Do you think he is scared of the dark?

Lately I have had to sit in Moo's room while he goes off to sleep for the evening. He will turn around and check that I'm still there regularly, unless I have my hand on his back or something.

This has been going on for a few weeks, did stop for a little while but since we went away for a night on Thursday he has started again.

If I leave the room before he is asleep, or just pop him in his cot and go he becomes hysterical. I usually leave the room for a little bit to give him a chance first off but it never works.

Tonight I turned on his bedside lamp when I first went in and he immediately stopped crying before I even touched him. I still sat next to his cot but he didn't turn around once before he fell asleep. I don't think he was fully asleep either, which is progress!

Is it usual for 18 month olds to be afraid of the dark? Do you think that is what is wrong with him?

ETA - forgot to say that he has a little nightlight on his monitor that is usually on all night

Some children go through not wanting to go to sleep in the dark. We used a night light for a few years which was great. Do you have a light outside his room that you can put in a low wattage globe?

I found the less fuss you made the quicker things righted so just go with the flow.

He might be a bit small but a wind up torch that he can take to bed with him might be worth trying. You can pick them up fro about $5

Hi CM. No advice, just letting you know BOTH of my kidlets are still very much like this.
They need me (not daddy) to sit with them while they fall asleep. I've tried everything but Cry it out/conrolled crying, so am now just hoping it is something they will eventually grow out of. xo

It is quite possible.

My DS will come into our room (next door) as we have him a bed now on well moonlit night, but will sit in his bed and cry on a darker night..

Maybe CM. I guessed dd2 had a similar issue so' got a night light for her. It made a huge difference. By 18 months they are very aware of their surroundings or lack of them in the dark. So I figured it was entirely possible she was afraid of being alone at night in the dark. If the lamp calms him I'd be using it every night.

Thanks for the replies girls. I kept his bedside lamp on all night, he woke about 6:30am quite happily (as opposed to screaming the house down as he had been doing). I'm certain it was the dark. Poor little guy!

I'll keep using his lamp as it's very low wattage. Where I have it his room is dimly lit but his cot is in shadow so it works out just right!