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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers
What is going through his head???



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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Jun 13 2022, 9:04 pm
For the longest time I would put my toddler to sleep. Sing a-few songs and leave the room. He would quietly and peacefully fall asleep.

Now he recently started hating going to sleep. He hollers and yells if I put him in his crib and leave the room. When I come back he’s all shaky and sweaty and scared (even after 1 min). Tonight I stayed in the room with him until 11:30pm when he finally fell asleep. For his nap today I had to hold him and rock him until he fell asleep and I put him into crib. I tried putting on a nightlight music ect. He won’t go to sleep if we’re not there with him. During the rest of the day he seems fine and happy. Playing and doing toddler things as usual.

I’m starting to get worried… what is going through his little head? Is something scaring him that he can’t tell us about?

The only idea is that I’m due with a new baby soon. Maybe he senses a divide in attention. But still… why would that make him so afraid?
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amother
Glitter


 

Post Mon, Jun 13 2022, 9:05 pm
Did he recently have strep?
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Rubies




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Jun 13 2022, 9:12 pm
Does he go out during the day? Naps somewhere out of the house?
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amother
Mimosa


 

Post Mon, Jun 13 2022, 10:06 pm
Night terrors can be normal. Some kids have nightmares...
Did you try a nightlight or sound machine? Something soothing? I would try to give him more attention at bedtime but keep to the same routine.
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amother
Jade


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 12:08 am
What time are you putting him to bed that you're there until 1130? Fwiw, my 19mo recently started doing this although not to the level yours is.
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nu




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 2:40 am
My 2 year old is going through the same thing- screams for naps and bedtime. I let her skip her naps and now at bedtime she is more tired so that helps with the crying at night that its definitely less.
Good luck
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sequoia




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 2:45 am
Try making the room cooler.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 4:40 am
He goes out during the day
He has AC for coolness plus white noise
We got him nightlight

Update: last night he woke up 3 times yelling. He has slept through the night since I’ve been nursing him on demand a long while ago. When he wakes up he seems really afraid. I had to stay with him each time until he fell back asleep. I’m getting worried. There must be something scaring him….
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amother
Winterberry


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 4:44 am
Do you have any stuffed animals or dolls in there? My kids were freaked out by those at that age... Their imaginations are a little wild. Or it could just be separation anxiety because of a mental leap.
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amother
Dustypink


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 5:49 am
It's normal for kids, even toddlers, to have scary thoughts in the dark as well as nightmares at night. This isn't something to panic over. Usually this is a stage. Stay with him and he'll get past the stage and you can go back to putting him to bed the way you used to.
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amother
Cadetblue


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 5:59 am
Is it possible he has pinworms and wakes up from the discomfort?
How verbal is he? I had a child in my playgroup who was scared of the chanuka story. Mother told me he wouldn't go to sleep. I stopped telling them the story. I obviously didn't give terrible details but he had a big imagination! I was careful the rest of the year every time I told them a story that could be scary.
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tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 6:38 am
Kids go through all sorts of sleep regressions. Talk about bedtime during the day and how he is safe and you love him even when you aren’t in the room.
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amother
Currant


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 7:03 am
I read somewhere that nightmares start in 2 year olds. Not sure if it is true, or not, but maybe he is just starting to have dreams/nightmares and needs to get through that. I would continue to comfort him when he wakes up.
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Rubies




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 7:06 am
amother [ OP ] wrote:
He goes out during the day
He has AC for coolness plus white noise
We got him nightlight

Update: last night he woke up 3 times yelling. He has slept through the night since I’ve been nursing him on demand a long while ago. When he wakes up he seems really afraid. I had to stay with him each time until he fell back asleep. I’m getting worried. There must be something scaring him….


I agree that there's a big possibility there's something scaring him.
Does he nap during the day? Maybe something to do with how he's put to sleep or woken up there.
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Zehava




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 9:29 am
Separation anxiety can come out at any age before 3-4 when they start to understand more.
It could also be a sign of something going on. Stay vigilant and look out for other signs such as change in behavior during the day.
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amother
IndianRed


 

Post Tue, Jun 14 2022, 10:07 am
My toddler went for a few week phase where he refused to go to sleep and would scream and screen and force himself to vomit. It was a huge nightmare. This was also a child who used to go to sleep beautifully without any issues, and here we were scrubbing out puddles of vomit and washing sheets numerous times a night. We tried lying with him, he wouldn’t fall asleep. We switched him to a toddler bed, he wasn’t able to fall asleep and just ran around the house. Finally I had a friend tell me that she used to do this and her mother brought her to the toilet and say it’s safe to throw up, so throw up in the toilet and then I’ll put you to sleep. I tried this with my son- and it worked!! He threw up in the toilet a couple of nights and then I put him in his crib, and after a couple nights of this, he stopped completely!!

So maybe tell your child that it’s safe for him to cry and he can cry and cry and when he’s done crying you’ll put him in his crib?? I honestly have no idea if this would work or if your child has language comprehension at this point, but I thought my friend’s suggestion was crazy and I was so desperate that I tried everything thrown at me- and it worked!
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