DD3 waking at 4am repeatedly, am demented

[chuffinell]

my lovely 3 year old dd seems to have got into a pattern of waking at 4am most nights - she has bad dreams, then is wide awake

she comes in to me and wants to chat for ages, i am so tired. it takes me over an hour, sometimes 2 to settle her back to sleep

i am sooooo tired i cant think straight any more, can anyone mre lucid offer me advice

she has never been a good sleeper but its really starting to affect me. she is not unhappy about anything as far as i know. i cant go on with this disturbed sleep

My ds2 does this he is 2 i am searching for the solution. This morning it was 2.30am he woke and that was it he started his day.

oh Charlee i bet you are as tired as me, you get so tired you cant see the solution clearly

hope someone can offer advice to us both

I would HIGHLY recommend the baby whisperer 'wake to sleep' solution. I thought this was the most idiotic thing I had ever heard initially, but about 6 months ago DD2 (who had previously slept through for about a year) started waking repeatedly at about 4.30ish pretty much every morning. I was going spare. This went on for about 3 months before someone suggested 'wake to sleep' I was desperate and tried it and within 3 days that was that!! AMAZING!! Basically you have to set you alarm and wake them about an hour before their usual habit wake time - so for you about 3am. It sounds utterly crazy I know. Anyway, you'll probaby find it quite hard to wake her, I would count eyes flicking open and a bit of groaning or mumbling as waking then tuck her back in. That should be enought to bump her sleep patterns and stop the 4am waking. Do this for a week or so and hope for the best.

Silly question - are you sure she's not cold?? DD2 recently started waking at 4am again every so often, and after a couple of nights I was about to launch back into the whole wake to sleep thing when I realised she was throwing off her duvet and was probably just cold. So I got a huge blanket and tucked it right round the bed under the matress so she simply cannot get it untucked and she hasn't stirred since.

One more bit of advice - if you can't face setting your alarm for 3 am, you could try waking her before you go to bed at 11pm ish. That may, or may not, be enough to jog her sleep cycle and get her through the night, you could try it for a few nights and if it doesn't work then try the 3am waking instead.

Nelly thank you for that advice, i have heard that technique discussed on here before and will give it a go

i dont think she is cold, she sleeps in socks pjs, vest and a duvet cover and a coverlet thing - maybe too warm? i may laeve her socks off and tuck her in as you suggest

i will try anything! she says she has bad dreams (a snake with 2 mouths on its back last night) and shes got in the habit on coming into bed with me then chatting away

i need to break this cycle i feel terrible today

thanks for the resonse - any more advice anyone? am begging now?!