My DS has always been a v good independent sleeper but in the last two weeks we've hit a nasty patch of awful bedtime tantrums and nothing seems to help at the moment. I'm due to give birth again in a week so if anyone's got any ideas how to minimise the screaming, I'd be v glad to hear them!
DS is 19 mo and his usual routine is as follows:
6.30-7 am wakes, milk
7.30-8 am breakfast
12pm lunch
12.30-2pm or 2.30pm nap (goes down like a dream here. We wake him after 2 hrs & he is always quite happy to be woken by then)
5pm dinner
6pm bath & teeth
6.30pm milk in his room then story
6.45-7pm asleep
He's now started completely melting down after he's dressed after the bath and flailing on the bedroom floor screaming for 10-15 mins before he calms down enough to gulp down his milk then start screaming again. Once he's finished his milk, we put him into bed with his lovie and he goes to sleep quite quickly after a few final last shouts. So he is following the routine above but the last bit is now v traumatic for us all.
It seems to be worse if DH puts him to bed (which is really confusing because just a few weeks ago he used to love BT with daddy) although he's not always great with me now either. Once he's asleep, he generally doesn't stir till the morning but it's just awful watching him go down like this.
Do you think we're facing the OT monster or is he just trying on the "don't want daddy" stage or is it something else altogether?! When he was about 15 mo we had to do WI/WO for a few nights as he started getting SA (with brilliant results) but now I'm stumped as to how to stop these bedtime tears.
Any help or suggestions will be very gratefully received!
