Advice for 18 month sleep issues

[albers30]

Wind down does not really seem to make a difference.  No matter how long or short its just a matter of is she ready for bed or not and there is no consistent reason as to why she goes does quick and easy or drags it out, its been this way since birth.  I have started shortening it because like a said it doesn't make a difference unless maybe its super long like 45-60 minutes + which just isn't feasible anyway. It varies on whether she's drift off with us being out of sight of still being able to see us outside the door.  I have started to close the door and talk to her through it and that seems to be going ok but it takes a bit of standing outside the door first to get to that point.  Its still a 20-30 minute + process of getting her to the point we can be out of sight once she's been tucked into bed. She has accepted pretty well staying in her room but will not accept us not being in their without her.  I can't even make it to the door without her screaming hysterically at night even when I think she's pretty much asleep.  Once I do get out of the room she's back up screaming again in an hour or two tops and this goes on all night with it taking 1-2 hours to get her back asleep each time.  She has always had a lot of separation anxiety.  There is only one grandmother I can leave her with without absolute meltdown and if its not the other grandmother, school or a few familiar babysitters the meltdown when I leave her can last the entire time I'm gone and thats 1+ hours, even with the familiar school/babysitter she can carry on 20-30 minutes when I leave.  She is getting canines and has had an ear infection but these typically don't affect her sleep much at least not for more then a day or two.  What is ATM?  Thanks for feedback!

[cath~]

Wind down does not really seem to make a difference.  No matter how long or short its just a matter of is she ready for bed or not and there is no consistent reason as to why she goes does quick and easy or drags it out, its been this way since birth.  I have started shortening it because like a said it doesn't make a difference unless maybe its super long like 45-60 minutes + which just isn't feasible anyway.

that sounds sensible to cut it down a bit then.

Sometimes, especially as they get older, I've found mine just need the time in their bed to wind down, and there's not much I can do to help them before that point anyway.

What is ATM?

  "at the moment"

Sorry, not really got any more suggestions I'm afraid, now you've shortened the nap.  Just keep chipping away with GW.  I think once you can get to the point where she doesn't expect you to stay with her at the NWs then hopefully the number would decrease.

The teeth could be a factor, plus there's a lot of developmental changes at this age that can cause SA and wonky sleep.  It can be a tough patch to negotiate.  We had our worst patch of sleep with DD1 when she was this age.  Once the developmental SA/teething had passed, and she was happier and less clingy during the day, then we were able to make progress with getting her back to independent sleep.  Before then though, we didn't really get anywhere.