counting. I refuse to give in and sit with him, in part because it doesn't seem to help - he just passes his cuddly toys out of the cot, then wants them back, then passes them out again etc. As soon as I go in, he lies right down... for 10s and then the nonsense starts. I know he's tired because he almost fell asleep on the very short journey home from my ILs just now. if I go in, he's standing up at the foot of cot near the door. Nightmare.

Solidarity, if not help! Bumping for you/us.

How’s the nap routine?

Ours is pretty solid; he wakes up around 6.30 these days and if I give him milk and back out of the room he'll sleep til half seven or later. Then nap from 1-3 or so, varies between 1h15 and 2h30(!), and then usually aim for lights off around 1945. Today's nap was 3h20!! But he's ill, so didn't wake him.

Sorry to hear you are in a similar boat Goo. Let’s hope for improvement.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers he naps for an hour 10 mins falling asleep between 11.30-12.30. And wakes up in the morning normally between 6.00-6.30am

Yep ours went through this about the same age and a few months on is getting better. I still have to Stay til she goes to sleep but she is a lot less anxious now and the process is quicker. I think it’s down to separation anxiety which is a developmental norm. My advice would be to ride it out xxx

DS woke at 5 this morning and wouldn't properly settle either on me or in his cot (was relatively happy to be in there as long as I was in the room, but preferred to be in my arms if possible) until 6.45. And he has to be up at 7.15 for nursery! And I'm tired

My two year old is the same, we have started shortening his nap and some times skipping it completely and it has really helped. On days where he does nap, we try to keep it to 30 minutes and make his bed time slightly later...god I miss the nap time though! x

We've just started having the same at 20m and I was wondering if it's cause she's not tired enough as napping 2h during the day.

Taking about 45 mins to fall asleep and not happy about it whereas she used to be fine! Out like a light within a few mins just chatting away to herself! I hope it's a phase!

Mine did this. I could literally plonk him in his cot, give him a kiss and walk out. And then it all fell apart at 21 months after a hospital stay and new baby, so not sure if was developmental or triggered by that.

He’s 25 months now and we’re back on track. I do sit in his room until he falls asleep but it’s no longer taking 2 hours, more like 15 minutes max after stories. Just as well as the baby is putting me through sleep hell!!

If it helps, our routine is:
6:30-7:00 wake up
12:30-2:30 nap (more usually 90 minutes within that time, sometimes 2 hours)
6:30 bedtime routine
7:00 lights out, usually down in 10-15 minutes now

My son has started doing this from the day he turned 2! He would always quite happily be left up fall asleep on his own within 30 mins but it’s now taking 1.5-2 hours every night. He throws his pillow out, shouts mama and dada constantly and bangs on the walls. I have cut his nap down to an hour but it doesn’t seem to be helping! Please tell me it’s just a phase/age thing?!