Dear mammas,
I used this site a lot when my little ones were small and here I am again looking for some advice... !
I dont' know what to do. My 4.5 year old started school back in September. Now DD1 has never been a fantastic sleeper (2nd Daughter sleeps like a dream in the dark.. 12 hours.. thank goodness). But since she started school (where she is very happy and loves it) she has been getting nightmares and hates going to sleep. I suffered badly with nightmares as a child so am sympathetic.. to a point. There are times when she is genuinely scared. Then there are times when she just comes in our room for the hell becuase she has woken up. Its her first instinct when she wakes up to come down the corridor to our room.
She has never been allowed to sleep in our bed. She sleeps with a night light on and a light in the hall.
My husband and I need a consistent approach. We have tried rewards.
She gets really upset when we don't answer her as in we take her back to bed and tuck her in and say "There's nothing to be scared of, go back to sleep" and try not to enter into lengthy discussions.
Do we persist with that?
Anyone been through this and have any suggestions on what the approach should be?
Thanks in advance... x