https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:06:55 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2366936 Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:24:15 +0000 Freckles 2366936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: @Canoli: @MrsRcCar: @Mrs. Pen: @lemong: ladies, thanks again for your words. i just wanted to update you on the situation. I decided to implement a rewards chart. She gets 1 sticker for a dry diaper/bed, and another sticker if she goes back to sleep in her own bed in the MOTN. She got a sticker for the dry diaper, and i think that got the ball rolling. She woke up and called for me, and after staying with her for 1 minute i told her that i would check up on her in 5 minutes. The first couple of nights it took 3 checks before she fell asleep but last night she fell asleep after 5 minutes. She does wake up at 6am and come into our room, but i can deal with it for the time being. I honestly don't know if my sleep is getting worse with this method (since DH was the one who went to her room before) but i'm hoping we'll get back to no more wake ups! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2360800 Wed, 18 Nov 2015 03:07:28 +0000 Kemma 2360800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: have you thought about making up a small bed on the floor of your bedroom? I know it can feel counter-intuitive but sometimes bringing them close and freely offering up your comfort can help a wee one feel secure enough to stay in their own bed.</p> <p>The other thing that helps my girl is lots of physical contact. She LOVES rolling or crawling around on the floor with me and it will often head off any tantrums or clinginess, dancing with me is also a hit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2360589 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 20:53:35 +0000 Canoli 2360589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish I had advice but we are dealing with this too. Right now it's so bad that my husband sleeps with him every night in his bed! I don't know how we are going to get out of it! Sigh! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359978 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:15:29 +0000 MrsRcCar 2359978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: no advice here. We are doing something similar. It is killing me. N has just turned 3. He used to be my rock star sleeper, now however he is getting up at least 1-2 times in a night and just screams for us from his crib. It is awful. My boys share a room so we run the risk of him waking his brother. 😡 We end up bed sharing with my toddler more then I care to admit. Isn't sleep supposed to get better? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359922 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:46:40 +0000 Freckles 2359922@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: I feel like it's related to some jealousy arising from DS' arrival. She gets really sad and says tearfully, "i don't want to sleep by myself."</p> <p>@lemong: Lately she even wants her loveys as soon as she gets home. Normally it's only for bedtime but she will want them at the first sign of conflict. She has a short nap at preschool, about 45 minutes. </p> <p>@Mrs. Pen: Ugh, i'm sorry. Does he cry or put up a fight? I also don't feel comfortable locking her/our door. DH and i are just so exhausted every day since we have to deal with two kids waking up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359897 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:31:05 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2359897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going through this and have no advice, only commiseration. </p> <p>J gets out of bed up to ten times after I put him to bed and often doesn't fall asleep until closer to 10. He wakes up several times in the night, and comes into our bed. We put him back each time. Then he's up between 6-7. This morning it was 5:30. It's exhausting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359889 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:27:16 +0000 lemong 2359889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh - this sounds like no fun. We had this issue and the kids share a room, but it never escalated like yours. I agree with @Kemma - what do you think the nighttime issues are stemming from? If you think it's separation anxiety, maybe more cuddles and close physical contact with her during the day, and then perhaps letting her buy a new lovey/stuffed animal? you could say that the new lovey wants to sleep in her bed and will keep her safe. </p> <p>Also, is she still napping during the day? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359881 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:22:20 +0000 Kemma 2359881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you think the nighttime issues are stemming from an unmet need or is she testing the boundaries? I'm just thinking that the solution is going to depend on the reason for the behaviour. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/preschooler-nighttime-issues#post-2359843 Tue, 17 Nov 2015 13:57:42 +0000 Freckles 2359843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am at loss here, and would love some feedback/advice. I feel like there are different parts to this issue, and i don't know what to tackle first. </p> <p>DD is 3.5 years old and she used to be a great sleeper. About 6 months after DS was born, i noticed her night sleep was getting worse. She would wake up at 5:30-6am (despite falling asleep at 8:30, sometimes 9) and visibly tired. When she's tired she is extremely emotional and the tiniest thing will set her off. Tantrums every day, all the time. Then we could no longer just leave her room at night. We would have to stay with her until she fell asleep. I fixed that quickly by saying we would check up on her every 10 minutes, and she couldn't call for us beforehand. Usually after 2 checks, she will fall asleep on her own.</p> <p>The past few months she would come into our room and want to sleep with us, or one of us would go into her room and sleep next to her. On a good night, she will fall asleep right away and we will sleep past 7am. On a bad night, she will toss and turn, SING, and keep both of us up...DH or i will be in a bad mood. I decided to implement the idea of having the futon mattress in her room and one of us just sleeping on it instead of sharing the bed with her. No more sleeping in our room.</p> <p>We also have bed wetting issues. She still wears pullups to sleep. Earlier this year, she had a dry pullup for 1-2 months and we thought we could transition her to underwear...until she started filling her diaper so much that she would wet her bed. </p> <p>Now she will wake up at random times in the night and come to our room, wanting us to come sleep in her room. We will insist that she use the potty, which she now protests. Then DH will go to her room and sleep on the floor. </p> <p>I worry that we have developed a bad habit, and now she wakes up and comes to our room because she knows she can. When DH sleeps in her room, she is comfortable enough that she just pees in her pullup even though she used the bathroom. </p> <p>When she gets upset, it escalates quickly so i don't want DS to wake up (his room is next to hers). You can hear her cries despite two noise machines running. I am thinking of starting a sticker chart to encourage better nighttime behaviour but i don't know whether we should be tackling the sleep or the potty issues. A part of me feels guilty because i wonder if these nighttime issues arise from anxiety because she doesn't feel loved or is jealous of the attention we give her brother. Life is just so much more crazy with two, especially since i have to get him to bed so early. She throws more tantrums because she's tired, we get mad at her and it's like this vicious cycle we're trapped in...while no one is getting any sleep!</p> <p>Phew, sorry this is so long. It's just not sustainable for us to sleep in her room (who wants to sleep on a futon mattress for 1+ years?) or her in ours (she wakes up every time i get up to go to DS). </p>