20 month old sleep regression?

[Leigh93]

Hi Hoping for some advice on my toddlers sleep please. Sorry for the very long post

he has never been the best sleeper when a baby but from around 16 months he was sleeping through the night 90% of the time. He got poorly a few weeks ago and his sleep has been terrible ever since! We did end up giving him milk in the night as he wasn’t eating much in the day when poorly so not sure if some of it is now habit. I tried to go cold turkey last night and he was just wide awake for four hours and wouldn’t let me put him back into his cot until I finally gave in and gave him milk and he was alseep
in two seconds!

He has also always settled so well in his cot we could put him down in his cot walk out the room and he would put himself to sleep since a young age. But again since being poorly he won’t go down in his cot he wants me to cuddle him to sleep but every time I then try to transfer him he wakes and cries until I pick him up again. He will settle in the cot for my partner but he works nights and is already gone most of the time at bedtime. It took me almost two hours to get him into his cot last night.

my biggest worry is that I am currently 26 weeks pregnant and have no idea what I am going to do when I have a newborn and a toddler who needs cuddling for hours by myself as my partner will be working

any advice please? Is it just a bit of separation anxiety that will pass or do I need to sit up all night with him and not give into the milk?

also have tried sleep training slightly but he worked himself up that much he was nearly sick and I have been scared to try it again I don’t want to traumatise him

thank you

Sleep train using the Ferber method

It’s probably a phase that will pass, but there’s no way of knowing when. He might be picking up that you’re pregnant at this stage? Try going back to basics with a strict routine of bath, milk then bed at the same time every night. Or whatever routine works for you just keep it consistent.

I found that even when sleeping through the night had been achieved, a change like sickness or being away from home for a few days would always mess it up! Hopefully it won’t last long.

Surely you just give him his milk if that's what he needs to sleep 🤷

Is he hungry? I used to give mine weetabix or porridge before bed when they started waking in the night again for milk, as they were hungry.

Sounds like he's hungry and maybe not getting enough calories in the day.

The other thing I would say is it will probably just get better by itself. Most children's sleep usually goes a bit haywire after illness.

I am 25 weeks pregnant and my 2 year old has a bottle and cuddle to sleep. I dont have the energy to fight him and its the quickest way to get him down. I figured, no 18 year old needs a bottle to get to sleep so he will grow out of it soon enough! Good luck, I feel you

Thank you for the advice. I’m pretty sure he is no longer hungry I gave him milk in the middle of the night last night and he barely touched it and was wide awake but happy to lie in his cot for three hours. I don’t mind cuddling him to sleep I actually enjoy it myself but because he’s always been so happy in his cot it’s so hard to transfer him once he’s asleep every time I try and put him down he startles and stands back up crying. It took over an hour to get him down last night and then he was up for hours in the night. My biggest worry is that I’m going to have a newborn in three months and no help during the night not sure how I’m going to juggle both. I’m wondering if I need to change something with his napping or bedtime to see if that makes a difference

Are you through this stage now and any advice? My little one used to fall asleep independently but absolutely refuses to go to sleep now unless we are in the room with him, patting cuddling rocking holding etc. I’m 29 weeks pregnant so really struggling with this physically & hoping there is some light at the end of the tunnel!!