Help--Overtired Toddler

He could also be getting some teeth or having growing pains. Give him a warm bath and tylenol before he goes to sleep and see if it helps.. If he is 2.5 years old he may be ready for a big boy bed. May be tell him you will take him to look at big boy beds but that means he needs to be a big boy an sleep by himself and not be scared. If youdo not have one already,get a nightlight. Good luck

Have you tried putting him to bed later? What kind of routine do you have with him at night?

Was he a good sleeper before the strep? If so you can get him back on track but it will take patience. Knowing what your routine is now will help me give you advice.

If he will nap in the car I would go for a drive in the afternoon until he fell asleep. Once he falls asleep go home & sleep in the car with him. Hopefully, he will get an hour or two nap & you will too. That may be enough to break the cycle. You could also do this at night time before bed.
Good luck.
After reading responses I wanted to add that the cuddly/quiet thing doesn't work for all kids. My three year old & I often run races before bed time. We sprint around the living room (my 2 year old often watches tv while we do this) for 20 minutes & then head up to bed. Sometimes we do a bath, sometimes not. Sometimes we read a story, sometimes not; depending on how close to bed time it is. I always sing a song before bed. My youngest likes me to hold him while I sing. He needs a few minutes of extra cuddling before sleep. We also have 2 night lights & each boy has his own "night buddy" an in bed soft glow night light. I think its really called a tyke light. They sleep with a ton of stuffed animals, pillows & blankets. And recently started to sleep with each other. Their bed is very crowded & cuddly & it makes them happy. So, try lots of different stuff. You don't know what will work.
Also, my older son went through a similar phase when he was 2. Finally, one night I told him that no matter how much he cried I was not going to pick him up or bring him to my room. I would come & check on him, but then I would leave immediately. I told him that all his wake ups were making me tired & grumpy & I didn't want to be a mean mommy. So, he needed to sleep the whole night. That night when daddy came home from work & went in to kiss him good night my son told him that mommy is tired & needs to sleep, so I'm going to sleep all night to help her & make her happy. He did! The next night i reminded him of the same thing & he slept through the night again. The third night he did it with no reminders & it hasn't been a problem since.

Susan B. - you are a rockstar Mama!!! Honesty with a child is truly one of the best ways to get through to them and I loved your approach. :)

S. G. - hang in there, this too shall pass! I second the growing pains or teeth cutting possibilities - - - both can be very disruptive during the night. They leave our little ones confused and upset but if you make a big deal of it they will too. When you go to check on your son try not to make a big deal. A calm pressence offering reassurance that you will be there if you are really needed but no lingering. Good luck!!!

I am not sure dosing your little one with Tylenol is the best way to get him to sleep, in fact I would caution you to talk with your pediatrician. As for how you can break this cycle getting a good evening routine down will help a lot. Dinner at a set time, some time to play, a soothing bath, maybe some of that lavender baby scent bath wash followed by lotion ( it is calming) then a cuddle with some stories, nothing that will get him all worked up and rowdy. Maybe rocking and some lullabyes. It seems we are all in such a hurry for our little ones to grow up these days. Maybe even consider co-sleeping, it sounds like it could be some separation anxiety. Does your little one have a lovey/blanket stuffed animal? Maybe a night light. Lots of luck, its no fun for anyone to be sleep deprived, just remind yourself this too shall pass = )

I am so sorry you are going through this and are so tired.
-Do you have a bedtime routine? If not, I would recommend creating one.
-Do you have a night light in his room? If not, I would try it. Soft light can help ease fears of a dark room if they open their eyes in the middle of the night
-Going to bed a little later to ensure he is truly tired and ready for sleep. Operative words....ready for sleep. My toddler went to bed later for awhile then got back on track. He does not go to bed super early though as he does not have to wake super early to go to daycare.
-My son jerks in bed, has a few night terrors here and there. I don't wake him I just make sure he is ok and he goes back to sleep I recover him if he needs it, have a night light on in there etc.
- He's gone through stages: going to bed later, waking in the middle of the night etc but they were all stages. He now has is routine. Mind you.......he is not a "go to bed super early" baby.
-Sometimes I just stay in his room until he falls asleep.
- I try everything until I find what works.
- I look at all advice and try what I think is safe and in my area of "ok".
- Trying different things at different stages has worked and now we are on back on track. Hang in there!

The Sleepeasy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger is an awesome book that can easily help you navigate these bumps in the sleep process. Good Luck!

Hi, S.:
Have you called your ped and talked to the nurse?
D.