My 2 and a half year old wont sleep through the night

[keys27]

Good morning guys,

I sitting here in exhaustion due to my little girl who is 2 a half. Over the last few weeks she wakes up around 3 times a night just calling me and wont stop until I go in to her where she either says "tuck me in" or "make me a bot bot". We've tried ignoring her but as my husband is a scaffolder I worry as he needs to sleep.

Im also 19 weeks pregnant and need my sleep as well I am starting to feel so ill during the day due to the tiredness.

She has sweets during the day as a treat for using her potty. Could this be the reason for her waking normally around 12am 3 am and 5am?

Any help and advice would be really appreciated. As I need to get this sorted before he new baby arrives.

Thank you guys x

[Fairylea]

Have you tried a reward chart? You know, saying if she stays in bed and doesn't call for you and goes back to sleep she gets a sticker, so many stickers and she gets a treat?

Sorry for quick post.. just an idea.

[GoldPlatedNineDoors]

What about a clock where the sun comes up - think its a GroClock - she must wait til the sun comes up (at a time you predetermine) to get up. Agree reward chart would work well too.

[TheCountessOlenska]

^^I have heard that Gro Clocks are good too - I am thinking of getting one, my 2 and a half year old wakes in the night as well!

Sometimes we have a good night and she sleeps through but usually she cries out - just the once because I then go and get in with her

It needs to stop though because I am 21 weeks and soon I won't fit in her single bed!

Good luck OP - it is a pain!

[LaTrucha]

I just did a reward chart with my 4 year old and my 2.5 year old last night. They only woke once whichis impressive as they had been waking constantly.

[FangsGoForTheMaidensThroat]

I think the key is also to be as boring as possible when you go in, stick to a phrase like 'it's sleep time now' and don't say anything else, then hopefully the reward shehas from you going in will be less enticing.

[addictedtolatte]

reward charts are the bees knees. i cant believe how effective they are i love them.

[keys27]

Thanks guys for the advice I will go get her a sticker chart today and will try that. Would you stick the chart up on her bedroom or downstairs?

I will also look at this Gro Clock today as well I am willing to try anything at this point. She likes the hallway light left on even though she has a night light. Once she has gone down to sleep do you think its worth me turning turning the hallway light off and just keeping her night light on?

She has done this before but she stopped and it was only once a night this time is constant and I can time it. She is in no distress and 9 times out of 10 I come back down to make her a bottle and when I come back up shes asleep. Or she wont touch it she gives it to her teddy.

She has a lot of cuddly toys in her bed and a few books which I leave in after story time for her to read to get her off to sleep if she wants to. Is this a bad idea as she can wake up and start playing? And do you think the sweets could have something to do with it?

Sorry for all the questions I find its much better getting advice from other mummy's than seeking advice from a Health visitor or Doctor.

Thank you all again for your quick responses

x

[poppy283]

Thanks for this thread, Dd is 2.2 and has just started coming into our bed - 3 timeslast night!

Nice to have cuddles but I can't sleep with her there and she wakes up ds, who is 11 weeks and was starting to sleep through.

Might be related to teatime battles we're having too - the joys of 2 year olds eh?!

[TheCountessOlenska]

Sorry to add another reward chart question - do you have to make it yourself or can you buy them from somewhere?

OP I wouldn't worry about a couple of sweets over the course of the day. Is she getting lots of exercise though? I find my 2 year old sleeps better if she's had LOTS of running around in the fresh air - I should make sure this happens every day really!

[MavisGrind]

I have a ds (3.6) who gets in with me every night. We had a reward chart but that wore off after a week so now as well as getting into bed at 2am he first says "but I don't want a sticker"
I keep telling myself its a phase but it's been 2 years now..
Watching this thread with interest!

[Fairylea]

I wouldn't worry about the sweets as longas it isn't too close to bedtime (ie high sugar content may wake her up a bit!)

I also wouldn't worry about leaving the hall light on - we always do - and if she's used to it turning it off may create more problems than it solves!

You can make a reward chart - get her to help you decorate it. It only has to be simple... some lines for stickers and the days. A big tick or stickers at the end of each week of stickers equals a treat of some sort ... maybe at first a treat for first couple of nights to get her motivated.

I'd also give her a drink of water to have in her bedroom so she doesn't have to wake you for a drink or can't use that as an excuse .

Also I would encourage her to sleep but if she ends up playing silently I would still count that as a success... the aim is you get to sleep! If she wakes you up then she loses her sticker for that night.

I would also maybe give a special teddy his own bed. Tuck him up after she has had her story as part of the bedtime routine and say see you in the morning. When it's morning get teddy up too and say wow didn't he do well sleeping so well etc..... role play is everything at this age !!

Been through all this with dd now aged 9 .... you'll be pleased to know it doesn't last that long even if it feels like it !!

[keys27]

Thank you that advice I will definitely start this sticker chart up today and will post back in a week to let you know how it went. I just spoken to OH and he told me to get the Gro clock as well so we will try that.

I told her last night before she went to bed if she sleeps through the night I would take her to see her Aunties horse down the stables but after the night I have had I am well and truly zapped out. But do I still take her so she gets fresh air and she can run around or am I rewarding her bad behaviour.

She wont drink anything of a night except milk to maybe the water is a good idea to stop her asking me for a bottle in the night

[Fairylea]

Something else that might help... about the same age my dd wouldn't give up her bottle so we wrote a letter to the "bottle fairy" saying please take my bottle as I'm a big girl and I don't need milk during the night anymore etc and we folded it up and put it inside the bottle. We left the bottle on the front doorstep and I told dd that if she slept well the bottle fairy would come and leave her a letter saying thank you and take the bottle for younger babies that needed it ...... worked a treat!

When she came down I'd put a letter saying thank you etc and she didn't ask it again as she knew we didn't have it.

(I kept the bottle and letter and will embarrass her with that one when she is older !!)