3.5 Yr Old Bedtime/nighttime Battles

[Frasras11]

So, we used to be smug parents as DS slept through the night from 8 weeks old. However, now at the age of 3.5 I can only describe his sleeping as abysmal.

Over the last few months it has deteriorated to the point where last night there was a mega battle to get him into bed. After his bath and story he starts with wanting to wee. Not once but every 5-10 minutes. This is usually accompanied by a tantrum. It can go on for hours. He has a baby gate on the door now to keep him in the room and we have tried to call him out on the wee and he has purposely wet himself. When we do let him out for a wee he is on the loo for a second or so, so he really doesn't need it.

He will eventually fall asleep after a couple of hours of this but then wakes in the night with a repeat of this behaviour. Last night it went on from about 1am to 3.30am.

When he does sleep through we do praise and reward that behaviour. However there are more nights like last night than good ones. I'm 11 weeks pregnant and I am so tired. I'm becoming a bit irrational at 2 am. Last night I was shouting like a banshee then was so wound up I couldn't sleep after he quietened down.

Have other people had this after having a good sleeper? How did you deal with it. I'm trying to be consistent but it's difficult. I feel like I'm near the end of my tether.

Help please!

Put a potty in his room for short term (check and empty as required).
Reduce drink time at bedtime. So no drinks about 30 mins - 1 hour before bed.
Ensure he's gone to the toilet then tuck him in. Hug and kiss and put on night light on way out.
Shut babygate and bedroom door and say night night.
Ignore yelling and shouting and calmly go up to "check" on him.
Reward him calmly settling down and empty potty if required.

We have started to reduce the drink at bedtime and went looking for the potty tonight. I can stay calm at the bedtime fuss. It's the early hours I'm finding so difficult to stay calm and measured for.

DP and I take in turns to get up and put him back but it's the tantrum type melt down that accompanies it at these ungodly hours that try our patience. Then I just feel guilty and a really bad mother for shouting.

I wonder if there's a change St that age cos all of a sudden our amazing sleeper gas started waking in the early hours. We'd put it down to our new baby, but I'm beginning to wonder. Hopefully it's just a phase & normal service will resume shortly....