Ok. DS1 is 2 years 9 months and had some sleep issues while I was pregnant that resolved the moment DS2 was born 10 weeks ago. Aside from DS2's crying waking him up when he wakes for feeds he has been sleeping brilliantly and as a result been much better behaved. Seeing that it all cleared up once the birth was out of the way I'm assuming that his routine is all fine and that it was anxiety about what this whole 'baby thing' would mean that was stopping him from sleeping.
He's recently had croup. It started with just a cold but he woke up coughing and unable to breath (it was the first time I'd gone out in months and DH nearly called an ambulance) and I think the whole thing frightened him. He's going through a very contrary patch though (I think largely due to the sleep deprivation but also developmental) and while he was ill, because his breathing was so badly compromised if he got distressed, he got a bit spoiled and 'sussed' that he gets extra Daddy time if he wakes at night (because I am BF'ing, DH sees to him in the night since it invariably coincides with a feed), and that if he acts up at bedtime there is a chance that DH will go in to him as DS2 generally needs feeding around then (DH gets in just after bedtime - we've tried gradually moving bedtime later so that DH can do it but got such bad OT behaviour in the mornings - I nearly took him to our vicar to have him exorcised
- that we moved it back to where it was). He was pretty much potty trained as well (although only without undies) but that has gone up the swanny since he was ill, which makes me think he is anxious.
I was wondering if he is old enough for me to just go in once when he cries and then explain that I am going to bed now and won't go back in - especially with EW's (often 4am and sometimes even earlier) but seeing that anxiety may be an issue I don't think that's such a good idea.
So. I have been thinking for a while (especially while his sleep was good after his brother was born) about putting him in a BBB and I wondered if it might be an idea to have a star chart, where he gets a star for going to bed when he's told and not shouting for Daddy until the sun comes up on his gro-clock and once all the boxes are filled he gets a BBB - I'm thinking maybe four stars so it doesn't seem unobtainable. I'm trying to decide if this will:
A: Make bedtimes feel like something to look forward to
or
B: Be completely insane while he is having sleep issues (especially if the novelty of having a bed wears off quickly)
I'm also wondering if it is anxiety related if anything, other than time, will help anyway.
I'm assuming that a BBB is like potty training - if it goes horribly wrong you can go back as long as you do it quickly and don't keep stopping and starting?
Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.
