Help! Sleep Regression?!

Stephanie Rose Photography

For all of my friends (and familiar readers around here), if I have ever annoyed you with my "Grayson sleeps like a champ! 12+ hours EVERY night. Just goes down without a problem! He asks to go to bed! He moved to the Big Boy Bed and nothing changed! He's done great!" Don't you worry, Karma came rearing its ugly head.


Let me backtrack a bit before Carter was born we started to let G stay up later. It was "summer", I wanted extra snuggles with my first born, etc. Then Carter came. Still no issues when it was time for bed. We went to the lake two weeks after C was born, and G was upstairs alone and had a freak out, but went to sleep. All good.


Got home after that trip and he started waking in the middle of the night, coming to the gate and yelling/crying for us to come up. Once we came upstairs, he would go directly to bed, no problem. This could happen once at night, or multiple times, but not every night. Fast forward to now, and the mid-night wake ups have stopped, but fighting to go to bed has started and 5:00 am (or earlier!) wake up calls.


I've entertained his "one more book" requests, "one more song", sat outside of his bedroom door Super Nanny style taking him right back to his bed, given him the silent treatment, etc. Some nights it can last an hour when he's feeling persistent. Although, the length of fighting it has become shorter and shorter - thankfully. Sometimes we have alligator tears and other times no tears at all.


Naptime at school is no problem at all. he sleeps the full 2 hours and say sometimes they have to wake him up to continue the day. Weekends are hit or miss depending on what we are doing.


I have bought the "ok to wake" clock, which we have not started using yet, but I feel like the waking early is the least of my concerns. I would rather tackle the issues of going to bed and the nighttime wakings.


At Carter's 2 month appointment we mentioned to the pediatrician the waking up (he hadn't started the protesting going to sleep part yet) and he mentioned for his older patients that have that problem he does sleep coupons that are given to them before bed and if they do a good job can be turned into Mom and Dad in the morning. Once "x" amount are collected there is some kind of prize - whatever you would want that to be. But he said he thought Gray was too young to understand/reason with this concept. And if the problem got worse to call and we could come up with a plan.


I have my friend, Sarah, making us sleep coupons. Its worth a shot. Kid loves Dumbo. And Popcorn. And laying in Mama & Daddy's bed. All things I can easily make happen on a Friday night if he turns in his coupons.


I've read 2 year sleep regression is real. I have also read that around this age their imaginations are much more vivid making dreams/nightmares happen more often. This age is also more in tune with feelings and emotions. Knowing "good guys" from "bad guys" which makes fear an emotion they begin to feel rather than being so carefree.


I have not called the pedi yet, even though the situation has gotten worse. But I am calling to you, Mommy/Daddy friends, grandparents, babysitters, nannies... any tricks? Tell me what has worked for you! With going back to work right around the corner, and Carter only waking once at night, this house could use easy bedtimes and more sleep at night!