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Original poster

To think I’ll never sleep again? Please help!!

25 replies

GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 20:50

I’ve posted here for traffic so I’m sorry if this is the wrong place but I am very much tearing my hair out.

My DS is 2.5 and has suddenly become really scared of the sound of wind on his bedroom window, we live in an open area so there’s nothing sheilding the house from it. I’ve tried explaining to him what the wind does/we’re not scared of it/making things positive/telling the wind off. He’s waking up at least 4-5 times a night petrified at the moment because it’s stormy weather and we are both exhausted! I’m tearing my hair out and I don’t know what to do 😢 why did it have to be this he was scared of?

We are near quite a busy road and the cars don’t seem to bother him so I’ve tried explaining it’s the cars too, I just don’t know what to do anymore, I’m working full time and this morning I was so tired I could literally feel myself dropping off as I was sat up.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

OP posts:
WhooooAmI24601 · 02/01/2018 20:52

Is it at all possible you could use a white noise machine in his room? On youtube there are white noise recordings that last hours you could try playing, or worst case scenario put him into your be so that you can at least try and get a little rest?

Original poster
GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 20:55

Thank you, I’ve tried white noise and unfortunately that just seems to keep him awake as does light show things, I’m at my wits end because I’ve caved and had him in bed with me but he’s so wriggly and ends up booting me in the face/ribs etc and so to be honest it’s even more exhausting. :(

OP posts:
WhooooAmI24601 · 02/01/2018 20:58

Oh no, DS2 is like that but loved being in our bed so eventually we bought the biggest bed on earth just so we could get some sleep. No help to you tonight, though. Flowers and sympathy, sleep-deprivation is a whole new level of torture so you have my sympathy. Hopefully someone can offer some useful suggestions.

Knittedfairies · 02/01/2018 21:01

Is he afraid of the sound of the wind, or the actual wind? If the latter, could you find some fun activities to do in the wind - blowing bubbles, sailing a boat, flying a kite etc?

Zaphodsotherhead · 02/01/2018 21:06

How about audio books on Audible playing while he's dropping off to sleep/overnight? I am a very bad sleeper so I keep books on my phone (nothing too stimulating but, my god, I know a lot about physics now...) playing all night. It blocks a lot of outside noise and helps me drop off again if I wake up. It's like having someone soothingly read to you all night.

Might this work for him?

John4703 · 02/01/2018 21:07

No advice apart from saying that my parents method was crap. I used to wake up with the sound of the wind in the chimney. My father told me that it was a wolf coming down the chimney and that it would eat me if I did not go to sleep.
I wonder why I hated never liked my father?

ShimmeringIce · 02/01/2018 21:09

Does the window sealant need replacing? That caused a very spooky sound in DD’s room

limon · 02/01/2018 21:10

I wouldn't hesitate to sleep in with him, if it meant not having to physically get out of bed 4/5 times a night.

Original poster
GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 21:15

Thanks all. knittedfairies it’s the sound I think, he doesn’t like the wind in his face but only when it’s extremely windy like at the moment!
John4703 I’m trying my hardest to be as motherly as possible about this but I have to admit I have said to him, it’s just wind - it won’t hurt you!! I would never make up stories about wolves though Shock
ShimmeringIce we are in a fairly newly built house so perhaps it was a bit crap to start with, but this is how batshit crazy I have gone - I have sellotaped the vent up and the sides of the windows!!!
limon I’ve done this the past three nights but honestly it’s still exhausting just getting up when he’s up and settling him back down, not to mention the chronic back pain getting from sleeping on a very flat travel mattress!

OP posts:
Nomad86 · 02/01/2018 21:17

Could you swap bedrooms with him for a bit? Or put him on a camp bed in your room until you've had some sleep?

Original poster
GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 21:17

WhooooAmI24601 thank you Flowers it really is horrendous Sad
Zaphodsotherhead it’s a good idea as I do this too but I think it would keep him up like other things (white noise etc)

OP posts:
Original poster
GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 21:19

Nomad86 we’ve tried having him in with us in his travel cot but because he’s in his own bed he refuses to go in it - it has to be a bed, our room is at the front of the house too so it’s just as bad in ours and to be honest at the back it’s not much better as it seems to swirl around the house so it’s quite ‘hard’ wind at the front and loads of noises at the back (bin flying around/vent flapping) etc

OP posts:
Duckstar · 02/01/2018 21:21

Baby headphones/ear muffs?

UnaOfStormhold · 02/01/2018 21:23

I wonder if he needs you to acknowledge that he is scared rather than telling him not to be scared. I don't know if you've read How to talk so kids will listen but this is a key principle. Basically just listen and empathise without trying to make him not be scared. And when he's ready, you can suggest some nice simple things that he could do to feel better when he's scared, maybe hug a teddy or something age appropriate.

Duckstar · 02/01/2018 21:24

Something like this

To think I’ll never sleep again? Please help!!
Tronkmanton · 02/01/2018 21:40

We had exactly this same problem with our DD who was a bit older, 6 I think. There were two parts to the problem- the Wizard of Oz, and faulty window sealant. Unbeknownst to us class teacher showed the scary black & white version of the Wizard of Oz to DD’s class which left her hysterical every time the wind got up. This was combined with a high pitched whistling noise in her room when the wind blew. We lived in a newish house at the time and for some reason it took us years to work out that the external window sealant needed replacing (ShimmeringIce!!!). We tried everything to stop the noise (it was in our room too) like removing and taping up the vents etc. We also tried everything to stop her complete terror of the wind- kite flying, pretending to be aeroplanes in the garden, Medised, visiting the school nurse - you name it! As with all things though with children, just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, the terror went away. As other posters have said, just acknowledging it and talking helps- more tricky with a 2 year old though. So not much help really- other than check your window sealant...and don’t watch the Wizard of Oz!!

Original poster
GiveMeStrengthOrADaquiri · 02/01/2018 21:55

@duckstar I have exactly those earmuffs for him from fireworks night but turned out he loved them in the end!! He just won’t keep them on that’s the trouble Sad thank you though!!
@Unaofstormhold I have tried to do that but it’s so hard with a 2 and a half year old he just doesn’t seem to understand bless him!
@Tronkmanton ah thank you I will take a look at this!! I think the seal is rubbish to be honest there is a bit of a breeze that gets in from the windows and I’ve often thought they’re just cheap ones!! And I won’t be letting him watch Wizard of Oz!! Ha ha

OP posts:
DontCallMeJohnBoy · 02/01/2018 21:58

I think I'd keep trying with the positives - look up stories like "the wind blew" by Pat Hutchins, or, also by Pat Hutchins, Good-night Owl, or "Peace at last" by Jill Murphy, both about animals who are kept awake when they're trying to sleep.

You know how they won't get dressed so you "race" them and they magically manage to get dressed first? Dare your son that you'll go to sleep before him, and not be kept awake like the stories, and see if he can get himself off.

Dragonfree · 02/01/2018 22:01

Two and a half may be a bit young, but have you thought of going shopping together to buy something that would "make him brave" / "protect him from the wind". I'm thinking along the lines of magic stones (you can get some lovely glittery ones) or a specific teddy.

littletinyme1 · 02/01/2018 22:01

One of you sleeps with toddler, other one goes somewhere else-sofa? Dr Who caused an outbreak of bed time hysteria here- DP relegated to sofa since he allowed child to watch 'angels'episode.took 6 months!!!

ScarlettDarling · 02/01/2018 22:01

Op, try not to worry too much. It's just a phase and it will pass as suddenly as it started, these things always do. I'd be tempted just to ride it out without bringing him into bed with me if I were you. If he wakes, go through and stay with him until he's calm, then return to bed. Hopefully it will pass very soon.

mnahmnah · 02/01/2018 22:04

Have you thought about some mindfulness techniques? Might just settle his mind and calm him a little, help him to switch off??? I use an app with my DS, the kids version of ‘stop, breathe and think’. He loves it and has helped calm him down generally and settle to sleep

AntiHop · 02/01/2018 22:06

Try playing the rabbit who wants to fall asleep on YouTube in the background.

lettuceWrap · 02/01/2018 22:11

DS, 7, sleeps better with the radio (usually R4) droning on in the background. It obscures wind, traffic noice (we are rural but on the ambulance route from country side to the nearest city!).

DonutDiv · 02/01/2018 22:15

DD is similar. Its really howling here. Shes snoring next to me at the moment.Xmas Hmm

I have to put a pillow longways between us, so she doesnt kick me or roll on me.

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