I don't know what else to try. To preface- my just turned 4 year old has always been a difficult sleeper (see all my posts from 4 years ago to confirm ). But until recently she had been doing pretty well.

I think I've finally got a handle on the bedtime battles- now we put her to bed first (before little sister who still nurses) but I allow a slower, longer process of story, talking, then she likes to watch a song on my phone. Then I turn out the lights and turn on the sound machine but promise I will come back in after I put sister down, and give her one more hug and kiss. She still gets up once to say something to me and sister but goes back to bed and is usually asleep by the time I go in for the kids after. This is doable.

BUT every night for nearly a month now, she wakes up between 2 and 4 and comes out of her room calling for us. She really wants to sleep in our bed snuggling or have me or DH come snuggle in her bed. Some nights she will let us lead her back to bed, quick snuggle, and leave, and she will go to sleep and stay in bed until her clock lights up at 7. Other nights, like last night, she keeps getting up or trying to climb into our bed for two hours. Last night DH finally got into her bed so I could get a couple hours of sleep. I have a really hard time sleeping anyway so this is extra brutal on me when t took me three hours to fall asleep only to be woken an hour and a half later.

Any tips to get her to stay in her bed and sleep through the night? We have stopped nap and quiet time. Bedtime is roughly 7:30-8, her clock lights up at 7 am. We have tried a sticker chart for staying in bed all night, showed her the cool prize several times- she's earned two stickers in two weeks. She's got stuffed animals and dolls in her bed, a nightlight she can turn on herself, books are right next to the bed.

I feel she is not getting enough sleep and is overtired, leading to poor sleep quality. We are probably going to try a later bedtime to see if it helps though. Not sure what else to try.