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How do you encourage an overired 4 yo to sleep? Need to break this BIG vicious circle!

4 replies

olivo · 07/05/2011 07:35

Having had some major sleeping issues with DD1, we thought we'd finally craked it over hte Easter holidays, with loads of downtime and some time awway from home. We were blessed with a whole week of her sleeping through, and not waking at silly o'clock in the morning. Now, whilst we are not back at square one, as the night terrrors seem ot have gone, we have had some dreadful nights and is overtired again, but not sleeping. This has been since going back to school so the vicious circle of being worn out but then not sleeping so being more tired, has started again.

SHe goes to sleep no bother, but is either up and adown in the night, or shouting/crying out, and then up early. Her behaviour is foul but she cant see the porblem, obviously, as she is 4 1/2!!
I've tried the rapid return but I usually crack and spout at her, as she seems to leave it about 1/2 an hour, when we are just falling asleep again, befiore bursting into our room.I am just soo tired.

can anyone offer any advice please?

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CharlotteBronteSaurus · 07/05/2011 07:38

does she nap in the day? weirdly my 4yo dd has recently started having an odd 30mins nap after lunch most days, having not had a nap since about 2.5. i wonder if there's a growth spurt around this age or somethimg........

olivo · 07/05/2011 07:45

No, she can't, as she's at school all day, then has to go to after school club as I work. It is a long day for her, she is the youngest in reception but I cant get her to see that if she'd stay in bed at night, even to rest, she'd be happier in the day.
maybe there is a growth or developmental spurt. she dopes sometimes fall asleep during the day at weekends so we give her half an hour or so. any more and she wont go to bed!!

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CharlotteBronteSaurus · 07/05/2011 08:22

nightmare. it must be really hard with her being so young for full time school.
i think letting her rest up loads at the weekend is probably the way forward. perhaps when you all next get some time off, hopefully that might help reset things for a bit.

olivo · 07/05/2011 08:41

thanks, we generally dont plan anything much for weekends, so she can catch up a bit.

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