My 20 month old daughter has been going to bed like an angel since 7 months old. We chose to do the CIO method at that time and after about 4 days we were rocking her and she would point to her crib and want to be laid down, awake even. She would nuzzle in and fall asleep on her own. We prided ourselves on this for so long until about 2 weeks ago.....she acted very anxious when it was time to be laid in her crib. She clung on and screamed. We laid her down in spite of this and she screamed in a way that I had only heard her scream once before.....the time she smashed her finger in the door. Panic mode seemed to set in and she vomited. We cleaned her up and then rocked her to sleep and laid her in her crib. This similar scenario has occurred each night with different variations. Some nights we rock her until midnight to get her good and asleep because of unsuccessful attempts to lie her down that upset her and really wake her up. She has also been awaking in the night now, too. The first night, we listened to her cry with hopes that she would not vomit and just go back to sleep. Instead she abandoned ship and fell out of her crib. We rushed to her and actually found that she met us halfway and seemed fine. We then brought her into our bed after more thorough assessment and agreeing that she was okay from the fall. She actually has a bed tent but we have not been able to zip it up anymore when lying her down because it wakes her. However, even if we did zip her in and she slept through it and woke in the night, I am positive that she would vomit. She cries with such intensity at these times that she always vomits. I called our clinic and spoke with a pediatric nurse who didn't have much advice to offer. She is not ill, she has no symptoms of ear infections. I even think that she got her 2-year molars in about a month ago. It is more like a behavior type issue...like she has developed some sort of separation anxiety. And I don't know how to correct it. We have even tried to comfort her and make the hour or so before bedtime a very nurturing time for her and gave her lots of kisses when it was time for bed. How do we stop this vomiting?

By My2cuties on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 11:53 am:

I do not have much advice to offer, that does sound like seperation anxiety, and the best you can do is to get her through this time, and hopefully it won't last long. It sounds like you are doing a good job by giving her attention before bed. I don't know how you would stop the vomiting other than not letting her cry a long time, go comfort her, but that means less sleep for you. I hope someone on here has some better advice, good luck!

By Pixie on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 01:32 pm:

I babysit for a little girl who began having night terrors at a very young age (under 2) she still cry's every morning in her sleep. Her situation is a bit different as she has been exposed to different things that I personally would not expose my children to. So one suggestion is night terrors.

Another is maybe its time to move her out of the crib and to a toddler bed (I will say I kept my children in the crib as long as they would stay) but maybe she has a sense of closterphobia or just seperation bcz she KNOWS she can't get to you, if she was able to then maybe that would relax her. Is she old enough to try to talk to about what it bothering her at all, even in bits and pieces? Has she been exposed to ANY type of changes (mom going to work, daycare change, ect.)?

Though I am no professional my concern is the vommiting. I would say trial and error a few things if that were not a factor. If your pediatrician does not want to deal with this I would ask him to recommend you to a child psychologist. I wouldn't wait to much longer because once the referral goes through and you actually get an appointment which can take forever unless its considered "urgent" and your situation may be.

Good Luck, keep us posted on what is going on. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as times like this can be so rough.