Reassure them. Sounds like separation anxiety, which is a very, very common nighttime/bedtime issue around age two. When you leave her room, she has no way of knowing if you'll come back. You may not be able to stop separation anxiety from happening altogether, but fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to mitigate it or make it less frequent of an occurrence for your child. Some parents find this night time separation anxiety appears again when their baby is around 18 months to two-years-old. — and I would probably count a new full-time daycare routine and a solo, multi-night visit with relatives as possible triggers as well. Even something as simple as bedtime can be a cause of anxiety for your baby. While toddler separation anxiety at night means that you won’t get much sleep, remember that it’s just a phase that will pass. A baby doesn’t understand that when you leave, you’ll return. It’s especially common if said two year old has recently had a big life change — moving, new sibling, etc. Separation Anxiety Has a Role in the 2 Year Sleep Regression Generally, separation anxiety can show itself around 12 months and again between 18-24 months and may continue until school age. Just as it did in infancy, separation anxiety can really wreck your toddler’s sleep and sleep training your toddler. It can be caused by strange noises, by an over-attachment to the parents, and by the child (of any age) being lost in their own thoughts. “Remind your child that mommy or daddy always comes back,” says Klein. Our 2-year old suddenly developed separation anxiety at bedtime. After two weeks of trying to calm him to sleep and losing precious "me time," I've decided to let him "cry it out."

They also stop sleeping through the night and often wake up crying, seeking attention from you. There is a tendency as a parent to want to respond to your child's … Most toddlers who experience separation anxiety are unsettled at nap or bedtimes. Nighttime separation anxiety is basically just a fear of being alone at night away from the parents. And it may be even harder to deal with the naptime and bedtime drama this time around since your toddler’s separation anxiety will often manifest as … It was awful to listen to him cry and scream … Your baby might also start waking up … Separation anxiety at the two year mark however, is different from a baby who experiences it. We used to be able to just put him to bed, say our good nights and leave the room, but now he doesn't want us to leave and when we do, he starts screaming and crying. In the meantime try these tips from Una: How can I help my 2-year-old with separation anxiety?