https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:20:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767874 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:57:59 +0000 Foodnerd81 2767874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, a hopeful update- she has stayed in her room at bedtime and slept through until her clock lights up for two nights in a row! I haven't slept through the night two nights in a row for what feels like forever! The sticker chart seems to help. Not having quiet time during the day and instead having some extra low key one on one time is good. We have been outside a lot and trying to really let her get her energy out early in the day. And at night after I put her in bed I promise to come back and give her an extra kiss after I put the baby down. She is always asleep by the time I come back, but I leave the door open before putting sister down, so if she wakes up and sees it's closed, she knows I came back in to give her her kiss. </p> <p>Fingers crossed this continues!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767873 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:57:40 +0000 Mommy Finger 2767873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our 4.5 yo will come into our bed in the middle of the night. He sneaks in without us knowing sometimes. It's not every night and he always just goes to sleep so it really doesn't bother me. We do a sticker chart for when he does sleep in his bed all night and that sometimes works. The real problem is going to be managing 2 kids doing this when DS2 isn't in his crib anymore. But we'll deal with that when it happens. I guess this post isn't really helpful to you. Just more of a commiseration. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767818 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 07:23:20 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2767818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unfortunately we just had to suffer through it. I think she really was waking because she was having trouble getting back to sleep or was having a nightmare. Letting her come to bed or us tucking her back in for a while was the only thing that helped. </p> <p>She's 6 now and its really rare that she gets up in the middle of the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767803 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 06:23:39 +0000 Modern Daisy 2767803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Rewards don't work with my son (also 4) so we started using the okay to wake clock early last summer and have been really consistent with it so while he still wakes up super early for the day (4/5am) and sometimes wakes at night he at least understands now that during the night and early morning (when clock isn't green) he can't hang out with us and must be quiet to let everyone sleep. He still wakes us up but at least is easier to put back down since he knows he has to wait. We make a really big deal when he waits for his clock to turn green before coming out of his room and he loves the praise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767693 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:19:14 +0000 raintreebee 2767693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel your pain. My 3.5 year old is doing the same thing. My only suggestion is to hold firm on not allowing them in your room in the middle of the night. Just bring them swiftly back to bed. This has drastically cut down on the length of my son's wake-ups although not their frequency. What also helped is training him to fall asleep on his own--it sounds like you're already doing that. </p> <p>I am also trying bribery out of sheer desperation although don't typically use it as a parenting tactic. We've had some recent success letting him pick the reward. That being said, this struggle is very much a work-in-progress. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767410 Sun, 13 Aug 2017 14:56:04 +0000 Smurfette 2767410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were having issues with ours coming in our room in MOTN. We started a reward chart. Every night she goes to bed without coming out other then to go potty, and stays in her room all night she gets a sticker. After she fills the chart she gets to pick her prize. The first was a pet fish, next a big Fancy Nancy book, and now she is working towards a Princess Elena dress apparently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767394 Sun, 13 Aug 2017 12:16:53 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2767394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son gets to watch his iPad in the morning, only IF he stays in bed and doesn't call for us until the light on his gro clock is yellow. It works pretty well. He still calls if something is wrong or when sick, but generally as soon as that clock is yellow he comes running, so I know he's awake for a bit and just waiting. Basically as long as the clock is blue he has to be sleeping/quiet/in his room or no iPad. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/4-year-old-waking-up-every-night#post-2767373 Sun, 13 Aug 2017 09:05:09 +0000 Foodnerd81 2767373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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 :silly: ). But until recently she had been doing pretty well. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p>