3 Year Old Having Trouble Sleeping Through the Night

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I can empathize as I have a three year old who went through this and continues to have sleep issues. Firstly, I think you have to do what feels right to you. I too struggled with letting my son in our bed, but you can only get up multiple times a night for so many nights in a row and be a positive, functioning parent the next day. On the same token I agree with previous posts that unless you are consistent your son will manipulate and continue to find his way back to your bed. My son too would cry and cry, climb over a gate (!!)..."training" him to stay in his room was not working the way it was for other parents...my son is sensitive and stubborn...I felt my son was telling me he needed me. So I took a break, let him get through this phase, let him sleep in my bed temporarily and chose a date on the calendar to work on getting him in his own bed. I was then prepared for some bumpy nights and so was he. So try to not be so hard on yourself and remember that everything is child specific. Eventually you will get to where you want to be in terms of sleep by working at it when you are all ready. I am just a big believer in the big picture, I guess, and what works best for everyone in the family at the time, while trying to send as consistent a message as possible. Good luck.

Don't have much in the way of advice, only sympathy. I could have written this post! We've talked with our pediatrician about it, and he feels it is just a phase. My mother pointed out that both my sister and I did it, and my MIL said that both my husband and my SIL did it. Both my mother and MIL just let it phase out (we basically co-slept with our mom's). We've all grown up to be successful, well adjusted adults, so I guess no-harm, no foul. Now that I think about it, my 13 yr old daughter used to do it. I can't remember when she stopped, so it must not have been that long, it just really felt like an eternity at the time!

I'd say put a gate by the door. Dont let him out of his room. Add a nightlight. Give him a security object. Blanket or bear... something. I went to build-a-bear and got my daughter a plain teddy bear and she takes it everywhere now.

I think it is a phase a lot of kids go through. I just made an area in my room that the child could come and sleep on the floor if they needed to be near us. That way you have your bed, and they are in your room with you feeling safer. You could reinforce this by not laying in his bed with him when he falls alseep. Just sit on the floor next to the bed. also, let him know ahead of time if he comes upstairs, it will be to sleep in his place on the floor. Good luck!

We're in the same boat with our 3 year old. I have no idea why. Most mornings, I wake up, and he's there next to me without my knowing it. Sneaky little guy.

From what my Mother-in-Law says, my husband did the same thing at that age. They put a sleeping back on the floor and let him rest there because they were unsuccessful with other things.

People will probably recommend a baby gate at his door. From a safety standpoint, I'm not a big fan. I'm not a good sleeper either, so the whining for "Mommy" or "Daddy" would wreck any chance of sleep for me.

So, for now, we're just dealing with it. Most of my friends are having the same problem and there's no resolution with anyone. I tell you this so you know that misery loves company.

Good luck. I hope for all of us, it is just a phase.