Desperate - help needed 21 mo with sudden bedtime issues

[Laraine]

Hi all

I'm new to this board and I wonder if anyone can help me.

I have a 21 month old daughter who has always been great about going to bed until recently and it has suddenly become a major trauma.  It started the night the clocks went forward, then the next day she came down with chicken pox which she seemed to suffer most with at night and then a sickness and diarrhoea virus!  She started screaming at bedtime and it was taking over an hour to settle her and it has got progressively worse and tonight she started crying at the mention of going to bed!

She naps in her cot fine in the day and plays in her room happily.

The only way i got her to sleep tonight was to stay in there with her, most of the time I had to hold her!

Please help, I really feel that I am letting her down by not knowing how to solve this.

Thanks for your hel

Laraine

DD 21 months
DS 5 months

[sarahandtom]

Laraine, just so you know Im having sleep issues that all of a sudden happened to my 21mth old too.  Wish I had some advice for you, but just know that your not the lone ranger, Im there with you.  Good Luck

[Layla]

Hi Laraine & welcome to the site!

She's going through quiet alot (illness, etc..) so I would probably look at doing the gradual withdrawal method where you stay with her until she's asleep and slowly move towards the door until she's comfortable going to sleep on her own.

Do you have something to control the sickness/diarrhoea virus (meds)?

Here is the link which will describe it a little better: https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=63896.0


Layla

[Laraine]

Hi there

Thank you both for your help and Sarah it is good to know i'm not alone, if you know what i mean!

It is so hard, she hasn't cried at bedtime since she was a baby!  I will look at the gradual withdrawal method as she does seem to need me in the room with her at the moment.  It is a bit of a nightmare as Matthew, 5mths is still breastfed and I need to leave sometimes to feed him so DH takes over but it is me she is really clingy to!!!!  I'm thinking of putting Matthew on bottles so I can give this my total focus!!

Thanks again for your responses

Laraine xx