Never thought I'd be back here! My 18m old is slowly breaking me!

[Hmmmmminteresting]

Ds1 was a nightmare baby when it came to sleep, never slept till he was 10mo but has been a dream since
Ds2 has always been an amazing sleeper - One of those kids I dodnt believe existed that was sleeping through at 2 weeks old and has continued to do so.
When he hit 15mo he started crying at bedtime. We would go in and lie him down 3 or 4 times and he would go to sleep.
It's got progressively worse, he has just gone to sleep now after 1hr 10 mins of screaming the house down. We lie him down he gets back up. He doesnt physically understand still now how to lie himself down! Hes ended up that exhausted he fell asleep draped over the bars of the cot he doesnt know how to self settle anymore, he cries himself to sleep because we stay with him and lie him down and he is just like a Jack in the box. It goes on till he is so tired we loe him down and he just goes to sleep. It's taking longer with every week that passes however to add insult to injury hes now doing it during the night too. We can't risk ds1 waking so we end up bringing him in our bed as otherwise (as he is proving at bedtime) it will just go on and on and on.
I need help / words of wisdom / reassurance this 3mo phase will pass and we arent making a rod and all that. Seriously stressed

God I could have written this! DC 1 horrific sleeper. DC 2 a dream until 18 months... started crying at bedtime, waking twice in the night standing up and screaming for me. I was also pregnant which made it exceptionally hard to keep getting up and down. Now 22 months back to sleeping through, in fact sleeping better... 6:30pm until 7:30am. Might be a coincidence but it coinsided with when I dropped the nap. I know it’s too soon but it’s made life so much easier. The afternoon is sometimes a struggle due to tiredness but at bedtime it’s straight to sleep exhausted, no fuss...

Oh Goodebe really! Ds2 is having a 2 hour nap in the day.
Ds1 only dropped his nap just after his 3rd bday and that was always for 2 or so hours also. I kind of never even considered he could go without a nap or even less of a nap but I guess it's an option trying to cut it down!
Must have been really hard for you expecting dc3 too...
I honestly thought we had it easy with ds2 but I actually preferred having the nightmare baby easy toddler to easy baby nightmare toddler combo!

I know, it’s suck a shock when they stop sleeping well and you have to tried and tested ways of resolving it! I would definitely try cutting down the nap. I do let DC2 have 20 minutes some days if on a car journey and I can’t really do much about it, but the long afternoon nap had to go! Good luck.