Is this the 18 month regression? WHAT IS HAPPENING?

[Heepers]

Any/all/some advice would be so welcome.

DD is 18m and a fairly good sleeper historically (from about 10m). About 6 weeks ago she started sporadically waking up hysterically crying and it'd take us about 2 hours of back and forth to settle her down again. This has been getting worse and more frequent and she is more unsettleable.

We decided to try gradual retreat 3 nights ago and have been going into her room and sleeping with her with a view to slowly moving out of the room. BUT this is making things worse - she now wakes every night at 11.30 and cries until we come in, we then go back to bed about 1 and she's awake screaming at 2. We go in, lie on the floor and every 45 mins she'll wake and check we're there and cry before going back to bed until waking for the day at 7 (the only bright spot here).

What should we do? What would you do? I don't want to leave her to cry but this is not working and we've been so good about sleep routines etc that it seems crazy to start lying on her floor every night (especially as I'm six months pregnant - DH and I take it in turns at my insistence as he can't do it all).

I'm thinking of controlled crying and just riding out the regression. Is this the regression? Is this my life now?!

Quick details: she goes down at 7 with a well-established bedtime routine, wakes at between 6-7 and then naps for between 1-2 hours from 12.30 or so. I really don't think it's a problem with her routine etc.

Thank you in advance xxx

It could be the 18 month sleep regression but I'd check that her back teeth aren't coming through. Maybe try her with some paracetamol when she first wakes up?

Can't help but we have the same problem with our 15 mo th old daughter.
It startes a week ago. She went from sleeping 7-6.30 to waking up screaming at around midnight. There were a few nights where she woke up at 3 or 4 but now I soent the past two nights sleeping next to her holding hands as this seems to settle her.
She takes ages to fall asleep again.
She has become really clingy as well and is apparently a grumpy nightmare ar nursery.
Is this normal?
Is this just normal toddler behaviour???
I am not enjoying this at the moment. My happy girl trabsformed i to a grumpy teenager within days!!!

I have an 18 month old who does this. Awake for 2 hours often at 2 am

Tbh he's my 3rd. I know it will pass. Their brains are haywire and exploding with language, just like we fine it tricky to sleep when we have a lot on our minds.
I stick bing on and wait for him to look tired again then stick him back in bed. 🤣

It will pass and soon I hope!

Feline have you tried her with some paracetamol? Sounds like she could be feeling unwell?

@Heepers it was a little while ago since your post. Just curious to see if it's getting any better? I'm going through a similar thing.

Thanks

It is awful but it does pass. My son had a regression just before his 2nd birthday. It was by far the worst. It almost broke me. It lasted about 6 weeks and coincided with lots of developmental achievements.
He escaped his cot one night and I had to change it to a bed. I wasn’t ready and was so worried about it! Within 2 nights he was back to his old hood sleeping self.
It could have been a complete fluke but it was absolute bliss!

I’m not saying move to a bed as you child is a little younger. I’ve just checked my pictures and it’s was one month before he turned 2.

I’ll never know if it was the bed or he just got through it, but it did end, very suddenly.

Good luck and I hope it passes quickly x

Hi @disneymad85! We eventually did sleep training as she seemed to ideally want us to sit in her room all night (and even then didn't sleep well) and we couldn't do that!!

We did a sort of Ferber type thing (3-5-7 etc) but mainly just went in when we thought she was too upset. My husband did the going in as I'm who she really wants and make it worse when I leave.

First two nights were tough but she never cried more than an hour. We reminded ourselves that what she wanted wasn't feasible so we had to stick to our guns. She woke a bit in the night but generally resettled herself.

Anyway it is now a DREAM. She is sleeping later (until 7 which was just unheard of before) and we're all a lot happier.

I don't know if it would have passed anyway but it worked for us (and a friend of mine who was experiencing the same issue). X

@Heepers thank you so much for coming back to me!

We did a similar thing at 11 months where we went in at intervals and it only took 2 nights so I think we are going to do that again. They used to sleep 7-7 and self settled so I know they can do it and I'm sure it's just a blip!

I also think I make it worse so my DH is doing the bed time tonight and no tears (after a 2 hour screaming match with me last night).

I am glad you are all doing better and long may it continue for you 😊

Thanks again. Xx

Hi, sorry I'm late to this thread. But what you're describing sounds very similar to the situation I am in now. I wondered, how long did you sleep train your 18 month for until it passed? I am also planning on using the cry it out method and going in when he gets too upset, as I am losing my marbles atm.

@Moons1234

Hi, sorry I'm late to this thread. But what you're describing sounds very similar to the situation I am in now. I wondered, how long did you sleep train your 18 month for until it passed? I am also planning on using the cry it out method and going in when he gets too upset, as I am losing my marbles atm.

Check out this thread

18 month sleep regression or something else?? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/4266080-18-month-sleep-regression-or-something-else

Some useful info there!