21mo suddenly unable to get to sleep independently

[TBC45678]

I've got a nearly 2 year old who has been a fantastic sleeper since he was about 5 months old - self settling happily, getting himself off back to sleep independently if he wakes etc. No real regressions to speak of - until now.
We went on holiday for a week and he started insisting that I (not dad) stay in his bedroom singing/shhhing him. If I try to leave as normal he gets himself so worked up and hysterical. As soon as I come back and sit down he lies down and goes off to sleep, normally takes about 10 minutes. It's not that annoying to keep doing that, but I'm wondering if I'm making a rod for my own back. We're back home from holiday and seem to have formed this habit...

Anyone else had this, and did they go back to going to sleep independently? I'm heavily pregnant and so it's in the back of my mind that this will be a bit difficult to continue soon..!

I'd love to hear from anyone who has experienced/is experiencing something similar.

You could gradually withdraw from this, without much fuss.

The basic principles of gradual withdrawal are:

• you stay until he's asleep. Always, never sneak our early
• You stay just close enough to ensure he feels comforted, but no more.
• If he needs extra comfort you give it, but only for as long as needed. You withdraw to where you were once calm.
• over seversl weeks you gradually reduce how much comfort is needed for him to feel comforted.

An example would be:

• sit next to his cot, hand on chest shushing non-stop until asleep.
• after a few days of this...
• sit next to cot, hand on chest at all times. Shush if upset, quiet when calm. Stay until asleep
• after a few days of this...
• Sit next to cot. Hand on chest to settle if upset. Hand away when calm. Stay sat next to cot until asleep. Hand back if gets distressed, shush if more distressed. Once calm remove hand.
• after a few days of this...
• Stand next to cot. Hand on chest if needed, remove when calm. Stay until asleep.
• after a few days of this...
• Stand facing side-on to cot. Stay until asleep. Turn back and hand on chest if upset. When calm remove hand, when calm stand side-on. Stay until asleep.
• Stand a step away from cot. Return and hand on chest when upset, withdraw when calm. Stay until asleep.
• wait by the door..
• wait outside the open door
• wait outside the open door but out of sight. Still go back in and hand on chest if upset. Always withdraw as soon as calm. Always stay close by the room until asleep.

Ok thanks so much! All he needs is me to be in the room with him, sitting in a chair and singing. So I'll carry on waiting until he's asleep for a few more days and then start leaving once he's calmly lying down. Should I go back in if he starts crying when I leave?

I wouldn't leave (yet).

Start of sitting on chair, singing. Stay til asleep.

Then standing, singing. Stay til asleep

Then standing quietly. Sing if upset. Quiet if calm. But stay standing by bed (quietly) until asleep.

Then standing a step away from the cot. Stay til asleep

Then standing by door. Stay til asleep

All these are for several days/weeks depending on how gradual you are. Tgey depend on you always staying until asleep.

Ok, makes sense. Thanks so much for your advice!