Hello,
just wondered whether I am in a minority, or if it is a phase, that I have yet to learn about!
My DD has never been an amazing sleeper, but for months now she has fairly happily, apart from a few teething blips, at least gone to bed by herself fairly happily without the need for rocking/reassurance etc.
Over the past 3 weeks though, every bedtime has become a battleground-screaming/shouting/hysterical refusal to even lie down in her cot. It has been taking on average an hour or two to get her to sleep. We've resorted to rocking her to sleep again, which is so depressing, as I feel as though we have regressed to very young baby days again. She is not too cold or too hot-she wears a sleep-suit and has a duvet.
We currently live in a rented house, for a couple more months. Her room is claustrophobically tiny, and I'm not sure whether that is the problem. She does seem to have a real aversion to it, but there is no alternative that I can think of. She has a nightlight, we've tried to make it as attractive to her as possible. She stays at my parents at least one night a week and goes to sleep without a fuss then. She was ill for a week or so, just before her bedtimes regressed, but as I say, has slept perfectly happily at my parents, and PILs since, as well as once last week in her room.
We are at our wits end, my husband is of the opinion that we need to let her cry, as we have never done that in the past, we always go to her.
I am just despairing, as I feel we cannot go on like this-I am 7 months pregnant, she wakes up once in the night generally, which I don't mind, as she has a drink, and then goes back to sleep. I just want her to settle herself again, as I know she is capable of. I have horrible visions of a newborn, and a toddler who still won't go to bed by herself!
She has a bedtime routine that doesn't vary. I am getting tired of repeating 'it's a phase' to myself over and over!
Any help gratefully received, as my husband is out tonight, and I will be attempting the hideous bedtime alone