Hi,

our 2 yr and 2mth old DS1 is giving us trouble when we put him to bed. He screams and cries. We have a routine of PJs, Milk, teeth, book, bed but he isn't wanting to sleep.

We have stern words with him, esp as we have DS2 5mth who he will wake up with screaming. He usually takes 10 mins with a period of us trying to settle on and off where he will settle down but he often is not sleeping for another 15-30 mins after that.

We used to be able to put him to bed give him a kiss and he would go to sleep.
Has anyone else experienced this kind of transformation?

Yes but when DD was a tad older - around 2y6-8m. She went from happily going to bed and to sleep at 8.30pm (even after napping until after 4pm) to regularly reappearing or coming to her door for up to an hour or more after bed time (eg 10pm).

We ditched her nap and moved bedtime back to 7pm and she went back to no fuss bedtimes. The main hassle doing this was having to give her super-early dinners before she got too tired to eat. If she fell asleep in the car in the afternoon some days she would sleep from 4pm until the next morning.

If your DS is having late or long naps can you make them earlier or shorter? For a while I did manage to get DD to nap earlier (ie lunch at 11 then asleep by 12) but mostly she was not tired enough to go to sleep until 2pm and then would sleep until 5pm. Waking her from naps has pretty much always resulted in grumpy tanties for over 1/2h so I avoided wherever possible.

Edited to add that we have never ever told DD she has to go to sleep, just that it's bedtime and she needs to stay in her bed. The light is off and the door is shut so provided she is quiet I don't care if she lies awake for 1/2h. I just tell her to relax and shut her eyes and she will drift off to sleep - and she gets the same line if she wakes at night from a bad dream.

Steph

Thanks!

DS1 is doing exactly as you've described your DD doing! He will sleep between 1-2 then awaken between 4-5. I think he still needs day naps but maybe I will try a couple of days without them.

TBH I have persisted with day naps as I have needed them for peace of mind. Do you get your DD to pay quietly in her room so you can get sone time to recoup at all?

It may sound selfish but I am trying to finish my thesis and am still recovering from the traumatic birth of DS2 5 months ago, so the break helps with the depression I have.

I will try no naps for a couple of days and see

Wow, I was just going to post a query as to this exact issue. You could almost be me!!
My 26 month old who has always been a great sleeper has suddenly, over the last week, totally refused to sleep at night. She says she is scared of the dark which is fine - we have left her door open with the light on in the hall, explained that she can call for us whenever she likes, that she is well loved and that we will never ever let anythign bad happen to her.
But tonight - wow. She's screaming and yelling and crying as though she's having her teeth pulled out.
I lay next to her and stroked her head for awhile and she was very happy. Then when i left the room she started screaming again.
She's normally a very happy, well adjusted kid. Like you, Lyfin, we have a 5 month old DS who could get woken up by the crying.
She does have a sleep during the day and it's something that I encourage for my own peace of mind.
It's difficult to know what to do. I hate to think of her being scared or upset but I also know that she's working herself up into a tiz.
I'll be watching this topic with interest.