Won't go to sleep at night!

[Peaceangels]

I know this is probably a phase, so I don't think anyone can give me advice, but I am at the end of my tether (lack of sleep) and need some sympathy :(

DS2 has decided (since New years day) that he doesn't want to go to bed at night. Then this week the day sleeps have become a problem :confused:
I think it may have something to do with the fact that when we were away between Christmas and NY we all slept in the same room.
Anyway, when you put him in his cot, he screams hysterically and/or calls out for mum or dad. As soon as you walk in the room he is all smiles again :confused: (he is definately tired, so that is not the problem here).
Controlled crying is not an option as this only disturb's DS1 (one awake half the night is enough thanks!).
Have tried comforting him, co-sleeping (being kicked in the ribs in the middle of the night is not my idea of a good time!).
This week we tried sitting in a chair in the middle of his room (not facing him) and that worked for a couple of nights, but it is now taking him longer to get to sleep (depsite the fact that I'm almost asleep upright on the chair).
Last night we tried the chair, then he came into our bed only to jump and move around till 11pm. Put him back in his bed not long after and he woke up at 4.45am :eek:
I am not coping today, he is so lucky he is cute! He must be tired, as when I put him in his cot at 11.30, I sat on the chair for 5 mins and he was asleep - phew!
Thanks for listening! Pity post's accepted!!

[Peaceangels]

Not even one little bit of sympathy out there.......boo hoo...............now I think I really am going to cry........sniff.....sniff...........

[Chickadee]

You have sympathy. We are all just too sleep deprived to answer :)

Chloe is also being a nightmare child about sleeping. We've tried all the same as you except CC. If she's asleep before 10pm it's a good night. Last night she refused to stay in bed, curled up in the lounge room door with a pillow and blanket and fell asleep t here on the floor. I'm such a bad mother! lol.

When she does finally fall asleep she now wakes through the night screaming "mummys bed mummys bed". Darling, you're already IN mummy's bed. It's no use reasoning with a half-asleep 2 year old, I frantically search for her lost dummy and brace myself for more rib kicking.

I'm also reassuring myself that it's just a phase. PLEASE let it be just a phase!!

[Pixie]

Aww dear..
I think you hit the nail on the head, he obvisouly liked sharing with you guys all together and is trying to keep that one up lol

I use to nanny and I use to sleep over a fair bit as I worked 8-8 so somedays I just couldn't face driving home and the kids would always want to sleep in with me, so what I did was I made their bed time 10-15 minutes later than usual and use to to wear them out completly lol got them to help pick clothes for the next day etc then I would get into their bed and read them a story etc and talk to them lights off etc until they were asleep and then leave :D

this worked quite well and they use to sleep right through, although your boys are a lot younger so really I have no advice lol ah well sorry but I do sympathise it's hard work..and I was just the nanny lol...I have it all ahead of me yet :D

[Peaceangels]

Thank you Martha and DM, I feel a bit normal now, knowing that it's not just my child that does this!
Lack of sleep and pmt together does not help the situation, so I am off to bed now as he has just gone to sleep!

[Chickadee]

Lucky you, asleep at 9:40. It's now 10:06 and DD is still up. I think I'm going to make a tape recording. All it needs to say is "Chloe get back into bed". Over and over again. Every 2 minutes. Sigh. We started the process at 8:30 tonight. She's been in our bed, her bed, back into our bed, and now last time I put her back into our bed she said she wanted to go back into her bed. Is anyone else dizzy like me?

[AM]

Have you thought about side caring the cot up to your bed?
You know, pushing the cot hard against the bed, and just taking the dropside off, or even leaving it on, if you feel more comfortable with that.
It really does sound like a separation anxiety issue, and the best way to deal with that is to simply accomodate the need until it resolves itself.