Separation Anxiety?

[Doing my best]

I think my 20 mth DD has separation anxiety and we are trying to work out what to do sleep wise.. a few things that I think need to be known to try and help me.

* She is in a bed cause she makes herself physically sick in the cot
* we went to a sleep clinic a few weeks back which has helped with the settling but she won't let us leave the room, she can be asleep, but as soon as we go to leave, she is awake and in hysterics.
* before we went to the sleep clinic, her bed was in our room, but they suggested having her in her own room, which seems to have gone from bad to worse.
* we are thinking of putting her bed back in our room in the hope that she gets the comfort she requires - would you do it at her age?
* we have another baby coming in 5 weeks..

Suppose what I am asking is 'do you think putting her back in our room at her age is a good or bad idea, and why?' Both DH and I are fine with her in our room, just not in our bed. But it got to the stage where she was wanting to be in our bed too, not just in our room, hence the move..

thanks if anyone can give me advice or any suggestions that might make her room more appealing to her.

[Oorki Galoorki]

i understand you dont want her in your bed but i would reccomend co sleeping what if DH slept in her bed with her? when baby comes you might find she gets much worse.

[CrystalBoo]

I found Elizabeth Pantley's book 'No Cry sleep solutions for toddlers and preschoolers' to have heaps of really good tips on handling all sorts of sleep issues including co-sleeping, moving rooms, separation anxiety etc. Eg. if you don't want her in your bed, you can set up a little bed/mattress area for her on the floor of your room and show her where to go if she wakes up and wants to come in during the night. Or you can put her there yourself when she wakes. Lots of gentle, helpful ideas.
It's definitely worth a read and you can borrow from the library if you don't want to buy it.

[Doing my best]

DouDou, will talk to DH about it.. As it is when it is this bad, we sleep in separate rooms. One of us in our normal bed, and one in the spare bed. Just depends on what kind of mood I am in as to who sleeps with DD (mainly cause I am so uncomfy and toss and turn so much)..

Crystalboo - will look at tracking that down.. Last night, at my wits end, I put the spare cot mattress on the floor next to my bed so I could just reach down and make her lie back down. When DH came home about 1.45 he took her to bed with him.. I am going to try having her beside my bed tonight to see if she will settle and stay settled if she is in our room.