DD Won't Sleep Through the Night...What to do?

[QueenTrident]

For about a month now, DD (4) wakes up at about 1:30 a.m., crying hysterically or just calling out, over and over, MOM-MEEEE! When I check on her, she usually just wants a hug or a rub and sometimes asks if she can sleep with me.

Should I continue to comfort and kiss her when she wakes up? Or, should I start ignoring her or even yell at her? I don't know how many more nights I can take - I didn't think I'd have to worry about sleepless nights for at least another 3.5 months!

 

[holycow]

Does she have to use the potty?
I know DD#3 would wake up every nite...oh, I'd be soooo tired! but all she really needed to do was to go potty...

or how about some nice music to soothe her...

Is she anxious about little prince coming?

Good luck! and I hope you get to rest during the day!

Holycow

 

[jfulcer]

It could be a growth spurt. Or just a temporary relapse of the night sleeping skills. I don't know if I would ignore her at this point and let her cry (or yell at her either). I'd go in, make sure she was ok and get her to lay back down like you have. If she's used to sleeping in her own bed, bringing her into yours will create another habit that you will have to break later, so I wouldn't resort to that.

Have you tried to head it off a little? Go in at one, tuck her in - give her a favorite stuffed animal, rub her head/arm/side like you do when she starts crying? That may be enough to lull her back into her slumber...

Good luck! I've always told new parents to not get too upset at the sleepless nights, they are only this little once, so it's a small price to pay. Besides, think about 13 years from now when she's out on a date/etc and how you'll be staying up till she comes home. At least you don't have THAT worry now...

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I agree with both of the above posters.

DD has been waking up lately and crying. If I take her to the bathroom that takes care of it 99% of the time.

My Nephew gets pains in his legs from growth spurts. It really hurts him and wakes him up.

I would not yell because there is most likely some underlying problem. Keep comforting, taking her to the bathroom, etc. Hopefully it is just a phase.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

When I was pregnant w/ my 2nd, my DS decided he wanted to get up at 2 or 3 in the morning and he would jump up and down heavily in his crib, giggling, laughing, not unhappy.... Just having a good time. Some told me to turn off the monitor but I was too afraid for fear he would hurt himself and I'd never know. Some told me to let him get it out of his system, but when I did, he would bounce for 2 hours and my DH and I needed to be awake the next day. So I would go up and put him back into bed, but when I left, he'd start up again. Finally I would sleep on the floor beside his crib and put him back down every time he got up. I talked to my doctor at the next appt and they told me that he was ready for a big boy bed. At 2 we moved him over and he's been sleeping thru the night ever since. Go figure.

I have no idea why being in a crib would make him want to jump. But I wanted you to know that weird behavior pops up out of no where and there is probably a very simple solution for it. I thought our problem was that he was subconciously aware of the new baby coming. But who knows. I'm sure if you try a couple of these suggestions the other posters are giving you, one just might do the trick.

By the way, my DD (who just turned a year old) finally slept thru the night about 3 wks ago for the first time and has been for 3 wks. I blame her lack of sleeping skills on her brother who kept the 2 of us up thru my pregnancy. It took me a year to break her of it. But she finally clicked and now she sleeps like a log. Thank Goodness!!

 

[QueenTrident]

I would never actually yell at her, but would like to get it across to her that if she really only wants a hug or a kiss, to please not scream like she's being beaten! It scares the heck out of me every night. I run into her room, heart racing (cause this might be the ONE time she is hurt) and she sweetly says, "Kissie!" (That's the other thing she's been doing lately - a lot of baby talk).

I think some of it is anxiety over the baby. On the outside, she seems to be handling it well, but her teacher told me the other day that she asked if we were still going to want ther after the baby's born. Also, one time I called her "big sister" and she just sulked and said, "I don't want to be the big sister. I just want to be Emily."

So, I've tried to cut back on the baby coming stuff, but now that my tummy's getting bigger, it's hard. She has so many questions.

I'll try the potty thing, but she tends to think if I let her up, she's coming into my bed - and I'm not about to start that!

 

[kimwim8]

It could possibly be nightmares. Has she watched a new kind of tv show or movie? Something in there might be a little scary.

 

[JVL1018]

Both of my kids wake up-my son almost every night and my daughter a couple of times a week. Usually between 2-4 am.

They usually don't call out for us, though-they come into our room and whipser(loudly!) SCOOTCH OVER and try to get into bed. LOL
If it's one child we let them sleep with us alot of the time.(if one is already with us and the next one comes in, they can't stay-we only have a queen LOL)
If we're feeling cramped or they won't stay still DH takes them back to their room, lays with them for a couple minutes and comes back to bed.

In your situation I would continue to go in and comfort her, no talking, just shhhhh shhh shh that kind of thing and leave as soon as she calms down, preferably before she's already back to sleep.

 

[JVL1018]

HEY!!! I got tagged=thank you tag fairy!!!

 

[decker96]

I was going to ask you if you thought it was the fact that you were having another baby. When our 2nd (DS) was born, my oldest DD was 3. She didn't start waking up in the night, but she did regress in other ways the closer I got to my due date. Alot of it centered around behavior, baby talk, wanting me to get her dressed (even though she had REFUSED to let me do this for 3 months), wanting us to feed her her food, doing things she knew she shouldn't. We bought and checked out from the library ALOT of books about being a big sister and having a new baby. We would tell her how she could teach her new brother things and he would look up to her. We reassured her that she would still be just as important to us as she was now and there would be more than enough love to go around.
When her brother was born, she was excited but after the third day home asked when we were taking him back to the hospital! LOL! But, this didn't last very long and they are now best buddies.
I would continue to reassure her during the day, extra hugs, kisses, tell her that you love her. I wouldn't totally stop talking about the new baby, but talk about him in relation to your DD. How great being a big sister is, etc. At night when you put her to bed, give her extra kisses and tell her they're enough to last her all night. I've also heard of people letting their kids sleep with a shirt of theirs that smells like the parent. Tell her to cuddle up with that at night.
Good luck! I know how much it stinks when you're getting no sleep, especially when you're pregnant!