Help with Getting My Almost 3 Year Old to Sleep Again

Why is she screaming? Is she having pain? Nightmares? Insomnia? If she is able to communicate to you why she wakes and is so upset you will be on the road to finding a solution-it's rather futile (not to mention exhausting and frustrating) to try random treatments for a problem that you cannot identify. If she's having nightmares or is otherwise scared, you might try giving her a tool to empower her. She might need a special doll that will protect her, a prayer to say, or a song to sing. (I really love the VeggieTales "Where's God when I'm Scared?" DVD...you might try watching that with her). It's so difficult to deal with fear (especially in children) since fear usually isn't based in logic, and so you can't reason it away. Just try talking to your daughter about what is going on. If she does express fears to you, validate her feelings--no matter how silly they may seem to you. She needs your support to get through this. Good luck :)

I'd go with the crying. I have always said, what is three nights to two weeks compared to a year to a lifetime? tis could be a stage like extra stress at preschool or something you don't even know about yet as she can't communicate her stress. Work on the being in the moment times with her. Work on breathing and calming (or prayer) before bed. and be honest with her. Tell her that everyone needs to be in their own beds at such time. It is the way it is and it isn't going to change. also, try to set a timer on the "cuddle" time to five montues. It is always that amount, it never changes, this is the ruotine, so on. Help her have contrl of the routine and also know what will happen tomorrow. I (mydaughter had night terrors from one to about 4 years) thought mine did much better when I told her about tomorrow, picked out an outfit and laid it out with her, etc. she was more able to relax and transition.

Hi S.,

Recently my little one went through something like this. We created a nightly ritual after her bath, that I would rock her and tell her about all the guardian angels she had here protecting her while she slept. Together we would put one on each corner of the yard, the house and then her room. Thats a lot of angels! ;)
After a couple of nights, she was fine and was back on track for sleeping snug as a bug in a rug!

Good luck hon.

No you shouldn't stay with her. It is an age that bad dreams can happen however bad habits like you laying there will be hard ones to break. Comfort her but you have to be tough about her going back to sleep herself. Is she asleep then wakes up? Or is she just fighting going to bed?

Let her scream a few nights, I am not saying ignore her fears at all either. You can check on her, give her a hug and tell her everything is fine but she needs to go back to sleep. Try talking to her the next day about how important it is she gets some sleep and doesn't wake her sister, do a reward chart or whatever when she doesn't do it.

Do a nightlight, dream catcher, or anything you think will help ease her fears. Try monster spray (water in a spray bottle) if she is truly afraid of something try and figure it out.

My son gave up naps at 3, so she may just not want them or doesn't need them and then she will be really sleepy at night. Tell her if she wants to give up naps that is fine, however she has to have an earlier bedtime. If you have to move your 15 mos old for a few nights further away from her sister or put in white noise to help drown out the crying so be it. The best thing you can do is empower her with being a big girl and not starting bad habits.

I let my kids come sleep in my room if they are sick, during bad thunderstorms at night or if they have truly had a bad dream. HOWEVER it is not a regular thing and they know it! It can become a habit very quickly. My daughter slept with me when she had her tonsils out, then two months later twisted her knee and was in a cast, she slept in my room for four months! It was hard but after being tough for two or three nights she went back into her own bed fine.