Toddler fears/sleep issues. Halp!!

MrsJuneHawk · December 2010

Liev has been sleeping on his own, in his own room, since the day he came home from the hospital. We've never had any issues. He's a horrible sleeper but all the sleeping was done in his bed. For the past four nights we've been having a hell of a time at night-time. He refuses to be in his room on his own. He is fine if we are in his room or if he's in our room but as soon as he sense we are leaving or moving him, he screams bloody murder.

The first night of this shenanigan he woke up at 4am and would not go back to sleep so I got up with him. The second night he woke up at midnight and after 2 hours of comforting, trying to feed him, changing his diaper, etc. my husband had to go downstairs with me because there was just no sleeping being done.

Last night he was crying like he was being skinned alive. For the first time ever, we brought him into our bed hoping he'd fall asleep quickly and we'd move him so his bed. He was very still, no crying and looked like he was asleep. After half an hour we thought it was safe but no, turns out he had been faking the sleep all along! No sooner did we try to move him when he opened his eyes nice and wide and started wailing. After 4 nights of getting virtually no sleep, we were tired and exhausted. My husband finally moved into the guest bedroom with Liev and they slept there on the same bed.

I've been thinking about this really hard and the only explanation I can come up with is that he is afraid of the dark or being alone or something. This is new and I don't know where he learned to be afraid (if that is what it is). We don't teach him that would instill fear in him, he doesn't watch violent TV, we have never ever threaten him with the dark or being alone. I'm at a loss and I'm absolutely exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this.

So, my question is, has anyone experienced something similar? I know he's at the age where the imagination starts running wild but I thought this would take longer for him since he can barely talk. There is no way he can put what his feeling into words because he is not at that level. The only "sentences" he says are "good night" and "sit down".

My heart breaks for him but I need to sleep and do not want to get him into the habit of sleeping in our bed! Any thoughts, ideas, or commiserations will be greatly appreciated!

MrsJuneHawk · December 2010

Also, we have a night light in his room so it's not totally dark.

MrsLeanna · December 2010

This is probably the last thing you want to hear, but it's probably a phase. Alexis went through something similar at that age for no reason. It lasted about 6 weeks and then just like that, it was over. Same thing, screaming hysterically and clinging to me when i tried to put her down. Hysterical. We had to drive her around to get her to fall asleep and then she would wake up in the middle of the night and we would bring her to our bed. I was afraid it would become a habit, but it didn't. She just outgrew it and started sleeping through the night again.

We tried everything, more light, less light, open door, closed door, lying on the floor of her room, letting her cry (she would BANG on the wall next to her crib like she was going to break through it), I gave up.

MelanieJH1016 · December 2010

We've gone through a bunch of phases very similar since Zoe turned 2. She will go weeks with no problems and then all of the suddent be too scared to sleep alone, wake in the night, want to be in our bed. I try to be firm and get her to bed in her own room, but sometimes i just givein and let her sleep with us in our bed for a few nights. I don't know what the right thing to do is, but i feel it's best we all get some sleep sometimes than fight with her all night. She usually goes back to her own bed eventually with some bribing. I buy something special and tell her she can have it if she sleeps in her bed all night long. It takes a few nights, but it usually works eventually.

karenlisa714 · December 2010

We are going through the same thing!!

I was up last night with him from 2am-4am.

I asked him if he had a bad dream, and he said "yes" but had a really hard time going back to sleep I'm exhausted.

Hope this phase is over really soon.. I am sick of it!

Albah · December 2010

Same here! We thought it was regression due to the baby but it seems that it's just a normal part of a 2 yr old's life. We try not to let him get in to our bed but at 3 AM that is not always the case.

I think that there is some fear of being alone in his room. Even though we've never instilled fear he learned like a sponge during Halloween and would go around saying "monster."

He likes the light on in the hallway and the door open, but sometimes that doesn't even work! Hope this phase passes quickly for all of us!!

MrsJuneHawk · December 2010

Thanks!

We had a good night and then last night was hellish again. I've been up with him since 2:30am, he was wide awake from the get go.

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