Bedtime meltdown

Please tell me it's just a phase!!!

DD is cranky starting at 4.30pm... they get dinner at 5.30pm, then one hour of playtime before bed... tonight she kept screaming so we put her in bed, where she continued screaming for 10 minutes... Last night she was screaming so bad that we went in after 20 minutes and let them play a bit in their room (of course DS was crying by then too), then put them down and it didn't change a thing, still screaming.

We have to do CIO... if we go in like last night, she will just scream again when we put her down, even if it's 20 minutes later...

Ugh, this is awful... how do you all deal with it?

 

How many naps do they take? Is she super overtired? We go thru phases of difficult bedtime issues especially with Meara. Consistency is key- have a bedtime routine and follow it. Toddlers like to know what is coming next, so thats why they love routines. You might need to tweak yours a bit if she is super tired early. Maybe instead of play time you can have quiet reading time (or something like that). :hug: I hate sleep issues.

 

I agree with Leighann, how many naps is she taking, how long is she sleeping when she does nap? I would also try some quiet time before bed time too. It might just be a phase she is going through. Sleep issues are tough :hug:

 

My son pulled that the last two nights. We started putting him to bed around 8 last night, and it wasn't until 9:45 that we finally got him to go to sleep. We kept giving in and picking him up because it's been awhile since we had to let him CIO, and it just kept making it worse. Finally my husband layed with him on the floor until he fell asleep. Tonight he went to bed totally fine. I'm thinking it was a combination of being overtired and that his molars are coming in.

Hopefully it's just a flukey thing that will correct itself in a couple days for you.

 

Our bedtime is 6:30 pm and sometimes if they dont' have a good nap -- they are down to one nap but the odd day one or both still will need a second nap. I have put them to bed at 6 pm because they had a "baby meltdown". I think somedays are just too overwhelming for them. Also have they had enough to eat ?

Heather

 

They've been having one nap since 13 months. Usually from 12.30pm to 2.30-3pm. When they don't nap well they go to bed earlier.. They eat fine. They do have quiet/cuddle time before bed (no reading as they just play with the books) so who knows

 

Mine go through stages of this as well, I chalk it up to teething or maybe a cold, so I do go in and check on them once or twice, and I often give tylenol, and then I let them CIO - which usually doesn't last more then a few minutes, but some nights it can take 20-30minutes - I think consistency is key as the pp said. I do find the more I go in and try and comfort them the longer it takes them to fall asleep - but my kids NEVER fall asleep next to us, so if we are in their room they think it is time to be awake.

 

It sounds like being overtired. I'd perhaps revise the nap schedule. :hug: I hope it gets better. (SOON!)

 

Is she teething? That's my first thought, as my girls were going through that about a week ago. The other thing I've done recently that has helped tremendously at bed time is I gave my girls pillows. They love them. Hope it gets better soon. It's so hard when they are cranky and bedtime is a battle.

 

She doesn't seem to be teething. Well, she just got a couple more teeth but they've been out for a while now.

I just changed their schedule actually because they were not tired at 7pm if I put them down at 12.30pm or 1pm, so trying to put them down a bit earlier now.