Help! 20 month old sleep troubles after being the perfect sleeper for 20 months

[Joulesy]

Hi Everyone,

Hoping someone can suggest how I get back on track.  My 20 month old daughter was the perfect sleeper.  She was like a textbook baby whisperer child!  Independent sleeper.  Always went down awake and happily went to sleep and same for naps.  Used to wake up and chat to herself or play with her teddies.  For the last few weeks (following illness and teething) she cries when we try to put her down to sleep at night and wants one of us to stay in the room with her until she falls asleep.  Have tried comforting her and walking out, going back in, comforting her again and walking out again etc but she won't stop crying until you have sat in there and then you sneak out!  She then wakes up sometime between 10 and midnight and the whole thing starts again until either her Dad or I get so tired that we either lie down on the floor beside her cot (which is excactly what she wants) or sit in her room until she falls asleep and we can sneak out.  We don't pick her up we get her to lie back down and rub her back.  Daddy and I both work so this is killing us.  She goes down at 7pm (but usually not sleeping now until closer 7.30 after crying etc) and she usually has a 1hr 30 or 2 hr nap during the day.  Although the 2 days that she is at nursery she only naps for about 45 minutes maybe an hour.  She seems to have turned into a very light sleeper as well.  Is it seperation anxiety?  She's recently also been moved up to the next class at nursery which has not been going down well.  Should I cut her naptime during the day?  And can someone help with advice on how to get out of the the cycle of having to lie on the floor byt the cot and sneak out of the room?!!  She sleeps with a pacifier (dummy). Many thanks in advance.

[*Becky*]

Hi there,
What time is wake up in the am and when are you offering the nap?
Any teething going on?

We had this behaviour when DD had a blocked ear - do you think there is any discomfort?

[Joulesy]

Becky thanks so much for replying. I was really strict with her last night when I put her down. She cried but I went back in and settled her by rubbing her back then left again. She cried. I went back in again but did not hang around and then she finally went to sleep. Not a peep out of her. 7.30pm through to 7am.  Brilliant.  I gave her neurofen about 6pm as I wondered yesterday if it may well have been teeth. She had an ear infection about a fortnight ago. So maybe giving her the pain killer let her fall into a deeper sleep. My mother in law has her 2 days a week, nursery 2 days, me the rest. I've tried to explain that we all really need to stick to the same routine as nursery so it's consistent. It's hard trying to get mother in law to comply!! She is staying over at mother in laws tonight with strict bedtime routine instructions from me so fingers crossed.

[*Becky*]

that sounds much better
I really think it sounds pain related so maybe try a night or two of meds and then try not giving them and see x