22mo takes AGES to go to sleep.

[AFewScrewsLucy]

DD is 22m old, and nice she's asleep, she's great..
Her day time nap is perfect.

But OMG night time.

Currently her routine is

Upstairs, teeth and bath, into PJs, a few books. Good night cuddle and lay down lights out.

Then it begins. She not naughy.

But she'll lie there happily for a few minutes, the decides she needs something. Water/milk/teddy. Or decides to stand up (she gets laid down again straight away) the first request of the night is met with "it's time to sleep". Then further requests gets ignored. She then settles down, nearly falls asleep, then needs something else...and so on and so on.

Sometimes it can take over an hour....

She definitely tired, eye rubbing etc is occuring..

We have tried early bed times, later bed times. Wake windows of maximum 5.5 hours from nap wake up. She sometimes slips the mid day nap...makes no difference.

How can we help her fall asleep that first time and within 10-15 minutes.

It's driving me potty. I can't see what is going wrong??

Once she's asleep* that should say at the beginning.

How long has this been happening? With my son it was a phase and just went with persistence but I can't remember how long sorry!!

Do you go to her each time she asks for something?

We're in the room with her, next to her bed.

If we're not in the room she climbs out and walks about.

Try physical contact - hand on her chest for example as a way to show you want stillness from her.

When my son went through this stage he never would have gone to sleep with me in the room. I walked out even if that meant he was following right behind me. I still left and closed the door then straight away went back in and laid him back down and walked out again. He was giggling throughout this so I felt OK doing it! But he went to sleep a lot quicker than if I stayed.