18 month old sleep issues! aargh! (long)

We've had problems with DD's sleep before, but it seemed to be vastly improved - for the last month, she's had day sleeps in her cot (which hasn't happened since she was 6months old) and for both day and night sleeps, if we said it was sleep time, she would grab her teddy, ask for her dummy and walk herslef down to her cot. We had even managed to drop her bedtime bottle (:redface: I know it was naughty, but due to bad sleep issues before, we got into the habit of putting her down with a bottle of cows milk - you do what you need to survive!)

Anyway, all well and good till last wed night - now, she doesn't want a bar of her cot - she gets in her cot ok, but then refuses to go to sleep, to begin with I've left her to whinge but then it turns into a full on cry, which I won't let her get distressed so go and get her out. And it seems to be only her cot - I put her to bed at her nanna's on thurs and no problems at all, but she woke up on the way home, and would not go to sleep in her cot. Because DH was out, I ended up bringing her to bed with me. Fri and Sun night she fell asleep in the car and transferred to her cot ok. (We're not normally out so much, but its that time of year :rolleyes: )

She's generally sleeping fine once she's asleep, so its more of a settling thing. Last night, DH had to sit with her for a good hour or so before she would calm down enough and fell asleep on him.

I know that at daycare on wed (she only goes once a week) she slept in one of the toddler beds, rather than a cot, as she's being transistioned. But I doubt one occasion of this is causing so much upset but you never know :dunno:

We had been planning on doing the transition to a bed just after xmas, but now I'm not sure whether this is a good or bad thing considering this week's issues.

Any tips? Ideas?

TIA (sorry for the long post)

All I can add is that once DS got his own bed, he was NOT going back into a cot.

So our transitions have all been based around when I go visit Mum and where DS sleeps there. Once into a cot, he stopped the Moses basket. Once he outgrew Mum's cot (but not our cot-bed), we had to convert his cot into a bed.

Just so long as Mum doesn't give him a double bed next visit...

(BTW, my DS has gone to bed cuddling dinky toys and a medicine spoon in his mouth... you do what you have to!)

Totally agree with Lady Zaidie you do what you have to! I still co-sleep with my almost 18 month old :redface: it's easier. She does sleep in her cot during the day though but I haven't braved the cot overnight tantrums!! Am thinking of converting her cot-bed to a bed to do the transition??? It's not easy huh :rolleyes: Maybe she's teething or has a bit of a bug and wants some extra cuddles?? My DD has molars coming through at the mo and I don't realise until they're through that's why she's been grumpy/clingy, then I feel bad! :( Good luck and have a great Christmas xxx