20 month old suddenly won't go to bed

[Lasm2016]

Hi there,

My daughter is 20 months old and she transitioned into her bed at 18 months.  I know this is slightly earlier than normal but we have a 2nd baby on the way and wanted to make sure she was in the settled in the bed before the new baby comes along.

She has always been an amazing sleeper at night time.  She asks to go to bed herself and we normally put her down, kiss night night and leave her to it.  When we moved her into the cot this continued for about 6 weeks but the last two weeks she suddenly doesn't want to go to bed and is up and down like a yoyo.  She cries for mummy if daddy put her to bed and vice versa.  Mostly she will go to sleep after one of us has put her back to bed two or three times but the last night or so she is up countless times and it is taking over an hour to settle her.

She naps about an hour at nursery, gets up between 7-730 with bedtime at 7pm (i.e. bath around 6pm, story and in bed for 7pm).  She used to be asleep in 10-15 mins but now is a different story...On a good day she is asleep by 7.30, on a bad day 8pm.  Its almost 8.30pm now and she's still up.

The last time we had a bad night like this we gave her the dummy and she stayed in bed but she hasn't used a dummy at night for months and months.  It's only just in exceptional circumstances (unwell, different location etc) and I certainly don't want to give in and start the dummy at this age.

We have bought a stair gate for her room but havent fitted it yet so when she is getting up she is standing in the hall at the the top of the stairs shouting / crying for us.  As soon as we go to her she calms down quick and is all smiles so I'm sure there is nothing wrong with her and this is just her testing boundaries now that she knows she can get up and have us coming to her every 5 minutes?

Any advice please?

Thanks so much
Laura

[Lasm2016]

Anyone?

Tonight has been slightly better, was late from work so everything is an hour behind. I put her in bed for 7.45, sat with her for 5 mins then left. She got up once and I put her back to bed and so far she is still in bed but she is awake. Singing her heart out to baa baa.

Do I just need to shift the bedtime to 8pm at this age?

[Lasm2016]

Ok spoke far too soon. Still getting up and crying

[Buntybear]

Hello - can you stand outside her room an give her reassurance from there?

[Lasm2016]

Hi there,

Yes I have tried sitting outside her room and she just opens the door and looks at me.  tried sitting beside her bed, she just sits up and sings.

The other night I ended up picking her up and giving her a cuddle and she fell asleep on me instantly, so i put her to bed and she woke up.  then I had to sit and stroke her face until she fell asleep.

[Lasm2016]

She is also completely refusing to nap today.  Again just up and down in the bed.  She doesn't seem tired at all.

Is 20 months really to young to drop napping altogether - has anyone else toddlers dropped napping this early?  She has never been a great napper.  But always a dream at night so the only thing I can think is that napping in the day means she is not tired for night time?

[Lasm2016]

I should add that she was also up at 5am this morning.  Something which very rarely happens.

[Lasm2016]

Can anyone help at all?  Today she refused a day time nap and so I put her to bed early and she was sound asleep by 6.30z but then she just woke up at 9.30pm and got out of bed. She has never woken once she's been asleep.

I really don't know what to do.

Any help really appreciated. Thanks

[Haribo2012]

Hi sorry no one has replied in a couple of days how are things now?

[ginger428]

When does she usually wake and take a nap?

My DS went through this and it may be a timing/routine thing or she just may be one of those who needs less day sleep. Also around this age, right around 2 yo is when their imagination grows so it may be a huge developmental leap. My son went through these stages always a little earlier than expected.