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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Please help! 7yo hasn't slept through for 6 weeks, and it's getting worse. Strategies please

7 replies

Orinoco · 14/10/2008 07:48

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OP posts:

katiek123 · 14/10/2008 08:00

orinoco - definitely resist your DH's strategy - mine would say just the same by the way!! - but there is so obviously a huge anxiety and insecurity component here rather than plain naughtiness that your more compassionate approach is the right one. no time to add more but will come back! our 7 yr old has never slept through tho it's not as dramatic as the situation you describe. i feel for you though!! but it does sound like a temporary situation in your case (hopefully) did she used to sleep through just fine before the school situation began?

Original poster

Orinoco · 14/10/2008 10:15

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OP posts:

katiek123 · 14/10/2008 10:19

i know orinoco - you just get beside yourself with the sleep deprivation - my DH is a nice guy too really - back later - still rushed!

cory · 14/10/2008 10:22

I'd let her come into my bed the first time and hope she went to sleep. Unorthodox, but I'm telling it as it is. Dd has done a lot of this over the years. My dh would never dream of a lock for the door. He just sneaks off and sleeps in her bed...

soapbox · 14/10/2008 10:34

I always take the view that in older children, waking during the night is something that is anxiety related and as a consequence have always let them snuggle in bed with us. If needs be DH or I decamp to the spare room to give more room in our bed for the cuckoo

Dealing with it in this way, helps to make them feel more secure and as a result probably reduces the length of time the night waking goes on for.

I hope that your DH is not being 'angry' around her - she really has enough stress in her little life right now and needs her dad (and you) to be her support right now.

Original poster

Orinoco · 14/10/2008 20:26

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JackieNoHeadJustABloodyStump · 14/10/2008 20:31

I guess this is a bit different, but DD went through a phase of waking up in the night and coming in to us because 'I can't get back to sleep'. We couldn't work out any particular reason for it, so in the end we did her a star chart, which we stuck on the outside of our bedroom door, so she saw it when she was on her way in to wake us up. We did, of course, say that if she was feeling ill or anything, she could come in and wake us up. I'm not sure this would work with your DD though, as it's more difficult if she's upset about things. It did work for us, after a week or 2. Maybe worth a try?

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