My son just went through this! It was awful. At first he was waking up at 3 am SCREAMING TERRIFIED. I knew it wasn't night terrors more like nightmares. He would not go back down. So I did some research and talked to different people. We stopped allowing any tv before bedtime. Before we would do PJs, brush teeth and watch a little Yo Gabba Gabba before dong story time. No more Gabba. And I banished any book that could in any way possible be scary. We are only reading very calm books, shapes, numbers, goodnight moon etc. He had a couple of others that had some scary dinosaurs etc. We also added another night light and got him a turtle for his crib that projects stars and moons on the ceiling that he can control. Finally one night out of sheer desperation I just let him howl after making sure he was ok. I turned the light on, cuddled and calmed him, and put him back down. He cried for a bit but finally went back to sleep. He had his turtle that he controls. After that, the screaming middle of the nights ended.

Then, he didn't want to go to bed and would do anything not to. He pleaded too and it killed me til I realized at this age they know exactly what they are doing. They can absolutely manipulate you. Yes, he was having fear of the dark issues but he was also being a toddler. To we kept to the new bedtime routine and again I had to let him howl a bit. And man, he figured out the cry that would make me feel the worst. We sent Daddy in, and after 3 nights no more.

Good Luck, it is hard. But you can get through this. I was a wreck too.

I just had the week from hell w/ DD and sleep issues, she didn't want to take a nap or go to bed. She'd scream and cry so hard that she'd make herself throw up! DH and I have just tried to keep her on a very rigid sleep schedule (as far as the tme she goes down to sleep and is woken up) and after the first very rough days (rivaled her colic days), it's improving. Good luck to you. Sleep issues are the worst. My DD is two btw.

Try getting a sound machine. I have one for Nathan and he falls asleep within 20minutes but only with that on. We live in a very noisey house, 3 crazy teenage siblings, it blocks out other noises really well.

The best adviceI can give is stick to your guns, don't give in to every plea beause then it is rienforced. Before we had a dry erase board and it had go potty, get a drink, read a book, give hugs and kisses. And once it was wiped off the board, then thats it and it was time to lay down and cuddle with Rawr (stuffed tiger toy). I would suggest going out and letting her pick our a stuffed animal or blankey to be her 'cuddle-buddy' during bed time. That's how we got Rawr, we went to Toys R Us and told Nathan we were adopting a lonely toy who needs a bed buddy for nigh nigh time. A few of my friends have tried that and said it works well.

Don't worry, the hard times will always pass, just keep hanging in and trust your instincts.

Thanks for all your help! She has a special stuffy and a teeny flashlight she keeps with her in bed to shine around if she wakes up scared. One of my hardest battles is that her dad caves repeatedly. Like last night, she came to our room in the middle of the night and instead of taking her back to bed he let her in ours. I woke up and almost squished her since I didnt know she was there!! And then he expects me to give her easy bed time and to break her habit of coming to our room. She knows if she wakes me she is going back to bad, and if dads not home she will be fussing alone in her room. But if dads home and she.cries.enough she.gets him to go soothe and rock her to sleep, and he lets her in our bed. Dad is my greatest set back!!!!