Waking up in the Middle of the Night - Simi Valley,CA

Dear A.,

I noticed that my gr grand daughter was like that when she was 2 1/2 also. I think that you need to just let her stay in her bed, or she will be easily getting the idea that she is the boss of the world, if you know what I mean. This is one way to get the upper hand with children, before they get too powerful....and they will.

You are important and you need rest so be thinking of yourself and tell her that you need rest too. She is getting old enough to be thinking of other people too.
C. N.

Hi A., I don't think the issue should be so much that she has to go back to sleep, the issue should be more that she needs to stay in her bed unless she has to go potty, you go potty then you go back to bed, you can't force a child to fall a sleep, but you can inforce them staying in their bed. If you been going into her room for 3 months, or even 3 weeks, and lye down with her, or sit on her bed, you created a habit, so now her waking up is like clock work, so now you need to reverse that, how do you do that? well when she wakes up tonight, don't go in her room, I know that, that might sound mean to you but it's not, she needs to learn that no one is coming in her room 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning, if you plan on ever getting a full night sleep, your have to reverse this thing, because right now, she controls the amount of sleep you get. We had a simular problem when my first born
a son and my husband nip it in the bud right away, it took discipline, that a mom plasted me for, but children need discipline, structure and they need boundries, with out them, they are in charge. If you want I will share more with you, just let me know, but get your rest A., becasue rested you will be a better mommy and wife, not that you are not a goon one now, you'll just be better with rest. J.

if you think she's old enough to follow through with it, my pediatrician advised to have a sun up rule. you have to stay in your bed until the sun comes up. otherwise, continue to walk her back to bed. try not to stay with her until she falls asleep...i know easier said than done.

It sounds like it's become a habit. She knows that when she wakes up, you'll come in and sit with her and she'll get to see Mommy in the middle of the night. Stop going into her room when she wakes up, and in a couple of nights she'll be sleeping all night again.