As I write this it's 9:45pm. we put almost 18 month old DD to bed at 7:30, after a nice bath, bottle or BF (she's striking as I'm pregnant so lately it's a bottle of warm milk), and story.

For the past few weeks she has fought her big sleep (and this week, her one day nap too) with absolute passion. The moment we go to put her down she loses her marbles (screaming, crying) and the next few hours is spent trying to settle her, trying to calm her, we often end up getting her up for a break, only for the cycle to repeat the moment we go to put her down again. I say we but really it's me because DD won't have a bar of DH putting her down at night or even trying to soothe her if she's upset. So he cleans up the stress vomit (yes that also happens, not every time) while I sit with her and cuddle her. It's gotten to the point where she knows when she's nearing the end of a favourite book and that it means bed is imminent as she will try to turn to previous pages to avoid the story ending. When we get her up and bring her into the living room or even just sit with her quietly in her room she is fine- she's immediately smiling and wanting to explore and play.

What is curious is that tonight among many other unsuccessful attempts at suggesting bed was a good idea I told her that mama was tired too and I was going to go to sleep. I had a blanket and cuddled her and said sleepy time- ni-ni! Then closed my eyes as though to go to sleep and she absolutely lost it. She sat down and cried her eyes out! She was truly heartbroken. Could it be that she is actually afraid of sleep? Her reaction to me 'sleeping' spun me out!

BTW these are the little tricks that used to work in the past if she wasn't going down easily-

Offer of extra BF
Offer of water
Offer of cows milk
Putting small book in bed with her
Leaving the hall light on
Playing her musical sea horse
Dummy
Favourite panda
Favourite Elmo
Talking to her from the other room (we are in a small house) so she knows we're still here
Cuddling out of cot
Stroking/patting while in cot

None of these work now. I've just put her down for the third time tonight and she's quiet in her bed but I can hear her occasionally whimpering and sniffing. It breaks my heart! And also frustrates me no end! But to keep her up or even sit with her in her room doesn't work as she just wants to play.

I'm flummoxed! And I want to go to bed myself!