HELP!! I dont know what else to try.

[mammyjm]

We have a 4 year old and a 21 month old and we are having major sleep problems with the youngest. Their dad works long hours and is rarely there at bedtimes so its me that puts children to bed everynight. I changed the youngests cot into his bed around october time and he seemed to settle in it straight away. this problem started before xmas, he was unwell. Every other night he was being sick from his cough, then turned into a bug that lasted a couple of days. At this time I only had a small number of spare bed clothes so some nights I didnt have clean ones, so he ended up in our bed (which very rarely happened anyway). From then on his sleep pattern has been terrible. He now doesn't go to bed unless im sitting in his room next to his bed. He will get up at the very least 4 times through the night and stand at our bed. I take him back to his bed and majority of times he will lie straight back down but lately he just cries as he wants to be in my bed!(Which isnt goin to happen). I have tried standing outside his room and every time he gets up putting him straight back to bed but hasnt worked so far. He used to be such a good sleeper. 3am this morning I had to sit for 45mins at his bed waiting for him to go back to sleep. Im like a Zombie every morning and I feel like im neglecting my oldest every bedtime because of m. Help, I dont know what to do anymore:(

Mammy J, you say that you have to sit inside the room until he falls asleep. Have you tried the gradual withdrawal method?. I had to do this with DD when she was younger (had previously been a good sleeper, then had a nightmare which spooked her) The idea is to get them used to the idea of falling asleep alone again. I sat next to the bed for a couple of nights and gradually moved further out the room until I was ouside (visable) then outside (not visable) but if she wimpered I would just offer a soothing "shush I'm here".etc I remember at the time feeling drained and exhausted going through this rigmarole every night, but after a couple of weeks she was back to being fine - dropping off on her own. I think thats the key for you. You are there when he falls asleep, not there when he is waking and thats maybe what the problem is.