Is this separation anxiety?!?

Hi! My son (who is 27 months) has never been the best sleeper but we've gotten him to the point where he pretty much sleeps from 8pm to 6 or 7am (the 6am days are usually the ones when I'm home and would've otherwise been able to sleep in with some short night wakings. For the past maybe 2-3 months he hasn't always taken his nap in the afternoon. For the past week, he's been giving us a lot of problems at night. Some nights, he will stay in his crib for about 30 min at bedtime and then call/scream for us as if he is wide awake. Sometimes he'll make it to the middle of the night before he screams. Either way, when we go in there he wants out of the crib and seems wide awake. I've brought him to my bed and he'll go back to sleep sometimes and sometimes not (although I don't want to make sleeping in my bed a habit). 2 nights ago, we decided to leave him alone at bedtime after checking on him once and he eventually layed down, stayed down and slept until the morning. Last night he woke up at 1:30, we checked on him and he would lay down and get up until about 2:30 then I think he slept until 3:20 at which point I went in and he was gripping onto me and getting really upset when I told him I was going to leave and go to sleep. I felt horrible so I brought him into my bed and he's still sleeping at 6:30am. So is this separation anxiety or am I being played for a fool? Am I suppoed to just leave him in his bed for hours to maybe eventually fall asleep? Should I not go in there if it just seems to make it worse?

Is this separation anxiety?!?

Ugh dd is almost 2 (March) and has been waking, screaming for me int eh middle of the night almost every night for months now. At all different times. She does eventually go back to sleep but sometimes it takes 2 hours. I don't take her out anymore unless it's early morning 5/6. I don't sant her waking dd1 so I go in but the past couple night I stay for a bit then leave. She hadn't minded until last night. If we weren't at my Inlaws and them sharing rooms I would have CIO. I'm exhausted.

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?

Sorry but you are being played. He cries becaue he knows you will eventually go in there. He clings bc you are leaving him and hes pissed hes not going in your bed. He needs to learn to self soothe. My dd does this too (same age) I just check the monitor that she is ok and ignore. I don't even like to talk to her through the monitor bc if she hears me it will sometimes be worse. Forget it if I go in there. We tried bringing her to our bed and will be wide awake thinking its time to play and run around. Sometimes she does this a few nights in a row then stops bc she knows we aren't coming in. The other night she got up at 5 am and wanted to play and was crying for me. I went to the stairs and told her firmly it was bedtime. Everyone was sleeping and she needed to go to sleep too. Even with a receptive language delay she understood and went back to sleep. I was actually shocked but they really do understand more than we give them credit for sometimes.

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?

Bump incase anyone else has any more advice

Message edited 2/2/2015 5:10:40 PM.

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?

Posted by dreamworld06

Bump incase anyone else has advice

Is this separation anxiety?!?

I went through almost the same exact thing last month with my almost 2 year old! My son will be 2 in 2 weeks and at around 22 months he started waking up at night screaming for me. I learned quickly that cio didn't work at this age and I also didn't want to make taking him in my bed s habit! So a month ago we switched him into a reg bed. We had a double bed in the spare bedroom that will eventually be our new baby's room come the summer. My theory was if he got up at night at least I had a place to lay with him to calm him down instead of taking him into my bed. Well let me tell you I was so scared he would sleep worse or get out of bed all the time but he sleeps so much better now!! I think he's more comfortable in his bed! If he does wake up at night hell sometimes just go back to sleep or he'll get out of bed and come get me and I go lay with him till he goes back to sleep! Good luck!!

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?

Unfortunately there's no way to know the function of his crying. Its easiest to assume he is playing you but it could be that, anxiety, or a number of other things. Personally, my kid cries, I go respond. You have to decide how to deal with it that makes you comfortable, whether ignoring, responding, waiting before responding.

Is this separation anxiety?!?

I have a feeling it must be something they do at this age. DD is 26 months and has been doing the exact same thing and bedtime has been a nightmare. She throws tantrums when it's time for bed, refuses to get in bed (she's in a toddler bed so she can just get up) wakes up in the middle of the night, wants to sleep in our room etc. I think it's something you have to just find a way to get through. Last night it took me an hour to get her to sleep, she was so wired but she finally went to sleep and it's the first night she's stayed in her own bed all night in about a week. It's been torture...

Re: Is this separation anxiety?!?