3.5yo sleeps in 2hr bursts

[monkeysmama]

My 3.5yo dd goes to bed calmly at the same time every night. Until around the start of December she would sleep until 330ish and either call for one of us and be quickly settled back into her bed or would come into our bed and go straight back to sleep.

Now though she wakes up every two-two 1/2 hours without fail. She requires the same settling back into her bed but we are having to do this 5-6 times a night. She doesn't need anything more than my presence to go back to sleep, but without it she will become wide awake and can get very cross if her dad goes into resettle her instead of me.

Any tips? I'm too tired to think.

TIA

I've got exactly the same situation and have been experiencing from before Christmas. My DH and I are desperate from lack of sleep! My DD is also 3.5 and used to sleep really well before. She was suddenly afraid to go to sleep on her own and wakes every 2 hours and we have to stay with her to settle her. Over Christmas we let her get in our bed until we got tough after realising that this wasn't just a one off phase.

We're now following the Gradual Retreat system suggested in Millpond's Teach your child to sleep. Its the 'disappearing chair' thing when we bring her back to bed when she comes to get us and then sit next to her until she falls asleep. The idea is that the chair gets nearer to the door until eventually you're outside and she gets used to you not being there. But last night she was up every hour! DH and I took it in turns because its the weekend but he returns to work next week and it will be me on my own doing it. She can't tell what she is afraid of, she just becomes hysterical if we leave her in her bed on her own. Anyone experienced anything similar? I would love to hear of anyone who has been through it and it passed!

just marking my place as my 2.5DD is doing the same and i am absolutely shattered this morning (DH hving lie in as I had one yesterday and he didn't get in til almost 3am grrr)