thanks for your replies. i'm going back to work next week but i have made sure that one of us is always here to put them to bed.

i have done bedtime routine since she was born, bath, milk, some tv or reading books on sofa and then bed.... never had any problems until now. She delays it by saying toilet, dont like bed, i'm hiding etc.

Today she called out twice but then i heard her shuffling around for 5 mins but she was calm. BUT she didnt have her nap today so thats prbably why she was soooo tired she dont put up much of a fight. All day she kept saying i'm tired and laying down and saying i'm sleeping but when i asked her to go to bed she still refused.

The thing is she still sort of needs the daytime nap and when she does i never let her sleep past 2pm and only ever let her sleep for an hour.

Sometimes if she wakes 8/9am then she doesnt need a nap, but when she wakes early 6/7 ish i put her in with me and she goes back to sleep, i get up with baby and she gets up bit later. I know i shouldnt but when she gets up 6am and has a nap she wont go to bed until 9/10 pm

I have always had my night as my time  (not that i get much time  after cleaning, shower etc) we work long 12 hour shifts so this is the only time to unwind and spend time as  a couple.

We were having a lot of problems recently with lo (25 months) not going to sleep for an hour or two after we put her to bed.  Several people on here suggested cutting out the daytime nap but both me and the childminder agreed that she absolutely needed it.  I have come to the conclusion that she probably does just need less sleep now but I am taking it off the night instead by putting her down an hour later and it's working really well.  Also my colleagues little boy who's about the same age also has started waking up an hour earlier in the morning and seems to need that bit less sleep.

As for your lo being scared of bed, something that I haven't tried but someone on here suggested to me was to put on story tapes/CD's after you've said goodnight.  Apparently their lo would just drift off listening to them but be much happier just staying in bed to do so. hth

Hi. 

sorry to hear bedtime is becoming a bit of a battle.

Are you back at work full time yet or still on maternity leave? If you are back where does your LO go in the day time?

I also have a 5 onth old a 2 and half year old and my 2 and hald year old tries to delay bedtime with all sorts of tactics "i need the potty", i;m not tirred" i can't sleep, I need a drink" - the list goes on.

We make bedtime nice by having books and cudles in bed and then I sing a song as i leave and this is hickory dicory dock I sing it outsoide her door but opne the door for the "mouse said boo" bit etc and thsi seem to make me leaving the room more of a transition so she doesn't scream. 

When she says she isn't tired I say fine - you don't have to sleep - jutt lie in bed and tell teddy about what you have done to day etc - which she does and then falls alsleep.

I have to say taht bedtime issues seem to have become a problem with many of my friends kids who have become big brothers and sister recently and in a book I have it suggests that this can ahppen when the new baby is about 5 or 6 months old - we think they adjust quickly but as the baby becomes more a a person rather than a sleeping baby the toddler can find it harder to adjust and behavoir can cahnge for a while or the child may need more reassurenace for a while - not sure if this could be true for you - I know it it for us.

Hope you get it sorted soon,

Donna

i wouldnt let her nap after a certain time of day and only let her have a max of 30 mins

regadring the bed thing shes testing you stick to your routine unless shes unwell

regarding the whole bed thing make her big girls bed in the morning and spend a day playing with baby abd saying baby is going to sleep in a big girls bed tonight make it out to be a really special thing im sure you will be fine xx just stick with it

My lo turned 2 earlier this month and up until now always went to bed fine. She is still in a cot as we tried moving her to bed 3 months ago but she was so scared and kept crying hysterical. we reverted back to cot and she has been fine, goes a bed awake, says night night and lays there awake until she falls asleep. never calls etc.

Until the last week or so and she is now starting to say when i give her some milk about 6.30 ish, she says 'i dont like bed' as she knows whats coming then at about 7.30 ish i say come on and again she says i dont like bed and has started performing and screaming no.

when in bed she screams, shouts & bangs for a couple of minutes until she falls asleep. she has been cutting out her nap so she is very tired by the time she goes down so doesnt protest for long. but still i have noticed she does not go down quiety anymore.

today she had a lunchtime nap and then at bedtime wasnt as tired as usual so spent 40 minutes screaming, crying and woke up her 5 month old brother.

I'm sure it's a phase, i've tried reading a story but the crying just starts when i leave.

We both work full time and i dont mean to sound selfish but i dont want to give up my night, waiting til she falls asleep or reading endless stories.

I'm now dreading the day she climbs out of her cot as i'm sure she'll just stand at the staire gate and scream

Any suggestions or tips?? anyone going thru something similar?