18 month old won't sleep in cot.

patsyrockem

Hi all, hopefully someone has some advice that can help us out. Our 18 month old little girl who is a twin has us really confused. Every night for the last 3 weeks she has demanded to leave her cot and bedroom and has slept in her buggy or pram for the night. When she is really tired she will go down ok but within a couple of hours she wakes up, goes nuts until she is brought up. She usually settles in the pram straight away and sleeps away for the night. Her twin can wake up sometimes and misses his sister and he has to be taken up and sleeps with her.
We have no idea what kicked this off but it is upsetting to see her on her own in the living room for the night. Sometimes she wakes and can get out of the pram and goes for a walk 🙄 the kids are probably not getting a proper sleep and parents are anxious as well. No matter how tired she will waken every night after a few hours and off we go again.
Can anyone advise how we can get her to settle for the night in her cot. We have thought of switching her to a bed. Could she have some ailment that causes her pain and wakens her or has something spooked her in the room, she usually settles very well when she is moved. She is teething but that doesn't affect her in the pram or buggy. Or maybe this is more common than we think. Her poor twin is getting a bit unsettled because he gets lonesome when he can't see or hear her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

jlm29

My littlest guy was bad to sleep in his cot too- but always slept in the buggy by day. It sounds different to your daughter though, in that he was always at it, rather than it just becoming an issue later on.
I really thought long and hard before I spent the money, but I bought a sleepyhead for him, and he started sleeping better in his cot, and now sleeps soundly in it all night every night. The all night sleeping wasn’t instant, but came over time. He’s nearly two now, we’ve been using it for around a year, so he was a good bit younger when we introduced it, but I would recommend.
It’s a lot of money just to try and see does it work for you though, a few nights of reassurance, and telling her she has to stay in her cot might be tough but effective.

bee06

There is a big leap (the leap of doom) and associated sleep regression at 18 months. Could be that.

fits

Would she come into your bed with you? It will pass.

patsyrockem

Hi again, just thought I'd fire in an update in the hope of getting some new ideas. One month on she still gets up every night and has to be moved out of the bedroom and into her buggy. She sleeps straight away again and usually for the night. She can waken after two hours no matter how tired and demands to be moved. Lots of people have said we are lucky she is sleeping but it is terrible leaving her in the living room on her own. We have tried every possible scenario, moving her back when asleep, tried CIO once, never again. Her brother has settled again and is happy to stay on his own even if he does miss her. Anyone ever seen anything like this habit before? Thanks.

lashes34

Would she stay in the room in the buggy? Saves her being on her own and the safety issue if she goes wandering at night?

I used the Lucy Wolfe book and found it great. Dont know about starting it at 18 months but it might help. Your local library might have it if you dont want to fork out for it.

cyning

Would you try her in a bed rather than a cot? My two went into regular single beds at 15 months with just a rail on the bed. Think it was just more comfortable for them.