4.5YO suddenly refusing to sleep alone

[Littleguggi]

4.5YO DD has suddenly decided she no longer wants to sleep alone in her own bed/ bedroom.

This has been promoted by the recent stormy weather and fireworks, both of which terrified her. We took to her sleeping in our bed or with her 6YO sister just to settle her, but now she's had a taste of that she wants it to continue.

She is naturally an anxious child but has always previously slept well, she would even look forward to going to bed.

Now she says she is scared about sleeping alone in case she had a bad dream. Bedtimes have become so difficult and she ends up in her sisters single bed which is just too small for them both. We move her back into her own bed when she is asleep but at some point in the night she makes her way to her sisters bed again.

I'm out of ideas on how to manage this situation, can anyone help?

Just to add I do think she is genuinely anxious as she will work herself up just before bedtime, cry, shake, seek reassurance, avoidance.

I would be inclined to lean into it, find a way to meet her need for reassurance with minimal disruption to you and other DD. A camp bed at the end of your bed or in sister’s room? She will soon grow tired of it

Thanks @Potatomashed that's my thinking too but DH wants to take a firm stance on it. I have even looked into rearranging her sisters bedroom ie getting a double bed/ bunk bed/ moving her bed over. I just don't want to make the situation worse by making these adjustments and for it to go on long term as I feel that would be giving her the wrong message about using avoidance to cope with anxious situations.

You either need to give in and let her sleep in your bed, or work through and insist she sleeps in hers. They go through all sorts of brain developing stages, so things that weren't scary can be now.

@Potatomashed can you tell my 9 year old that they will soon grow out if it please! Still wants to sleep in my bed given any chance.

@TheIsleOfTheLost yes makes sense and I understand about brain development and that her anxieties about the weather and bad dreams are developmentally normal at this age. I'm just struggling to know how to respond in the best way, but also appreciate there is no best way otherwise parenting would come with a handbook.

As you can probably tell, I went with give in. I sit with my 4 year old going to sleep as he is terrified otherwise. He still climbs into my bed if he wakes in the night, but it means I get sleep, so have no plans to keep taking him back to his bed.