2-yr sleep regression?

monkey_pants

Has anyone gone through the 2-yr sleep regression?  I posted on 12-24 and 24+ and am starting to realize that it's a pretty common thing.  But I'm curious about any AP'ers who have dealt with toddler sleep issues, as I generally find that my parenting decisions fall in line with AP.  Here's the situation (XP'd):

My DD, 22 mos, has just had a significant change (for the worse) in her sleep habits and it literally happened overnight about 2.5 weeks ago. 

She's generally been a very good sleeper and learned at an early age how to soothe herself to sleep.  In the months leading up to this sudden change, she'd been sleeping approx 8p-8a with a 1.5-2hr nap.  We'd do her bedtime routine (bath, brush teeth and hair, diaper and jammies, a few books, nurse quickly although she's definitely heading towards weaning so it's been very very quick) and then she'd climb into her bed totally by choice, I'd tuck her in, kiss goodnight and walk out the door and she was fine!

Then suddenly a couple of weeks ago, she totally changed and now requires me to either rock her to sleep or else she'll climb into bed but I have to sit on the floor next to her bed and rub her back until she falls asleep.  If I leave the room before she's asleep, she climbs out of bed, heads to the door and screams bloody murder until I come back in.  Some nights (like tonight), I have to stay in her room for SO long while she winds down and chit-chats.  I was there over an hour and a half tonight, just alternating ignoring her and trying to coax her to go to sleep.  On top of now being afraid to be alone in her room at nap and bedtime (she really does seem scared), she's also been waking some nights.  Last night she woke three times, which is very unusual for her.  Several times over the past few weeks I've brought her into our bed early in the morning just so we can all get a few more hours of sleep rather than having to try to talk her back into bed for an hour.

She switched from crib to toddler bed about 2 mos ago but the transition was very easy and I don't think that's causing this. I've added a nightlight to her room.  I've tried talking to her about dreams in case that was the problem but she doesn't quite get it.  She is very averse to talking about sleep at the moment, and whenever it comes up, she just reminds me that bedtime is when I rub her back.  Also, she's been VERY clingy to me during the day lately, and at night she doesn't want anything to do with DH.  It's hard on me and upsetting for him that he can't comfort her.

I'm considering sleep training and am currently reading the NCSS for toddlers but I'm worried about any CIO methods with her as she really screams like crazy when truly worked up and will gag and vomit if I let her cry for more than a minute or so.  She understands so much at this age that I think crying would be a lot harder on both of us.  That being said, I'm open to any and all suggestions.  

pepomntpat

This pretty much exactly is what we are going through the last week. I've personally just gone back to bedsharing. DH is not thrilled at the moment, but I am pregnant and I cannot sit in her room for four hours until she falls asleep like we tried the first night. And while I am not totally adverse to CIO, I am adverse to SCREAM BLOODY MURDER until she starts gagging IO. So, bedsharing it is until she settles down.  She sleeps completely fine in our room (knock on wood!). She is also still napping normally in her own bed.

I do hope she decides to sleep in her own bed before LO comes, but if not we will cross that bridge when we have to. 

crabbypatty426

We had some problems right around 2 1/2, but it's normal for my son to be a little slow on stuff, even sleep regressions. I actually didn't even think about it until I read your post. This made me feel better. He started taking forEVER to go to sleep, he would sit in his bed and talk and play for hours. Then he would wake up 2 or 3 times at night, always crying and needing to be rocked or patted. Then he was up for the day at 5 or 6, with a nap only about half of the time. 

I don't know what to tell you, other than it passed on its own. We didn't do any kind of sleep training or anything. I might have whined a lot about being tired, but for the most part we just toughed it out and gave him what he needed. We can't let him CIO anyway because he shares a room with his brother. Now he's back to normal, and actually I think sleeping even better than before. Maybe we've finally hit that toddler sleep I keep hearing is so awesome.  

erbear

My almost 2 year old is also in a sleep regression (she's skipping naps too...awesome...). Must be the age. I'm just trying to be consistent with her routine.