3 and a half yo stopped sleeping through

[raaboonah]

I need some ideas of what to try next. DS1 has always been a good sleeper but since Christmas he has been up several times in the night nearly every night. DH goes in to settle him and reassure him that all is fine but some nights he shouts again just a few minutes later. DS1 is rather particular and usually won't let me go in and DH is just exhausted from disrupted sleep almost every night.

I went back to work after DS2 at the beg of Dec so I don't know if that is causing the issues as we've had some childcare reliability problems so been all over the place, lacking routine.

We've got a gro clock which helped with early waking and nights when he woke but now he just ignores it in the night it seems. We've done sticker charts with rewards but he has never managed to do more than 2 nights in a row so we haven't given him the big reward which we've saved for 3 nights sleeping through.

So help me please. We've fi.ally got DS2 sleeping through and we're still not getting enough sleep.

What does your ds1 want when your dh goes in? What does he say?

He wants a drink/cuddle or has sore arms/legs. We think he has some growing pains so we've been putting cream (read vicks vapour rub) on his legs if he sats they hurt. Other times you ask what is wrong and you can see hom searching for something to say so it looks like he just wants to see us.

I've put pictures of me, DH and DS2 on his room so he can still see us at night and now he says he was sad in the night as we weren't there

I would maybe start a reward chart with sleeping all night being one of the things he's rewarded for.

He may well be unsettled a little if you've recently returned to work. Does he have a set bedtime routine?

Our ds started with growing pains around three ish too. Never heard of rubbing Vicks on, but we used to give his legs and feet a good rub.

We've got a reward chart for other things and we have sleeping through on it but he doesn't seem that bothered about it even if we say he'll get something he really wants.

Rapid return (involved some crying) worked for us. Did take more than 2 nights to have an effect though.

Have you seen GP about the 'growing pains'?

I'd say he really needs the reassurance then. Can you get your DH to camp in with him for a bit? This works for DH then he starts sleeping through again and is fine. M

Oddly DS1 still calls us to get him out of bed so don't know how rapid return would work as he doesn't actually get out of bed.

Seen gp about legs. She examined thoroughly and said nothing to see and give calpol if he seems in real pain.
So we do that if he does seem in pain.

Am a bit nervous about DH camping in and it becoming a 'thing' he has to do for ds to sleep.

Sorry don't seen ro be receptive but feel like we've tried/thought of most things!

OP I feel your pain! My DD has just turned 3 and is doing the same. I would always hear her first so would pop in and give her a quick cuddle and she'd go straight back to sleep. Trouble is I had DS a week ago so am always feeding when she calls out now (she doesn't get up either) so DH goes and just falls asleep with her then his snoring wakes her up again!! Not really a helpful post I know just a sympathetic one! Good luck tonight - DH is already in with DD

Camping out can reassure him. Because he's crying out every time - you may as well maximise sleep for all. He won't be doing it when he's 21 hopefully

My ds is similar age to yours and has recently gone through a real phase of doing the same. Has been about 3 months but he is now improving massively - we were being woken by him 2/3 times a night at one point (plus a night feed for ds2!) and it was fairly grim.

I just kept going to him but only briefly - not allowing him into our bed, but a quick cuddle in his / drink of water - and he does now seem to be coming out the other side. He has slept through every night this week.

We are still potty training which I thought might have something to do with it. Sometimes it did appear to be full-on night terrors but most often he just needed to know we were there.

So no miracle advice really, just to say hopefully THIS TOO WILL PASS!