Helping a 3 1/2 yo get back to sleep?

[janeybwild]

Our DD2 is 3 ½. She has dropped her naps and we are having nighttime problems (see my post earlier in the week :cry:). We’ve solved the going to bed issues by moving her bedtime up and putting a nightlight in her room. The problem now is that she wakes at 3:30 and is AWAKE. Cannot go back to sleep. I found some old posts (linked below) with good ideas, and feel like I have tried most of them. But, I think she is genuinely having trouble turning off the impulse to be awake. I tried the sitting on a chair next to her bed thing this morning, but, she wouldn’t stop talking (“But mommy….”) or getting out of bed (“I need to go potty”). This girl knows every stall tactic in the book. How do you train a child to go back to bed, and be still enough to let it have a chance of working? I would sincerely appreciate any help.


Past threads with good ideas:
http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2226473#poststop

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=313193&highlight=back+sleep+child

[janeybwild]

Posted too early this morning :) Bumpity bump

[KrisM]

What about having a signal that it is okay to get up and if she's awake before that, she should play in her room until she sees the signal to get up.

I keep thinking I want to get this, but something like this: http://www.goodnitelite.com/

If she wakes before that, maybe have some books for her to look through. She should be old enough to understand to stay in her bed and look through them quietly until it's morning time.

[brittone2]

Heading out the door, and I haven't clicked on the old threads so sorry if I'm being repetitive.

How about a relaxation CD? Greathall makes some bedtime ones, and Lilycat has posted in the past that her DD was using some sort of guided relaxation type of CD?

It would give her something to listen to and maybe help her get back into sleepy/relaxation mode?

[jayali]

We have a similar issue and I find that ANY sort of stimulation is counterproductive for us. So when DS wakes up in the middle of the night - it happens a lot - especially if his bedtime is later then usual - i put him back in his bed and make him lay completely still, eyes closed and no talking. The way I do this is not optimal. I lay in bed next to him and very sternly say "stop moving" when he wiggles and "no talking" if he starts asking questions. It is the only thing that works for him. I guess it is our answer to tough love.

I can usually tell when we are going to have a rough night. The more overtired his is when he goes to bed the more he wakes up. So I usually prepare him. I say "If you stay in bed all night tonight in the morning you can do . . . " Usually for us it is play his Cello - but you need to pick something that will work for your child.

I totally feel your pain. I haven't slept well since he was an infant. Who would have thought that my sweet baby, who slept through the night at 3 months would become such a bad sleeper?

[kimberley-k]

I'd tell her she doesn't have to sleep, but she has to stay in her bed (without making tons of noise that will wake everyone else up). Also, I came across this book but haven't read it - seems to be a relaxation thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Floppy-Sleep-Game-Book-Proven/dp/0399532005

-Kim