Help--DD4 waking up every night

[Vacation Lover]

I'm at my wits end! Every night I pray to get a solid nights sleep--I feel like I have an infant again. For the past few months my DD4 has been waking up 1-2 times almost every night. When she wakes up, she walks downstairs to our bedroom, I carry her back to her bed and she goes right back to sleep. Occasionally she asks for water, but usually she's asleep before I close her door.

Her bedtime is between 8 and 8:30, and she wakes up between 6 and 6:30; she hasn't napped in years. Maybe she's waking up because she's overtired, but since my DH doesn't get home until 7:00, it's hard to get her in bed before 8. I'd love for her to sleep later, but she wakes up on her own around 6:00 every morning. Any suggestions for getting her to sleep through the night?

 

[ilandrazdsw]

Is she hearing something outside that could be waking her...some white noise could help (like a box fan).
Is she the first one up in the morning or does she hear you/DH up? Is the sun coming in her room that early waking her?
Is she sleepwalking?
Good Luck

 

[zoemurr]

but my son went through that at about her age. We finally put a sleeping bag by the side of our bed. He could wake up and come in and sleep there, but he was not allowed to wake us up. We found him there almost every morning for months, until he decided it wasn't worth it I guess.

The other thing that has worked for us is putting CD players in their rooms. Sometimes I hear The Wiggles at 4am, but it comforts/distracts them enough that they don't feel the need to come get us up.

Can she entertain herself in the morning? My kids would never try to wake us up at 6am. From the time they were very little they knew not to come in until there was a 7 as the first #. Now they are 7/10 and get up on weekends and make their own breakfast and keep themselves busy while we sleep in.

This too will pass..

 

[SmallWorld71]

but my son went through that at about her age. We finally put a sleeping bag by the side of our bed. He could wake up and come in and sleep there, but he was not allowed to wake us up. We found him there almost every morning for months, until he decided it wasn't worth it I guess.

The other thing that has worked for us is putting CD players in their rooms. Sometimes I hear The Wiggles at 4am, but it comforts/distracts them enough that they don't feel the need to come get us up.

Can she entertain herself in the morning? My kids would never try to wake us up at 6am. From the time they were very little they knew not to come in until there was a 7 as the first #. Now they are 7/10 and get up on weekends and make their own breakfast and keep themselves busy while we sleep in.

This too will pass..

I was going to say something similar. DS10 and DD6 both went through something similar around that age. Our bedroom was right off the living room. We told them they were not allowed to wake us up but that they could sleep on the couch if they wanted which was right outside our door. It worked for each of them and they each eventually stopped getting up. I think DS did it for longer, maybe 6 months compared to DD's 2. At first, I would hear them getting up but then I slept through it which was nice.
Both have CD players in their room also. DS10 used the same CD for YEARS. It was a mix of songs one of his pre-school teachers made. He just stopped using it last year when he went to bed. LOL
DD's music of choice is HSM - whatever works!
FWIW- both sleep fine now. DD6 sleeps from 7:30-7:00 most days and DS10 from 8:30 - 7:30.

Also, DD was an early riser. Starting at age 4, I left a drink in the fridge for her and she would get that and a yogurt and watch some T.V. while eating. Gave me time to wake up.

Good luck.

 

[Tricia's mom]

I do agree this too shall pass. We've been going thru the same with our almost 2 year old (different from 4 yr old I know) I'm a bad sleeper ! So my suggestion is not to form a habit with her. Bad sleeping habits happen very easily and can be broken fairly easy. My suggestion is not to take her back upstairs but to tell her to go back to bed by herself or "read" a book in her room. I hope you find a solution soon !! Good Night.

 

[WantToGoNow]

My dd turned 5 in December and she knows not to wake me up in the middle of the night. She does get up herself though because there's usually toys out in her room that wasn't there the night before - she gets up, plays and then goes back to sleep. Yesterday morning, she left a bloody tissue on the living room floor from a nosebleed in the night. On the occassional Saturday or Sunday morning that ds7 and dd5 are awake before me, they go to the living room, turn on the TV, grab some cereal and occupy themselves until I get up (I never sleep past 8-8:30).

If she's waking up every morning at 6:00, maybe she's going to bed too early and she's rested by then.

 

[nessz79]

I think she may be overtired, OP, as you sort of guessed. It's possible that she's actually sleepwalking to your bed every night, especially if it's around the same time. Occasionally, my youngest comes to the side of my bed in the middle of the night. When I ask him what's wrong, he just stands there. I'll walk him back to bed and that's the end of it. I think subconsciously he's looking for the comfort. This may sound mean, but if you don't give them the comfort at that wrong time of the day, they will stop seeking it.

Sounds like she needs to go to bed earlier if there's any way you can manage that. If it's impossible (and I understand) try talking to her at bedtime and remind her that she's to stay in her bed. Then, if she still gets up, I would not allow her in your bed but walk her back to her bed and tell her to go to sleep. I think that would fix itself pretty quickly.

Just my humble opinion

 

[saremca]

Is she by any chance getting her molars? I know my kids always woke up at night when they had teeth coming in.

 

[bellebud]

Maybe she's waking up because she's overtired, but since my DH doesn't get home until 7:00, it's hard to get her in bed before 8.

Is there any way to have her IN bed at 7pm, waiting for daddy to come home and have special 1-on-1 time w/ her for a half hour or so?* I'm sure your dh is tired when he walks in the door at 7pm, and maybe won't want to do this, but it's worth asking.

 

[Vacation Lover]

Thanks for all the great responses. I think it is the overtired thing. Last night I had her in bed by 7:15 and she slept through until 6:15. I also kept the bathroom fan on all night for some white noise.

My older DD sleepwalks when she's overtired, so it is possible that she's sleepwalking. I'm going to start having her ready for bed at 7:00, then try to have her in bed by 7:30 after we eat dinner as a family.