3 year old tantrums in the night - help

[Albertatata]

DS is a nightmare at the mo. he used to sleep so well but now I can't remember the last time he slept through. It used to be he would just wake up for a wee and then he would go back to bed no problem. Now though for the last week he seems to be waking up and being completely irrational, tantrumming about everything, refusing to get back into the bed, refusing to lie down, the light is to bright, when its off its too dark etc etc but generally he just screams and screams.

I start off trying to reason with him but thrn get more and more cross. My DH is on nights this week and DS2 is 1year and is ill with a virus at the moment (high fever & I've just found him covered in vomit). DS1 is waking him every night. In fact the tantrum only stopped tonight when he saw his brother covered in sick.

I'm exhausted & at the end of my tether - how should I handle it? Everyday he swear she won!t tantrum in the night - every night it's the same

Sorry about typos - using cracked iPhone!

Have you googled "night terrors"?
That is what it sounds like to me.

When children have night terrors they aren't properly awake - they don't recognise who you are, or where they are. It is worth doing some reading to see if this might be what is happening.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-terrors/pages/introduction.aspx

www.nhs.uk/conditions/night-terrors/pages/introduction.aspx

We've had the same with ds, also 3. He too used to be a fantastic sleeper and all of a sudden has started to refuse to sleep. In fact I could have written your exact same post, down to the younger, poorly sibling being woken by the screaming.

We seemed to be in a viscous circle because the worse ds slept and more tired he became, the more he'd tantrum and the less sleep he'd get so he'd tantrum more. I don't think it's night terrors because he's awake when it happens - refusing to go to bed in the first place or waking for a wee/poo and then throwing another one.

We tried reasoning. Didn't work: made it worse. We tried ignoring. Didn't work: he'd cry for England, I'd get more upset/angry and not sleep and would wake his sister and the neighbours. Now we're trying bribery which seems to be working better costing us an arm and a leg and since he's getting more sleep he's not tantrumming as much.

We send him to bed, as usual, and I tell him that if he goes straight to sleep I'll get him a magazine or toy or choccy coin ready for morning. If he's really upset I stay with him, even get into bed with him, and stroke his face as he drops off. I do the same when I lift him for potty later on.

It's exhausting and frustrating when they won't sleep despite being tired; and at night, when you're tired as well, it's even harder to deal with it calmly. Hope you, and I, get a better night's sleep very soon and that our younger children get well quickly. Have plenty of and to help with your sanity!

No advice only sympathy. My 3.4 yr old DD is waking most nights too, usually for hours at a time, and also resisting going to bed in the first place. I have a 6 month old who is poorly and waking too so beyond exhausted. I'm praying its a developmental thing which will settle down soon.

I'm pretty sure it's not night terrors - he seems awake and is able to tell me he doesn't want to go back to bed, I want to stay up etc.

I'm beyond exhausted. I'm going to try the bribery trick tonight - if he doesn't do it we will go to soft play (& I'll give him a chocolate button or something).

He seems to just spend all his time screaming at me & I have just started to ignore him but its impossible to ignore it in the middle of the night when he is pulling in my leg and refusing to get into bed.

Fingers crossed for tonight - I'm so tired

What time does he go to bed?
If he is very overtired/overstimulated you may have to aim for an earlier bed time, encourage a nap in the middle of the day, and limit stimulating activities before bed. No noisy or exciting games for example.

He naps roughly 1-3pm (sometimes a tad more or less). Althoygh he can have up to 3hrs somedays. Then he is in bed 7.30-8pm. He is and always has been an early riser - we have a gro clock now so he is up a bang on 6am everyday but god knows how long he is awake for waiting for it to change to sunshine! People have suggested dropping the nap but I'm really reluctant to as he does always seem tired. (& it's my only peaceful time)

3 is quite old to still be having a nap.

What does he want when he wakes up? Does he want to come into your bed or does he not seem to know what he wants?

Are you potty training and have you tried lifting him before this time in case it's a full bladder/uncomfortable full nappy?