https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:36:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890874 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:54:07 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2890874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: We are lucky in that O will sort of self-regulate the media input. She really can't handle anything even remotely scary. She won't even look at ninja turtle toys! But the chasing games pretending to be bears or wolves (both animals we have in the woods we live in-though wolves of course are very rare) are harder to avoid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890873 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:53:23 +0000 gotkimchi 2890873@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: ugh my 3yo loves rescue bots, power rangers etc. I just want to turn on pbs! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890872 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:51:32 +0000 wrkbrk 2890872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: That makes sense. Thank you. He’s recently gotten into ninja turtles and rescue bots - both of which seem too mature for a three year old to me!! 😩 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890870 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:36:07 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2890870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: No problem, hope it helps. O goes through similar stuff pretty regularly. Cutting her nap also helped but she basically did it on her own. She never napped as well as your son. I think the biggest impact for her fear has been minimizing media exposure and games. I always know if someone slips and plays wild animal or monster games with her one day. It comes back to bite us at bedtime or with nightmares. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890867 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:24:53 +0000 wrkbrk 2890867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: Thank you so much! Also looking up salt lamps. The amazon starlight one he doesn’t like -figures! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890866 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:23:43 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2890866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p><a href="https://m2.ikea.com/us/en/p/sufflett-bed-tent-green-90332477/" rel="nofollow">https://m2.ikea.com/us/en/p/sufflett-bed-tent-green-90332477/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2890865 Fri, 12 Jul 2019 14:14:10 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2890865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: we haven't invested in the full pop up tent but are considering it for her 4th birthday. O has a tent from IKEA that goes over the pillow area that she claims "keeps out the scary shadows." Also a salt lamp night light and minimizing all scary input like movies, TV, even some books and any games that involve pretending to be something scary. I'll find a link for the IKEA tent. Much cheaper than the fancy full bed one I keep seeing on Facebook. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889673 Mon, 01 Jul 2019 18:40:33 +0000 wrkbrk 2889673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: oh he loves flashlights! That’s a great idea!! (That I did not think of!).<br /> I actually just ordered this:<br /> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07N1J1HZN?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07N1J1HZN?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889500 Sun, 30 Jun 2019 01:20:45 +0000 DesertDreams88 2889500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When LO turned 3 he started to be much more dependent on a nightlight. Now at 3.5 he also uses a flashlight to read books in bed and there's another stack over by his nightlight. He LOVES it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889409 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:18:27 +0000 wrkbrk 2889409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shantuck: thank you for this. I need the reminder. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889408 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 17:18:09 +0000 wrkbrk 2889408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pajamas: I just went and bought a dozen kinder eggs to reward him with each day if he stays in bed!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889402 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:12:49 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2889402@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: Totally feel your pain! Our 4.5 yo DD went through this recently. A few things seemed to work...1) assuring her she is safe 2)being super clear what reasons she can come out of her bed for (emergency and potty) and everything else was not important enough to get up for (we seriously repeated this for weeks at bedtime every night) 3) printed out 8x10 photos of our family to have in her bed in case she gets lonely (that seemed to be the main issue) and 4) finally sort of bribed her by working it into her behavior jar--she gets 2 cotton balls every night she stays in her bed; 1 for other good behavior and when she gets to the line she gets a big treat she picks ahead of time (day trip on the ferry with mommy to have lunch/ice cream is the one she recently earned). Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889401 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:00:27 +0000 Shantuck 2889401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have more of a cautionary tale rather than advice. We had the same issue so we would lay in bed with our son until he fell asleep and then creep out. For awhile that worked great and about 20 minutes of our time was all he needed and he would stay in bed until morning. However, a few months in, the situation evolved to him waking several times a night and whenever he would realize we were no longer there he would come visit our room until someone laid back down with him - sometimes 2-3 times a night. This went on from just after his 4th birthday until right before he turned 6 when we gave him some tough love and "sleeptrained" him to fall asleep on his own. Be careful not to start a bad habit as it was a really tough one to break for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889391 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:26:55 +0000 DillonLion 2889391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Happened to us and we gave up and let her sleep in the same room as one of us. Usually on rhe couch. Now she's 6.5 and she hasn't slept in her room by herself in years. :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889388 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:13:12 +0000 wrkbrk 2889388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsrain: Music actually may be good! He has a white noise machine.</p> <p>Anyone have that pop up tent thing that goes over a toddler bed to make them cozy? [throws money at problem]. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889387 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:12:11 +0000 wrkbrk 2889387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: Thank you! Yes, he was never a LONG sleeper before but he went to bed fine. We have the twilight turtle. I’m going to pull it out again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889386 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:11:30 +0000 wrkbrk 2889386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@graceandjoy: My wife wants to do this!!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889385 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:11:02 +0000 wrkbrk 2889385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@caitcat: I think it is developmentally appropriate - he talks endlessly about imaginary things all of a sudden. He does nap. Two hours at school and more on the weekends if he can (chronically tired kid from the struggles at bedtime plus he’s such an early riser). I hope it’s a phase ... it probably is?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889384 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 14:09:42 +0000 wrkbrk 2889384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Champagne: I am going to try this tonight! Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889333 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 08:17:12 +0000 graceandjoy 2889333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've read that people made up a "monster spray"! </p> <p>If you're into EO you can also look into diffusing some calming/soothing blends before bed? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889332 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 08:16:39 +0000 LadyDi 2889332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t have personal experience with this, but what about a projector nightlight? Maybe one that he picks out that projects something onto the ceiling or wall? Sorry you are dealing with this, hopefully it’s a phase. My 4yo has recently started talking about bad dreams and sometimes asking if we can sleep with him, but it hasn’t escalated yet. There must be something with the age. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889329 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 08:09:10 +0000 mrsrain 2889329@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nightmares can definitely be a thing at this age, and if the streetlight or cars driving by are casting weird shadows, that could be causing fears. I would go the blackout curtain route and let him choose a special nightlight. You could also try a little bit of music to help him fall asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889315 Fri, 28 Jun 2019 05:12:26 +0000 caitcat 2889315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh. I think it's something about 3.5! My daughter went through this for about a month at that age, and it was awful. Is your son still napping? We found bedtime was harder if my daughter had napped so we mainly switched to have a "rest" time in the afternoon instead. It was like she had a harder time just settling down to sleep at night if she'd slept earlier. Looking back, I realized she also took off with imaginative play around that time, and I kind of wonder if her mind just wandered a ton at night. </p> <p>Anyway....I'm not sure anything we did was a magic fix or if time just sorted it out, but we ended up doing a series of timed check-ins (like after 5 min, another 10 minutes, another 15 minutes, so on) to reassure her that we were available until she fell asleep. I think it took about a month and we were back to "normal" well enough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889309 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 22:16:57 +0000 Madison43 2889309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: I’ve always had black out shades and a nightlight. The nightlight is a just more consistent but somehow less distracting light? My daughter also just stares at hers (it’s on the wall across from her bed), like a little security point in the dark. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889304 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 22:01:19 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2889304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Stand outside the door and with every cry or noise shush him and remind him you are right there. Don’t go back in. We’ve done it with my son and my daughter is just turned 3 and I this phase. She wants us to sleep with her but we sit outside the door and she falls asleep quickly. Eventually we won’t have to do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889297 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 21:10:02 +0000 Becky 2889297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh following. We have piles of laundry and chores left undone because my 3 y/o is scared to be alone at night. Hoping to hear some good solutions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889296 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:46:49 +0000 wrkbrk 2889296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Madison43: Thank you. Street lights come in the window so it’s not that dark. I was wondering the opposite - should we invest in blackout shades at this stage?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889295 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:44:52 +0000 Madison43 2889295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: we are at the same age and recently went through this.....and sometimes still do. For us, it helped to have a super bright nightlight, leave the hall light on and her bedroom door open. Sometimes I even sit in the rocking chair in her room for 20-30 mins while she is in bed just so she’s not “alone.” </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-new-problem#post-2889294 Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:36:30 +0000 wrkbrk 2889294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son (3.5) has developed a new fear of being alone in his bed at night. For about two weeks we’ve dealt with HOURS of crying and screaming for us at bedtime. We’ve tried checking on him every ten minutes. He calms down but starts right back up again when we leave. The only way to get it to stop is to sleep in his room with him - clearly not a permanent solution. Nothing else has changed. Why is he terrified all of a sudden??</p> <p>I’ve tried bribing him. I’ve tried being stern. I’ve tried putting him to bed earlier, later, extra hugs, extra books, no books, talking about bedtime earlier in the day, a new lovey. Nothing is making an impact. When we leave he screams for us to help him because he’s scared of being alone. It’s heartbreaking and also maddening!!</p> <p>And now of course he’s overly tired every single day to add to this vicious cycle ... HELP. </p>