sudden hate of night sleep?

All of a sudden DD (21mos) is refusing to go down for night sleeps, she's chucking huge tantrums when I put her in the cot!! I ask her if she wants to go to sleep and she goes into the room herself happily and gets the dummies, but as soon as I lift her into the cot she chucks it!?what the? any ideas? she usually loves her sleep and is happy to go to in for her day sleep?
she is usually the type of baby who loves sleep and is happy to be put in her cot and for us to just go out and leave her to go to sleep.
I've even tried cuddling her til she's more tired but she won't settle on me, usually she won't settle with us either but last night she slept with us for quite awhile (about half the night) and while I don't mind doing it occasionally I'd rather not cosleep again as we will be TTC again soon and will cosleep with the next.

any ideas?? :/

Welcome to Terrible twos. The development of attitude and boundary pushing/"testing the waters"

I hope you make it out alive!

lol helle that was my thought too. I eventually got her to sleep in her cot last night , but she woke up this morning at like 4am screaming :( not a tantrum scream though, kinda distressed and upset :( I tried to leave her (sometimes its just she's lost her dummy and then finds it so is happy), I tried going in and giving cuddles, which worked when I picked her up, as soon as I picked her up she slumped over my shoulder and practically fell asleep on me then! put her back down and she screams.
took her to bed with me and she cried for a couple secs then calmed but couldn't sleep. so I waited maybe 20 mins then told her wed go back to her cot and got her and she was fine again til she got into her cot :( she got so distressed in there I took her out and got my pillow and blanket and lied down on the ground with her and she fell asleep, eventually. but stopped crying instantly.
again tried the cot, woke up and started crying, picked her up and instantly slumped over me. so shes now sleeping soundly next to me in bed :(

maybe she is ready for a big bed??

tried that and nup. just got straight out and still refused to sleep. she is even worse tonight! she is just refusing to sleep and is still awake!! even when I brought her in with us she just constantly fidgeted and tried to kick and poke us. so I put her back in her cot. she intermittently whinged for a couple mins but has been silent now for a good 5-10 mins. I think she's abit constipated.. could that have something to do with it??

its seriously doing my head in atm!!! full blown screaming and crying and tantrums.... only as soon as she goes in her cot?? :wall::confused::(

anyone have any suggestions? please? it's just getting worse :( her day sleeps are perfect! just her night sleeps :(

Is she not tired? Perhaps she's not ready for bedtime? Or overtired? Maybe try changing her bedtime.

how many day sleeps is she having? maybe she is not tired when you are putting her down?

Yes try giving the day sleep a miss tomorrow or another day and see how she goes. Hopefully she will then pass out from exhaustion instead of carrying on.

Or maybe a sudden fear of the dark? Could you ask her or does she not communicate much? A little lamp maybe left in her room or a special friend like a teddy to keep her company? Maybe something different like a pillow to sleep on in her cot? She may escape from a big bed but maybe would like a pillow? Might distract her from carrying on?

Good luck!

sahbear - I wait for her to start rubbing her eyes before I even ask if she wants to go to bed, thing is shell fall asleep really quickly if I'm holding her (and she's tired enough) like tonight I was lying down with her on our bed and she was out within about 5-10min but as soon as I tried to transfer and she woke she wad screaming in the cot

HotI - she only has one sleep per day, usually around 2-2.5hrs from around 11am ish. depending on the day. she only had 1 hr at daycare today and was clearly tired and ready for bed.

milka - I don't think skipping the day sleep will work, she seems to actually need it, gets very whingy and unreasonable and constantly yawning and rubbing her eyes if she doesn't get one.
I thought possibly a fear of the dark, but I just don't understand the suddenness of it and why it's only when she's in the cot? she doesn't communicate much though no :( makes life very hard sometimes. 've tried the teddy and she just chucks it out and the hallway light is always on but it doesn't seem to help with that either :/ she already has a pillow too lol

My only suggestion is that she may be overtired. Try putting we down before she runs her eyes etc? Because eye rubbing can be a later sign of tiredness.