DD 23mo turned into a total nightmare sleeper. Help!

[girlsyearapart]

Hi my dd1 is nearly 2 and always been a great sleeper. She goes to bed at 7 and after stories and goodnight kiss we leave her and she falls asleep on her own. No night waking unless ill or a specific reason. In the last two weeks though she has turned into a nightmare!
She asks to go to bed at 7 but then screams and asks to go downstairs/upstairs/out/to the toilet/for a cuddle. I try to leave her to cry but she just gets more and more hysterical and wakes up her sister (11 mo)

In the night she has been doing the same and has been awake a lot with no amount of cuddling/reassuring/telling off/any approach working.

I thought this coincided with potty training but I think in fact it started a bit before.

Has anyone else experienced the same with a good sleeper turning into a demon??

help anyone?!

no advice really as having similar with DD2, do you have a night light?

Was she previously a good sleeper? What have you tried?
I was thinking about a night light there was a Peppa Pig one she would like but at bedtime at the moment it is still light so don't know if it would help?
Tonight I tried a cd player with nursery rhymes which I thought she'd love but as soon as I went to leave the room she started to scream.
She asked to go to bed just before 7 tonight and has been screaming ever since. I just don't get it??

Hi - I've posted similar topic and not had many answers either! DS is nearly 2, has been great at self settling, but the last few days after lights out has been wanting 'out, out', and crying lots. We thought it was due to him wanting to continue playing/having us there, but noticed he's been bunched up with knees to stomach. Last night I went through after he'd been crying, and just had to stroke his hair and he went to sleep.

Tonight - suddenly (crossed fingers!) back to normal, he actually asked DH to go ('night night'). So I'm wondering if it was either reaction to illness (he was ill last week) or development of some kind that's affected his sleep. Is there anything like this that may have affected your DD? Or perhaps try just quietly stroking her hair and being with her as she falls asleep? I was wondering whether DS had been having nightmares...

Anyway, hope you all have a better night tonight .

Hi girlsyearapart- SAME HERE. 23 month old son just started doing same after 10 months of full night sleeps and self settling. This week have had 2 nights up midnight to 3/4am with him and AM EXHUASTED....He is teething (those pesky back molars) but once the pain killers works I know it is not that....I now have to cuddle him to sleep and of course now he wakes frequently as a result. He used to be left, roll over and go to sleep- used to take a max of 20 mins (I have a video monitor!) My husband and I are arguing because we are so tired, I am 6 months pregnant too and am BAFFLED by this.....IT IS SO HARD. Would love to hear anyones tips too!! You are NOT alone. He is asleep at mo- but already woken once so dreading tonight- had 2.5 hours last night..........not great when pregnant (or not pregnant actually!)

Thanks for your replies- was beginning to think it was just me!
Last night I put dd2 to bed about ten to 7 then left dd1 up till 720 to make her feel more important/older/in charge whatever. Then stories and another teddy, book in bed and a music cd. But no still screamed. Our lodger went in to her then she said no book no music no teddy. Then quiet..
Very odd I really think it's a development thing rather than ill or anything.
Anyway so far best night of last fortnight asleep 730 no night waking and still asleep now.
Up with dd2 though so I still didn't get a proper sleep..
Biggernow- yes we are planning on a third next year and I'm dreading the pregnancy/newborn thing combined with the other two getting up in the night. Feel for you hard enough to get to sleep as it is when you're pg.